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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23232844">Legacy</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/rarepairqueen/pseuds/rarepairqueen'>rarepairqueen</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>A Saga Of Love and Legend [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Haikyuu!!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Developing Relationship, Disturbing Themes, Fantasy Violence, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Torture, M/M, Magic, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Political Drama, longfic</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 12:42:13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>96</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>477,778</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23232844</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/rarepairqueen/pseuds/rarepairqueen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Hinata knew there would be consequences to his actions in the Battle of the Dynasty, he knew this was coming. Whilst he had accepted this, others had not.<br/>Tobio doesn't take this new challenge to his authority very kindly, Tooru is adamant he wants nothing to do with it, the Brotherhood is once again asked to step up and offer their unique skillsets to the cause. </p>
<p>As the empire looms over them demanding things, a new mystery is presented to them and an old foe reappears. How they deal with the challenges facing them will have repercussions far and wide. </p>
<p>It may not be a battle of swords and shields, but that doesn't mean it's any less deadly.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Akaashi Keiji/Kuroo Tetsurou, Hinata Shouyou &amp; Kozume Kenma, Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio, Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru, Sawamura Daichi &amp; Sugawara Koushi, Shimizu Kiyoko/Sugawara Koushi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>A Saga Of Love and Legend [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/704502</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1198</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>192</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. An Imperial Demand</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>The final part in the series, Legacy was written &amp; published during the hella crazy year of 2020. So much happened that year that we'd all rather forget but I'm glad I was able to give y'all something good to look forward to each week✌</p>
<p>
  <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6Qz1fAGksv5FDvNHNdZXvu?si=_R69x8zPSQ6cZ3fZal15Xg">Spotify Playlist</a>
</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>I</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>An Imperial Demand</strong>
</p><p>Tobio stared down at the message again. The mercenary from the empire wasn’t lying; the empress from the north had demanded that Hinata and Inuoka be handed over to them to be ‘investigated’ for breaking the treaty. The fact that the account said the battle took place in the Northern territories was the first part that stank of false information. Ushijima had left the city without another word. Tobio felt his previous relief around the successful battle wear away as he mulled over this situation. He had been aware that the empire would bring it up, but this was far too quick, it had only been a week. The battlefield hadn’t been cleared fully and there was already a new threat emerging.</p><p>He exhaled, pinching the bridge of his nose as he anticipated the look he was about to receive when he raised his head. Across the table from him was an easel holding up the parchment that Inuoka’s infamous portal was inked onto. On the other side of the portal was Tooru looking pensive. They hadn’t spoken since Tooru returned to Tanishiti, but Tobio had been insistent.</p><p>“So, you want me to involve myself in this?” Tooru reiterated. “That’s a tall order for me considering I’m still putting the pieces back together. We still have bandits infesting Kitamine, your pirate friends are doing what they can but quite frankly, it’s a mess. I have an entire army to compensate for their efforts, and then there’s dealing with Lady Suzuki, she’s due to be executed in the next few days. I simply don’t have time for this.”</p><p>Tobio met his gaze, Tooru wasn’t trying to be unreasonable about this. There was a simple fact that none of Tooru’s mages were involved. Shirabu had flat out refused to entertain the idea of going near a battlefield and technically speaking, the Brotherhood wasn’t under his instruction. Aside from the promise of an alliance, there wasn’t really a reason for Tooru to involve himself.</p><p>“That’s fair enough, but we were both on that battlefield Tooru, we both nearly died without the mages involving themselves. Are you really going to let this happen?” Tobio sounded unsure of himself as he exhaled again. “I need <em>something </em>from you<em>.</em><em>”</em></p><p>Tooru held his chin in thought. “Well, I’m not marching anywhere on just a hunch. Besides, I haven’t been summoned. There are hundreds of other things I need to prioritise before your mages…” He trailed off. “However, if things turn sour, then just say the word. I’ll honour the agreement we came to. Heck, I might even send Kyoutani a letter and see if he wants to involve himself, though I guess that’s unlikely.”</p><p>Tobio snorted in amusement. The idea of Kyoutani involving himself in politics as thick as this was hilarious in a way. “Paperwork got signed off then?”</p><p>“Without a hitch.” Tooru smiled. “I even said he can take up residence wherever he chooses, be it here or there or somewhere in between.”</p><p>“Well that’s one good thing.” Tobio drummed his fingers on the table as he glanced down at the parchment again. “I dunno if this empress will grant me that audience, but if she does then I’ll be taking the Brotherhood.”</p><p>Tooru’s smile grew into a more impressed smirk. “Gutsy.”</p><p>“Well they have a history of solving political crises…” Tobio wryly smiled. “I could use some of that dumb luck they have.”</p><p>With another nod, Tooru sighed. “Well I’ll keep an ear out for any useful information. I assume you’ll take a messenger raven with you?”</p><p>“Yeah, I’ll let you know when we’ve crossed the border.” Tobio nodded. “And hey, Tooru? I appreciate your help, in whatever capacity you can offer it.”</p><p>There was a modest shrug, Tooru’s attempt at being humble. “Hey, you helped me with my biggest trial, only fit I assist with yours.”</p><p>The conversation drew to a natural close as Tobio had to turn his attention to the more personal side of this situation. The politics would have to wait until he heard back from the empress herself anyway. As Inuoka arrived to take the portal back to his chambers, Tobio held a hand up to make him pause.</p><p>“Sit, Sou.” He murmured, waiting for Inuoka to be seated before continuing. “How are you feeling?”</p><p>Inuoka snorted. “The empire wants me arrested for doing my duty and protecting my king.” He shrugged. “How do you reckon I feel?”</p><p>Tobio nodded slowly. “If it’s any consolation, I don’t intend to hand you over. I intend to argue with them over this treaty that I never signed. You and Shoyo are not just going to be given over without a thought.”</p><p>Inuoka weakly smiled. “That…kinda helps, to know you’re not just rolling over because they’re bigger than us.”</p><p>“Empire or not, at its heart is a leader.” Tobio gave him a confident smile. “Leaders can be spoken to and reasoned with…Tooru and I are proof of that.”</p><p>“And you’re not exactly gonna be alone. I heard what you said, you’re taking the Brotherhood?”</p><p>“If they accept, yes. I think the likes of Daichi and Kuroo can talk their way out of any crime.”</p><p>Inuoka raised an eyebrow. “And Shoyo?”</p><p>Tobio let out a small breathless laugh. “I don’t think the empire really knows what they’re getting into with him…” his smile faded, “but maybe that’s why they’re so quick about this; a mage of his power…”</p><p>“Is trouble, at least in their eyes.” Inuoka finished. “The minute they hear he’s actually going, they’ll make preparations to rip him away from you as quickly as possible, audience with her imperial majesty or not.”</p><p>There was an uncomfortable pause as Tobio considered the suggestion of being set upon. “I need to talk to him.”</p><p>Inuoka wordlessly rose from his seat, packing up the portal and easel with ease. Tobio left him to it as he too rose from his seat. Hinata had already retired to their chambers despite it still being light out. It didn’t bode well for a conversation about the potential doom head their way.</p><p>Slowly, Tobio opened the door and slipped inside. As soon as he closed the door behind him, he turned to look at Hinata. Sitting on the edge of the bed, staring down at his hands, Hinata’s expression was vacant of emotion. Tobio made his way over towards the other, only pausing to remove his crown and set it aside. He knelt in front of Hinata and took hold of his hands.</p><p>“I’m not letting them take you from me.” He stated, trying to keep the confidence in his voice. “Shoyo, you’re not going to—”</p><p>“I know.” Hinata’s voice lacked the determined spark it usually did. “But Shirabu’s right, you don’t have any power there.”</p><p>Tobio frowned. “The hell does he know?”</p><p>Hinata met his gaze, eyes dull. “He’s from the empire, h-he barely escaped with his life…with his powers.”</p><p>Tobio hadn’t been aware of that. It made Shirabu’s choice to stay out of the battle easier to understand. It also meant Hinata had gone into this knowing that this would be the outcome.</p><p>“So,” Tobio squeezed his hands, “now what?”</p><p>“Huh?”</p><p>“When she answers, what do you want me to do? Do you want me to march up there and argue for your innocence? Or do you want me to sit here and wait for them to try and take you?” Tobio’s gaze was unwavering. “Because they’re not going to stop. They demanded I hand you over and I said no. But that doesn’t mean a god damn thing and you know it.”</p><p>“Why are you asking me—”</p><p>“Because I don’t want to put you in more danger.” Tobio cut in. “I’d have to take you with me but that puts you right in their territory. Right in their line of sight. If you would rather stay here, we can get more men in to protect us when they strike—”</p><p>Hinata shook his head. “No!” He snapped. “No. No, I didn’t do everything I did just to hide here.” His eyes welled up with tears. “What kind of protector would I be?”</p><p>Tobio swallowed. It was obvious that the pressure of taking over from Hēishān was taking its toll on the other. Though he hadn’t been there, Tobio reckoned the entire process of taking on the mantle of ‘protector of the Kageyama line’ was intense. He remembered the way Hinata not only threw himself into danger but also pulled off a feat of magic that only legends spoke of. It had been mesmerising, shaking him to his core, yet he still didn’t really understand how it all happened.  All he knew was that Hinata defied orders and risked his life to save him that day.</p><p>“Not being funny Shoyo,” he squeezed Hinata’s hands again, “but Hēishān didn’t really…do much, not in my eyes. He was sleeping in a mountain ‘til you and your lunatics burst into my fortress.” He allowed a small smile at the memory and saw the glimmer of amusement in Hinata’s eyes. “You’re the one who made everything…work. He just gave you a shove in the right direction.”</p><p>Hinata let go of Tobio’s hands to wipe at his teary eyes, sniffing loudly. “But—”</p><p>“No,” Tobio stood up and cupped Hinata’s chin to tilt his face up, “you won’t be doing your title any disservice Shoyo, if anything it’s <em>me</em> who should be protecting you right now.”</p><p>Hinata sniffed again, nodding as Tobio released his face. “Thank you.”</p><p>Gently, Tobio wiped away fresh tears with the pad of his thumb. He didn’t say anything as he sat down next to Hinata and pulled him into a hug. He knew this wouldn’t be a walk in the park, this would be an uphill climb that could end horribly. But if he had learnt anything from the mage currently crying into his shoulder, it was that even when the odds are stacked against you; you fight to win or die trying.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>Semi wrinkled his nose at the letter being passed around the common quarters. Nishinoya was rattled as the words ‘empire’ and ‘mages’ were read out. He wasn’t sure how to react in all honesty, he didn’t know these mages that well.</p><p>“So…what does this have to do with us?” He asked hesitantly. “Like…Hinata’s—”</p><p>“A valued member of the Brotherhood,” Suga stated in a calm tone. “And so we’re going to do whatever Tobio asks of us.”</p><p>Semi glanced down at the letter again. “This says Tobio wants ‘the Brotherhood’ to go to Tobu Misaki-Mura? Are we all going?”</p><p>He was met with a few sceptical glances, almost calling for him to suggest he doesn’t go or the opposite. Daichi held out a hand for the letter to be handed over. “Well, do you want to involve yourself?” He simply put. “If you don’t, then you’re welcome to remain here.”</p><p>Semi glanced around the group, sensing that if he said no, he’d be sitting in this fort alone for a fair few weeks. “I, uh…am I allowed to join you?”</p><p>“I see no issue.” Daichi invited the rest to say otherwise. No-one said a single word, even Kuroo seemed okay with the idea, but maybe that was because he didn’t want to leave Semi alone in their fort. “Good, so we’ll leave as soon as we’re ready.”</p><p>It was the cue to them all to leave, Semi found himself almost alone within moments. The only person who hung around for everyone else to leave was Kenma. Semi hadn’t spoken to him since arriving, far too caught up in trying not to annoy Kuroo or anyone else for that matter. It had been clear to him that there were a lot of sore feelings felt, he didn’t blame them.</p><p>“Eita, correct?” Kenma’s soft voice threw him off.</p><p>“Yeah.” He replied, waiting for a thinly veiled threat of sorts. He was used to those from Kuroo by now.</p><p>“Walk with me.” Kenma beckoned him to follow. Semi didn’t wait to hear an explanation that was never going to come.</p><p>He followed Kenma through to the mage tower. He had only been inside a handful of times since arriving, understanding it was a tower full of books and eccentric experiments that he wanted no part in. Even if he did, there was no guarantee he’d be invited. His eyes fixed on the large mat made of dried reeds that was now being rolled up to reveal wooden planks and a door. Kenma pulled on the iron chain and the door swung open. Stone steps led down further and Semi was once again at the mercy of whatever someone else had planned for him.</p><p>Once at the set of doors, Kenma pushed them open with ease. Semi took in the giant chamber that stretched out in front of them, his eyes scanning the trinkets and treasures of undetermined age. Kenma continued walking past them, halting under the large stone statue of a dragon. Semi halted next to him, gazing up at the impressive black marble structure.</p><p>“Who’s this?” He kept his gaze on the statue, he felt like he was being watched.</p><p>Kenma smiled. “The former protector of House Kageyama, Hēishān to be exact.”</p><p>“Former.”  He repeated.</p><p>“He’s passed on now, his oath fulfilled.” Kenma looked to Semi. “Shoyo took his place.”</p><p>Semi did a double-take. “Took his <em>place</em>?”</p><p>“He called upon the spirit and asked for help during the battle, knowing that strength of the armies alone wasn’t going to win that battle. Hēishān’s condition was that upon helping us, Shoyo would consider his centuries’ old oath fulfilled and allow him to pass on…however,” Kenma looked back to the statue, “this meant someone else needed to swear that oath to protect House Kageyama.”</p><p>“And so he made that pact?”</p><p>“He did.” Kenma’s smile remained. “He paid a price, now bound to Tobio for the rest of his living days and no doubt his spirit will linger at Hokubujōsai until someone else comes along.”</p><p>Semi wasn’t sure where this was going, but he played along. Kenma wanted him to ask questions and know things that the others did. “Why? Why would he do such a thing for a king? What was worth so much that he’d do that?”</p><p>Kenma shrugged. “All that matters is what will happen because of that choice.”</p><p>Semi couldn’t even begin to fathom what Hinata was thinking now that the empire had reacted so quickly. He hadn’t even met the mage and he already felt sympathy for him.</p><p>“…so he’s a big deal to you guys? Powerful?”</p><p>Kenma’s smile grew a little. “Powerful, yes, however, that’s not what all of us admire him for.” He met Semi’s gaze. “Shoyo is a pacifist at heart. He doesn’t like using his powers to harm people. The entire stunt of his was done to avoid someone or multiple people, getting hurt or killed. He’s refusing to say who, but I’m convinced there’s no other reason he’d do something on this scale.”</p><p>“And now the empire wants him arrested because of it?”</p><p>“So it seems.” Kenma’s gaze on him felt interrogative. “Any idea why?”</p><p>Semi wrinkled his nose. “Why…would I know?”</p><p>“You knew Kei.” Kenma bluntly stated. “What does he want with Shoyo?”</p><p>Semi shrugged. “He hates Hinata for some stupid reason, something Hinata did annoyed the fuck out of him but even still, I don’t like this any more than you do. It feels…too quick.”</p><p>Kenma nodded. “So even <em>you</em> feel it…interesting.”</p><p>He shrugged again. “The Empire was always dressed up as a big chaotic setup, like nothing was ever quick about Takeshi getting word from them. Letters would take weeks to get back to us.” He said. “It’s been exactly one week since that battle…and they’ve already demanded Tobio hands them both over. I’m not entirely convinced that it’s pure chance.”</p><p>“Glad we all agree on something then.” Kenma turned and began leaving. “It’ll be interesting to travel with you Eita.”</p><p>Semi wasn’t sure if Kenma was sincere or not with that remark but figured there was nothing to say otherwise. He meant what he said though; it felt far too quick for a simple treaty violation. This felt like it had been premeditated, and that was a very uncomfortable feeling. He didn’t know much of how the empire worked, but he got the feeling that they were all about to learn quickly.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Impatiently Waiting</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you everyone for your warm reception to the first chapter! I'm glad to be back uploading again ❤</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>II</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Impatiently Waiting</strong>
</p>
<p>He had called Yamaguchi into the banquet hall to discuss the situation looming over them. Tobio wasn’t particularly hungry, more interested in focusing on how he was going to handle all of this, yet Yamaguchi had insisted on them having a light snack if nothing else. The conversation was relaxed, a far cry from how most would assume it would feel.</p>
<p>“So when you waltz into the imperial palace,” Yamaguchi popped a grape into his mouth, chewing as his eyes flickered up to Tobio, “how are you gonna present yourself?”</p>
<p>Tobio snorted. “As a king. How else?”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi raised an eyebrow, picking up another. “And what’s the plan regarding Hinata, are you gonna parade him or hide him?”</p>
<p>“…not sure.” Tobio watched as Yamaguchi ate another grape. “What would you do?”</p>
<p>There was a pause as Yamaguchi stopped chewing. Considering the situation, Yamaguchi was rather calm. Most advisers to kings would be stressed about how a meeting with an empress could go terribly, how Tobio could be walking straight into a trap. However, Yamaguchi had every reason to believe that Tobio wasn’t the one they needed to be worried about.</p>
<p>“I have a few ideas, depending on how outlandish you want to be.” He swallowed and let a mischievous smile play on his lips. “And how much deceiving you’re willing to do.”</p>
<p>“You have my interest.” Tobio reached for the bowl and selected a grape for himself. “Go on.”</p>
<p>“It’s fairly common knowledge at this point that you and Shoyo are…close.” Yamaguchi picked his words carefully. “The people adore it in a way, they think you’re good together. So I propose you try and capitalise on that in the empire.”</p>
<p>“…how?” Tobio slowly popped the grape into his mouth.</p>
<p>“They love a good show up there, even better if it’s a love story.” Yamaguchi waited for the realisation to kick in. “Imagine it; the King of the Eastern Kingdom argues with the empress for his lover’s innocence.”</p>
<p>“L-Lover?!” Tobio spluttered, nearly coughing up the grape he was about to swallow. “Tadashi what are you—”</p>
<p>“I <em>did</em> mention deceiving,” Yamaguchi remarked with a smirk. “Unless there’s <em>any</em> reason that you’d be opposed to it.”</p>
<p>Tobio’s cheeks were rosy as he finally swallowed the grape, clearing his throat loudly before meeting Yamaguchi’s gaze, drumming his fingers on the table. “No. None that I can think of.”</p>
<p>“If you say so, but you had me convinced with that reaction.” Yamaguchi carried on eating grapes like this was a normal conversation topic.</p>
<p>Tobio glared at him. “Shoyo wouldn’t agree to that plan anyway.” He waved his hand dismissively. “What’s your next idea?”</p>
<p>“You could try to get a decoy. Shoyo would be a mere servant like myself.”</p>
<p>“That won’t work.” Tobio shook his head. “They’ll figure it out soon enough.”</p>
<p>Pausing in his eating, Yamaguchi huffed slightly. “Alright, then my last suggestion is that you parade him. You talk him up, that he’s a mage of great power and yes, he won that battle for us, but he did it because he was told to.” Yamaguchi continued with a much more serious tone. “If they want to make out he’s some sort of out of control tyrant, put them in their place and tell them who he really is.”</p>
<p>“Who he really is?”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi picked up another grape but held this one between them. “He’s your protector, he’s as much your royal guard as Asahi is. He acted out of loyalty to you and the kingdom when he broke that treaty as any other royal guard would.” He paused. “I’d leave out the part about the dead dragon though, that might distract them too much.”</p>
<p>Tobio snorted. “But that’s the <em>best</em> <em>part</em> Tadashi.”</p>
<p>There was a wry smile from the other. “And would also prompt far too many questions. No.” He pushed the bowl towards Tobio. “Let them steer the conversation, don’t tell them anything they don’t already seem to know. The less we reveal, the less they can use against us.”</p>
<p>It seemed risky given how much the empire already seemed to know, but Tobio liked the idea of holding some of his cards closer to his chest. He hoped they didn’t know much about the Brotherhood, that was one of his cards he wanted to keep under wraps. Besides, if they found out too much about the Brotherhood, then it would lead to a lot of uncomfortable questions about how two kings are allied with a band of criminals. And that was a conversation he definitely wasn’t having with them.</p>
<p>He drummed his fingers on the table as he thought. “Alright, so you think I should either parade him around as my lover, or as this legendary mage?”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi nodded. “Ultimately it’s up to you both to decide.”</p>
<p>He rose from his seat, nodding as he left the banquet hall and letting Tobio stew over his choice. As plans went, he could imagine any <em>sane</em> adviser to a king wouldn’t propose such a thing as to <em>lie</em> to the empire. However, he was getting the feeling that tackling things in the traditional and safe way wasn’t going to cut it. After all, who was to say how long the empire could hold a grudge.</p>
<p>If the years of silence was anything to go by, the answer was obvious.</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Considering the situation, it was no surprise that Nishinoya wasn’t exactly enamoured with the idea of getting involved in the empire wanting to arrest Hinata. Though he wasn’t going to just abandon the other either, he just wanted to make sure he wasn’t going to get found out in the process. It did seem a little odd that there hadn’t been any warrants for his arrest, or Kenma for that matter. He didn’t really think too hard into it as Kenma reiterated that it was mostly due to them being ‘unknown entities’ as far as the empire was concerned. Hinata and Inuoka <em>were</em> in the public eye a lot more prominently.</p>
<p>Still, as they made their way from Kēpu yōsai towards the kingdom’s capital, Nishinoya was feeling apprehensive about it all. Semi hadn’t shown any indication that he knew anything, but that was to be expected from their newest member. Tanaka walked beside Nishinoya as the journey eastward continued into its third day. He hadn’t said much on the matter since the battle apart from the initial ‘Oh thank the gods you’re alive!’.</p>
<p>It had been a weird few days, living with the memories of what happened, the residual power thrumming through his veins. The circlet had been wrapped up in a cut of cloth and buried in a saddlebag. Nishinoya didn’t <em>hate</em> it, but he didn’t want it to be part of him either. It had served a purpose. A purpose he didn’t want to revisit.</p>
<p>Being outside and on the move again helped a little. The fresh air and cool rain felt familiar, a nice comforting familiar. He recalled the days of travelling with Tanaka; getting lost in the forests of the northern reaches of Tooru’s kingdom, bathing in streams and rivers, sleeping under the stars. He could let himself relax a little, but despite all of that, there was still a feeling of dread hanging over him. They weren’t going to Tobu Misaki-Mura for a friendly visit, they were being summoned by Tobio to face another threat.</p>
<p>As they walked, he let his thoughts tumble out to Tanaka, trying to make sense of them. Tanaka listened, nodding along and letting him voice everything before replying in true Tanaka fashion.</p>
<p>“Hey, I got your back bro, you know that.” Tanaka ruffled Nishinoya’s hair. “We’re gonna stick together like we always do.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, but it’s still…” He gestured to the air. “Like everyone’s saying how quickly the empire jumped on Shoyo, like they already knew about him?”</p>
<p>Tanaka shrugged. “I mean, if he’s so close to Tobio, then it makes sense?”</p>
<p>“But how would they know he’d defy a treaty?”</p>
<p>“I dunno, maybe they had a lucky guess?”</p>
<p>The answer didn’t satisfy Nishinoya, Tanaka could tell by how the other frowned but no-one really wanted to suggest what they were all thinking; the empire had known about Hinata because there was every possibility that Tsukishima had been involved. After all, Semi confirmed he had told Takeshi everything, who was to say he hadn’t told the empire the same, if not more? It was obvious that there was a larger game being played here and they were merely pawns in it.</p>
<p>“Well, I’m sure Daichi won’t put you in danger.” Tanaka finally said. “And I’m not letting them get their hands on you.” He grinned.</p>
<p>As unlikely as it was that Tanaka would be able to prevent such a thing, the sentiment made Nishinoya smile slightly. His thoughts turned to how Hinata was coping with this sudden escalation in attention. The poor guy had already been through so much recently with the battle and Hēishān passing, surely there wasn’t much more he could withstand before snapping entirely?</p>
<p>How Hinata hadn’t unhinged yet was beyond him.</p>
<p>They continued the rest of the day’s travelling without bringing it up again. The convoy that seemed to keep growing every other season halted as they came upon one of the many settlements that had sprung up due to the fertile land. Camping was fine and all but having the money and opportunity to stay in a tavern always trumped setting up the tents. The tavern for that evening was larger than most in these tiny villages; a large open-plan design had a bar lining one wall, a door led out to the kitchens, leaving the rest of the ground floor for benches and tables. A staircase was tucked away in the corner leading up to the rooms on the floor above that were able to be rented for a small fee. The main attraction of the tavern was not its ale or stew, rather, it was the large stage that dominated the wall opposite the bar. It wasn’t the first time they had seen a stage for performing, but the settlement didn’t seem like the type to entertain bard troupes.</p>
<p>“Oh that?” The innkeeper seemed amused at their interest as Kuroo asked about it. “Yeah, we have a few people who come around every so often, play some merry jigs, have a dance or two, even juggle fire. Yeah.” He sighed happily. “No-one around today, though if you band of gentlemen,” he glanced to Kiyoko, “and lady-friend wanna have a go at earning some coin, feel free.”</p>
<p>That was all Kuroo and Bokuto needed to hear. Within moments of everyone else getting seated, the duo had already hatched a plan. Bokuto was set on juggling daggers whilst Kuroo would casually throw additional things into the mix for shits and giggles; an empty tankard, a piece of fruit, a chicken drumstick. Bokuto’s brow was beginning to sweat as he concentrated on the myriad of things Kuroo kept tossing his way, a wooden spoon, an unlit candle, another dagger.</p>
<p>Soon most of the tavern was paying attention to the juggling antics with great interest. Many were clapping as Kuroo still kept throwing new things into the mix. Then came the problem of stopping.</p>
<p>Akaashi nursed his small tankard of ale, watching Kenma lift a hand and wait for the inevitable moment that Bokuto would falter. Sure enough the other began to tire and the assortment of objects was set to clatter to the ground. Nishinoya let out a sharp exhale as Kenma brought his hand in an upward motion. The daggers, tankard and varying food items halted in mid-air, much to the tavern patron’s surprise.</p>
<p>Bokuto laughed as Kenma flicked his wrist and organised the items into a much easier to catch pile of things. It was rather comical to see the stack of objects drop into Bokuto’s hands to rapturous applause.</p>
<p>So the bar was set, and if the Brotherhood was anything, it was competitive.</p>
<p>Akaashi raised an eyebrow as Nishinoya rose to his feet and took his place centre stage. With no hesitation, he summoned some flames and began making elaborate shapes just as Hinata would do. What started as relatively safe fire-play turned into something else entirely as Lev the lion started prowling around. The presence of the big cat set some of the patrons on edge but they were put at ease quickly as Lev’s gaze was firmly on Nishinoya. Understanding that this was a good a chance as any, Nishinoya set his expectations high. He made a ring of fire big enough for Lev to jump through and gestured for him to do just that. With more rapturous applause, Lev leapt through the fire without a single piece of fur catching alight. Nishinoya didn’t stop there, however, as well as rings of fire, he started making platforms of ice for Lev to jump from one to another, creating a circuit in mid-air.</p>
<p>Patrons of the tavern and the Brotherhood alike marvelled at Lev’s bravery and Nishinoya’s skills as they climbed higher and higher through the elaborate circuit. Eventually, they ran out of room, so Nishinoya created a slide of ice for Lev to return to the floor, except it wasn’t just a slide straight down of course. No, it had to have a loop and a final ring of fire. Which Lev didn’t back down from challenging. As he landed on all four paws, a loud cheer went up for the brave lion. Nishinoya whooped in victory as he snapped his fingers to dispel the elements and returned to the table to receive the several free drinks already waiting for him.</p>
<p>Suga wasn’t going to let the mage be the star of the show. He grabbed his bow and a bowl of fruit that had been on the table. He may not be able to conjure elements into existence, but he was skilled in other impressive feats. He loosed an arrow at a thick pillar that held up the floor above, the bright white feather sticking out as his mark. He picked up an apple, examining it before throwing it straight up in the air.</p>
<p>With lightning-fast reflexes, he readied and loosed another arrow as the apple fell. The apple was then sent soaring into the pillar and embedded into the hardwood. There were awestruck faces and loud gasps as he readied another apple. Soon, after multiple arrows loosed, his original arrow was surrounded by apples, but that wasn’t enough for him. He picked off individual grapes from the stalk and held them up for everyone to see how small they were.</p>
<p>Many didn’t think he’d be able to do it, but Suga just decided to remind everyone why he was the best marksman in the guild. Inside the ring of apples was now a ring of grapes. It was a mess of fruit juices dripping down the pillar but he still wasn’t done.</p>
<p>He readied an arrow, aiming carefully before loosing it. The arrowhead struck the shaft of the first arrow and split it down the centre.</p>
<p>“Oh you whore!” Bokuto scoffed as Suga gave him a smug bow as applause rang out.</p>
<p>“Anyone fancy trying to top that?” Daichi remarked as Suga immediately set to cleaning up his mess of arrows and impaled fruit. There were a few thoughtful expressions before it was eventually decided it was too close to call who ‘won’. Really, the entire table won as free drinks kept arriving from impressed patrons.</p>
<p>“Well, it’s good to know our weird talents will pay for a night’s rest.” Tanaka remarked as a small pouch of gold pieces was handed to Daichi as a tip.</p>
<p>“I suppose it’s an alternative to…other things.” Kuroo hummed. “Less messy.”</p>
<p>“More fun.” Bokuto slammed down his seventh empty tankard and immediately reached for an eighth.</p>
<p>Daichi rolled his eyes as he watched the guild partake in their well-earned free drinks. He cast a glance to Semi who was smiling slightly at the scene of Bokuto trying to challenge Yaku to a drinking contest and being firmly told to ‘fuck off’. Despite the other’s quiet nature, Daichi could sense that he’d be a good fit for the guild. He just needed to ease himself into things a bit more and the Brotherhood needed to be a bit more trusting. Though Daichi couldn’t really blame them for being a little distrusting of someone who was formally their enemy, though he found it very rich coming from Kuroo of all people.</p>
<p>As they began to retire for the night, Kiyoko remained at the table with Daichi and Semi, much more comfortable to let the others stagger upstairs half-herded by Suga. She gave them both a warm smile as the tavern began to fall quiet.</p>
<p>“So, in the unlikelihood that we ever need to change careers,” she remarked, “bard troupe seems viable.”</p>
<p>Semi snorted, chuckling slightly as Daichi rolled his eyes. “I get the idea that Daichi doesn’t want that chaos.”</p>
<p>“We’re already known as ‘that band of lunatics’, we don’t need to encourage it.”</p>
<p>Semi raised an eyebrow. “Do I want to know?”</p>
<p>Kiyoko’s smile grew. “Well, it started with us being sent to the eastern kingdom to find out if Tobio was alive or not…”</p>
<p>Daichi signalled for the barkeep to refill their tankards, he sensed they’d be up for a while longer.</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Hearing the news for himself, Hinata hadn’t quite known how to feel. He had known this was coming but it was the speed that it had arrived that threw him off. Tobio’s gut reaction had left him feeling conflicted too; not immediately caving to the empire was something to admire, but it also came with risks. Those risks were now Hinata’s concern if they targeted Tobio. He wasn’t sure what would happen to him if he failed in his new role as ‘protector’.</p>
<p>Once the Brotherhood had been summoned, Hinata relaxed a little. He knew that Daichi would have a plan, and if he didn’t then <em>someone</em> in the guild would. Many of them were used to thinking up plans to get away with murder, literally, and if anyone knew how to mislead the empire, it would be them. The week-long wait for them to arrive was getting to him though.</p>
<p>Tobio had been wrapped up in meetings with Yamaguchi and Asahi to talk about the possible responses the empire could give. Hinata spent most of his afternoons with Inuoka trying not to feel too sorry for himself. After all, he wasn’t the only one in danger right now.</p>
<p>The mage quarters were quiet, calm. The usually disorganised room of the court mage had been cleaned thoroughly; all the tomes and stacks of parchment had been tidied away and now the table seemed far too big for the room. Still, he sat with Inuoka as the other read because the alternative was to wander the city alone.</p>
<p>“What do you think is gonna happen to us if they get us?” He asked.</p>
<p>Inuoka hadn’t exactly been holding Hinata in the highest regard since the demand came through, he was still of the mindset that Hinata was the reason he got involved in the first place. He shrugged, turning the page of his book.</p>
<p>“I’m hoping it won’t get to that,” Inuoka replied after a moment of silence. “For both our sakes.”</p>
<p>Hinata nodded. “Tobio won’t let that happen…”</p>
<p>There was a snort. “He might not get a choice.”</p>
<p>“But—”</p>
<p>“The moment we cross that border, we could be arrested,” Inuoka stated coldly. “Nothing is saying, yet, that we’d be immune.”</p>
<p>Hinata’s stomach turned. He chewed on his bottom lip as he considered the chances of the empire granting them unhindered passage. He could sense that Inuoka wasn’t really interested in talking about this, at least not until they had heard back. He wordlessly got up and left the mage quarters, not wanting to sit in silence any longer.</p>
<p>Hokubujōsai seemed its usual busy self as Tobio’s staff moved around without any hint of the current political situation exhausting them. Hinata was basically of noble status now, getting greeted with nods and even bows from some servants. He felt uncomfortable about it really, he didn’t do anything to deserve such treatment in his mind. He didn’t seek out his king, Tobio could only say so much right now. No, he needed to talk to those who had seen dynasties rise and fall before. He needed to talk to the kirin.</p>
<p>The growing season brought with it refreshing rainstorms, the skies were grey most days as the mountain peaks were shrouded in clouds and mist. As he stepped into the forest behind Hokubujōsai, a gentle breeze whipped up around him. Birdsong was carried on the air as leaves rustled in the trees, droplets of water pattered around him as he brushed low hanging branches aside. Alone with his thoughts, the reality began to set in; his actions saved Kuroo and Iwaizumi and indeed both kingdoms, but they also brought a new threat forward. It may not have been a threat like the Blue Serpents, but the empire was not to be underestimated. Had Hēishān known this was going to happen? Was there a way he could’ve avoided it?</p>
<p>As he trekked through the mud, he wondered if there had been another option on that day, one where he could’ve saved Kuroo and Iwaizumi without magic. His thoughts tumbled quickly as he found the clearing. The archway beckoned him, the lantern swung from side to side. As he neared it, the single surviving runestone around his neck pulsed. He glanced up to see the soft blue light of the lantern growing in size. He didn’t remember seeing it alight in the first place.</p>
<p>“<em>The protector returns.</em>” A voice called on the wind, he turned around at the sound of snapping twigs. From within the forest, he saw large shapes coming forth; large four-legged creatures stepped out into the clearing, some into the pool. Moss clung to their antlers, their bright manes coming in all different shades and hues of blues and purples standing out the most. Wings batted against low hanging branches as they folded against graceful stag-like bodies.</p>
<p>He counted at least seven before his attention was brought to the kirin closest to him. It had stopped in the centre of the pool and bowed. The rest followed in its stride; each bowing in either respect or servitude to him. He laughed nervously.</p>
<p>“You don’t need…to do that.”</p>
<p>“<em>But we want to.</em>” The voice from before came as the first kirin rose to its full height again. “<em>For you are the protector of House Kageyama, just as we are protectors of this forest.</em>”</p>
<p>He nodded. “Yeah, but I don’t want people and…creatures bowing to me.” He gestured to the herd. “I should be bowing to you, you’re all so—”</p>
<p>“<em>Powerful? As are you, Shoyo. But very well, we shall not bow unless necessary.</em>”</p>
<p>It was a small thing, but he was glad someone was prepared to drop the formality. “So, why are you all here?”</p>
<p>“<em>To welcome you home, and to ensure you know that whatever trials face you, the spirits will be on your side</em>.”</p>
<p>He wasn’t sure which spirits they were referring to exactly, but he nodded anyway. “Is the other kirin still here?” He gestured to the cave.</p>
<p>There was a slow nod. “<em>However, she grows weak with time.</em>”</p>
<p>It alarmed Hinata enough to immediately turn and race into the tunnel. As the cavern came into view, he saw her perched where she always sat upon the stony plateau. Her mane had dulled in colour in the short time that had passed since he last saw her. The moss that clung to her antlers was longer now, bright purple flowers sprouted from the deep green shades. Her wings were folded against her battle-torn body, feathers misplaced and damaged.</p>
<p>The battle she had flown Inuoka to had taken its toll on her, and for that, he felt a wave of guilt.</p>
<p>She rose her head as he entered, golden eyes regarding him silently for a moment.</p>
<p>“<em>Shoyo</em>.”</p>
<p>“Hey…hey the kirin outside said—”</p>
<p>“<em>She worries for me, yes</em>.”</p>
<p>He shifted his weight slightly, evidently, she knew it worried him but that wasn’t what he was here for. “Uh, so, I needed to ask you something.”</p>
<p>“<em>Is this about the Imperial Palace summoning you?</em>”</p>
<p>“Yes! Yes.” He nodded quickly. “I uh, I wondered if you had any…advice?”</p>
<p>She didn’t reply, slowly blinking and letting out a loud sigh. Her wings shifted slightly as she moved to stand. He watched as her usual graceful movements were much slower and causing her great pain. He wasn’t sure if he should mention it. Once she was stood at her full height, she nodded.</p>
<p>“<em>Crossing that border is the least of your worries Shoyo. However, not everything ahead of you is shrouded in darkness.</em>”</p>
<p>“Heh?”</p>
<p>“<em>Hope. Friendship. New Life.</em>” She paused, stretching her wings out. He could see the missing feathers clearer now, not to mention the scars on her body, some seemed fresh. “<em>You are not the only one who shall gain something from this ordeal. Just like your last great trial, there are many who will be affected by choices made.</em>”</p>
<p>“Do I have to make any more pacts?” He hesitantly asked.</p>
<p>“<em>Not to any beast or spirit. To mere mortals, maybe.</em>”</p>
<p>That comforted him a little bit, people tended to be a lot more reasonable than spirits. He scratched his head as he thought about what else to ask. “How do I protect Tobio? Like, from empire stuff?”</p>
<p>She laughed a little, tailed swishing and picking up dried leaves in its wake. “<em>Tobio is more equipped to deal with politics than he lets on. He</em><em>’s already taken the first step in defining his legacy by refusing to bend the knee.</em>”</p>
<p>Hinata had to admit, Tobio’s stance had made him a little proud, he may be stubborn at the wrong times, but on this occasion, it seemed useful. “So you’re saying I don’t have to worry too much?”</p>
<p>“<em>I</em><em>’m saying Tobio just needs more confidence. With you at his side, he’s invincible in more ways than the obvious.</em>”</p>
<p>“So stick to his side and it’ll be fine? Got it.”</p>
<p>The kirin nodded. “<em>Not everyone in the empire is set out to conquer. You may yet find allies within the halls of the Imperial Palace.</em>”</p>
<p>That sounded far-fetched but he was prepared to be proven wrong. He felt his spirits had been lifted a little as he nodded in return. “Alright, well I think that’s all?”</p>
<p>“<em>Very well. Good luck Shoyo.</em>”</p>
<p>He turned to leave, hesitating at the last moment. Glancing back over his shoulder he watched her slowly return to laying on the plateau, before his eyes he saw the colour of her mane wane a little more.</p>
<p>“Are you dying?” He blurted out.</p>
<p>She didn’t seem surprised at the question. “<em>My time is limited, yes. But it is not your concern. Another will replace me, another will be your guide. All you need to focus on is protecting Tobio.</em>”</p>
<p>“But—”</p>
<p>“<em>Do not trouble yourself over the natural order of things.</em>”</p>
<p>He turned to face her. “Then at least hang on until I’m back!” He pointed at her. “I-I don’t want you to go until I get back…”</p>
<p>She tilted her head in curiosity. “<em>Why</em>?”</p>
<p>There was a lump in his throat as he replied; “Because I don’t want you to die alone…not after everything you’ve done to help me and Tobio. You deserve more than that.”</p>
<p>There was a glimmer in her eyes as she held his gaze. “<em>I will do my best Shoyo.</em>”</p>
<p>That’s all he wanted to hear. He nodded and bowed before leaving, wiping away the tears welling up in his eyes. He felt like his heart was being squeezed as he thought about the kirin who had helped him so much dying alone in that cave. He thought that she deserved as many accolades and legends as Hēishān did.</p>
<p>It occurred to him that with his new fancy title, he was perfectly within his right to start decreeing such things.</p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. An Agreed Plan Of Action</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>III</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>An Agreed Plan Of Action</strong>
</p>
<p>“You want to give the kirin a title?” Tobio repeated, eyebrow raised in curiosity. The banquet hall was quiet considering the meal taking place. Tobio often dined with as many of his staff as he could, stating that anyone was welcome regardless of their position in the fortress. It was something that surprised Hinata a little considering all the pomp and pageantry that he had witnessed in Tooru’s court. Asahi broke a bread roll in half and offered one to Tobio who took it as he waited for Hinata to elaborate on his thought.</p>
<p>“Well, I mean Hēishān gets all the credit for things but they’ve been here just as long as he was.” Hinata shrugged, stirring the soup in his bowl. “They’ve given me a lot of help…so I figured they should get some sort of recognition.”</p>
<p>Tobio seemed to consider it as he ate. Hinata flashed a glance to Yamaguchi who gave a small shrug in response, no indication if Tobio was really going to allow such a thing.</p>
<p>“I have one question,” Tobio stated, pausing to finish chewing the bread in his mouth, “what did she tell you today?”</p>
<p>Hinata stiffened. “Uh, well, not really anything spec—”</p>
<p>“Specific, yeah okay,” he gave Hinata a small smirk, “so what have you deduced from what was said?”</p>
<p>Hinata smiled slightly as Tobio already seemed to remember how cryptic the kirin could be. “One thing stood out more than most, she said how there could be allies within the palace.”</p>
<p>Eyebrows were raised at the remark, not just by Tobio but also by Yamaguchi and Asahi. It was the king who broke the silence in the end. “I mean, that’s not odd, but did she give any hint as to whom?”</p>
<p>Hinata shook his head. “I don’t think even she knows.”</p>
<p>“Hm. Well, it’s a start.” Tobio nodded. “Alright Shoyo, we can figure out a title or something to bestow upon her.”</p>
<p>Both excited and relieved at Tobio’s decision, Hinata beamed at him. Dinner passed without any further important discussions. Tobio idly spoke about the day’s business with those present, no topic was kept off the table as he mulled over the latest projects going on in Tobu Misaki-Mura and beyond. Hinata listened as intently as he could muster, truthfully he didn’t care for all the boring details surrounding day to day running of the kingdom. He did like listening to Tobio taking control of how things were being improved not just in the city but in the smaller settlements and even the city-state to the far south-east. He hadn’t heard of most of the places, but Tobio seemed to have memorised each of them and their main needs.</p>
<p>He slowly tuned out after a while, finishing his soup in silence, his interest piquing as Tobio mentioned preparations for going to the empire.</p>
<p>“I suppose I’m gonna have to relearn how to dance.” Tobio huffed.</p>
<p>“Dance?” Hinata repeated, getting a coy smile from Yamaguchi.</p>
<p>“Yeah,” Yamaguchi replied, “if we’re going to the Imperial Palace, no doubt there’ll be some sort of ball to commemorate our visit.”</p>
<p>“And I’ll be expected to dance.” Tobio huffed again. “Which isn’t nearly as fun as it sounds.”</p>
<p>Asahi chuckled, ruffling Tobio’s hair in a more brotherly fashion than Hinata had ever seen. “You want help? I’m sure I can find someone in the city—”</p>
<p>“I know how to dance.” Hinata abruptly stated, all eyes on him within a moment of the statement leaving his lips.</p>
<p>“You do?” Tobio wrinkled his nose. “When?”</p>
<p>“I uh, I mean my mother used to dance with me when I was really little,” he rubbed the back of his neck, “and then when I joined the Brotherhood, there was this one time in the cold season where we were <em>really</em> bored, so someone suggested Suga taught us all how to dance and well Noya and Tanaka didn’t take it seriously of course but it was fun? And it killed a lot of time whilst there was this massive blizzard outside.”</p>
<p>Tobio started laughing at the visual image. “Right, so you got taught how to dance by Suga?”</p>
<p>“Kinda?” Hinata shrugged. “Like I know how to spin around a lot and not be dizzy?”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi shook his head, hiding his laugh behind a cough. “I think, we should find someone with a bit more…experience. But you’re more than welcome to get Tobio started.”</p>
<p>Tobio’s laughter died quickly as he gave Yamaguchi an accusatory glance. “What?! Him?”</p>
<p>“Me?!” Hinata squeaked.</p>
<p>Inuoka, who had been quiet this entire conversation, couldn’t help but laugh at the idea of Hinata teaching Tobio how to dance. Asahi let out a loud belly laugh. “This I got to see.”</p>
<p>“Okay,” Yamaguchi put up his hands to surrender, “maybe not, but he could be your partner? He’s the perfect height for a—”</p>
<p>“Fine. Sure.” Tobio cut in, cheeks crimson with both embarrassment and mild irritation. “Find someone in the city and…Shoyo can be my partner.”</p>
<p>Hinata was mildly alarmed at the decision being out of his hands but he didn’t argue. There was a slight question over whether this was just for practice or whether going up to the Imperial Palace would also mean he’d be Tobio’s partner in any formal ball situation. It seemed that the conversation had given Tobio pause for thought as he rose from his seat and gestured for Hinata to follow him. The throne room would serve as their destination for their talk that evening. It felt rather empty without Kyoutani’s presence in the rafters.</p>
<p>It also meant they were truly alone.</p>
<p>Tobio cleared his throat, deciding to jump straight to the point. “So Tadashi had a reason for proposing you be my dancing partner.”</p>
<p>“He did? Other than my height?”</p>
<p>Tobio suppressed his laugh. “Uh, yes, well it’s to do with how I present you when we get there.”</p>
<p>“What do you mean?” Hinata tilted his head to the side. He figured Tobio was going to keep him as far out of the way as possible. What other option was there?</p>
<p>Tobio reached out and took Hinata’s hand in his. A gesture not too unusual these days, but it still made Hinata swallow. “We have two choices, one’s more…stupid…than the other.”</p>
<p>“Stupid or lunatic? Cause the Brotherhood has probably got you beat there—”</p>
<p>Tobio didn’t let him continue that train of thought as he continued; “You’re either going to be this mage of great power and authority in my kingdom, or…” Tobio trailed off, averting his gaze momentarily as he smiled coyly. “Tadashi seems to think that the empire’s people might be more…welcoming and even interested in our safety if you…” He let out a sharp exhale, annoyed at himself for finding this so hard, “if you pretend to be my lover.”</p>
<p>Hinata blinked, cogs turning in his head as the statement sunk in. “What, like Tooru and Iwaizumi?”</p>
<p>“…yes.”</p>
<p>“That sounds…” He swallowed, his chest felt strange, like his ribcage was full of butterflies all of a sudden. “Weird.”</p>
<p>Tobio nodded slowly, eyes on him and waiting for an elaboration of some sorts. Still, he held Hinata’s hand, though he could feel his own getting warm with nerves as Hinata’s expression remained that perfect blend of thoughtful and innocent; his nose scrunched up slightly, brows furrowed a little, gaze flickering around and not dwelling in one place for more than a second.</p>
<p>“I mean, I’ve never seen Tooru kiss Iwaizumi in public so I guess it wouldn’t be that hard?”</p>
<p>Tobio spluttered, eyes widening before he turned away from Hinata, hand still holding Hinata’s even at the slightly odd angle. He could feel his face heating up far too quickly. He hadn’t actually thought <em>that</em> far into it. Why had Hinata come to that conclusion immediately?</p>
<p>“What?!” Hinata exclaimed, squeezing Tobio’s hand. “I was just saying!”</p>
<p>“I know! But like,” Tobio turned back to him, gesturing wildly to the air with his free hand. ”Why was <em>kissing</em> the first thing to come to your dumbass mind?”</p>
<p>Hinata’s eyes were wide like he had been caught out. “I don’t know!”</p>
<p>“Alright, well I mean,” he shook his head, “we can figure it out late—another time.”</p>
<p>“Y-Yes.” Hinata nodded, his cheeks felt like they were on fire. Tobio’s were definitely redder than normal.</p>
<p>They fell into silence, neither wanted to address the slightly awkward feeling in the air, nor how they were still holding hands. As Hinata opened his mouth to speak, Tobio beat him to it.</p>
<p>“I’m going to go down to the hot springs. You can join me if you wish.”</p>
<p>Hinata swallowed. “I’d…I would but I need to send a letter, to my mother, about all of this.”</p>
<p>“Okay. Yeah, understood.” Tobio slowly let go of Hinata’s hand. “Tell her I wish her well.”</p>
<p>Before Hinata could say anything else, Tobio was already heading off. He wanted to ask if Tobio wanted him to include anything else but decided to just leave the king be. He walked back into the banquet hall to find the other three still sat at the table and looking up at him almost expectantly.</p>
<p>“What?”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi raised his eyebrows. “Everything okay?”</p>
<p>“Yes!” He replied a little too quickly. “Fine, uh, Tobio’s gone to the springs and I need to write a letter.”</p>
<p>He didn’t wait to be interrogated any further, already leaving on a quest to find some parchment. This entire evening had been a little too eventful for him, and he still wasn’t sure if he had an actual answer for Tobio’s proposition. His chest still felt like it was full of butterflies as he tried to focus on his letter home. He let his thoughts pour out onto the parchment, hoping that maybe his mother would be able to advise him in some way.</p>
<p>It would probably be the last letter he wrote until all this empire business blew over.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>It only took another two days for the messenger from the empire to return, and this time he brought a second one. Both of them were wearing thin metal plated armour with purple shirts underneath, upon the armour was a white eagle. As they walked into the throne room, Tobio braced himself for a headache. He recognised Ushijima immediately with his brown hair and emotionless expression, the other mercenary was equally tall and imposing, short white hair and a sterner expression graced his pale complexion.</p>
<p>“Your majesty,” Asahi stated, “I believe these two are from the Imperial Palace.”</p>
<p>Tobio nodded. “Ushijima, right?” He nodded to the unknown male, “And you are?”</p>
<p>“Aone.” Was the one-word reply.</p>
<p>Ushijima presented Yamaguchi with a letter sealed with a purple wax seal. “Her imperial majesty got your reply,” He stated, “and has seen it fit to bestow an official invitation to the Imperial Palace.”</p>
<p>Tobio gave the duo a suspicious look as Yamaguchi gave him the letter. He took little care in breaking the seal and unfolding the parchment and reading its contents.</p>
<p>‘<em>To His Majesty King Tobio Kageyama of the Eastern Kingdom, </em></p>
<p>
  <em>Her Imperial Majesty Hitoka Yachi has received your response to her court</em>
  <em>’s request to speak to your mages and sees your demand reasonable enough to extend an official invitation to visit the Imperial Palace of the Summer Vale.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Should you accept, you should be aware that bringing your mages in question is a requirement to being welcomed into the city of Hinode. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Please give your reply to our messengers as quickly as possible so preparations for your arrival can begin.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Kind Regards,</em>
</p>
<p><em>Yashiro Takehisa, chief steward to The Imperial Family.</em>’</p>
<p>Tobio wrinkled his nose. “Wonderful.” He uttered, handing the letter to Yamaguchi to read. “And I suppose you aren’t going to let me think about this?”</p>
<p>Ushijima didn’t even smile. “It would be wise to reply as quickly as possible, things change in the Imperial Palace daily.”</p>
<p>“Oh do they now?” Tobio remarked, clasping his hands together. “Are you suggesting I happened to catch her at a nice time and not a terrible one?”</p>
<p>Asahi inhaled slowly, a silent plea to Tobio not test the two mercenaries.</p>
<p>“Your answer?” Ushijima prompted.</p>
<p>Tobio shook his head. “You can at least give me a few hours to—”</p>
<p>“You were the one who demanded the audience, I would’ve thought you’d anticipate this answer and be prepared to leave.”</p>
<p>Tobio was stunned at this man’s audacity to interrupt him in <em>his</em> throne room. He cleared his throat. “You’ll get my answer by sundown. Not before.” He stated, rising from his throne. “You can wait here or in the city.”</p>
<p>Ushijima exchanged a glance with Aone who shrugged. “Very well. We shall stay here.”</p>
<p>Tobio snorted, nodding for Yamaguchi to follow him out of the throne room. Once out of earshot, he pulled the other close and whispered; “Meet the Brotherhood outside the city. Take them around the fortress and in through the stables. Do not let those two see them at any cost.”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi nodded. “Understood. I’ll fetch you when they’re in the guest quarters.”</p>
<p>Tobio released him, immediately ascending the stairs to the mage quarters. He slid open the door without knocking, both Inuoka and Hinata rose to their feet at his arrival. He relayed the message to them and also his plan to wait for the Brotherhood to arrive. He knew deep down that he couldn’t leave without at least consulting them on this matter.</p>
<p>“So should we…pack?” Inuoka asked.</p>
<p>Tobio nodded. “I imagine we’ll leave at dawn.”</p>
<p>Inuoka exhaled. “Okay. And what should I bring?”</p>
<p>Glancing around the room, Tobio wasn’t really sure. “Something smart. Make yourself look as pompous as possible. I’m not holding back.”</p>
<p>Inuoka wasn’t entirely convinced but he nodded. “Understood.”</p>
<p>Tobio looked to Hinata. “Come with me.” Hinata scrambled to follow him to their chambers. Within seconds of the door being closed, Tobio asked; “Do you still have that circlet from the battle, the one with that weird stone in it?”</p>
<p>“The pure stone.” Hinata corrected gently. “Yes? Why?”</p>
<p>“I want you to wear it.”</p>
<p>Hinata nodded. “Right…so we’re going with the proud mage plan?”</p>
<p>Tobio gave him a slightly curious look. “…unless you want the other plan?”</p>
<p>Hinata’s stomach twisted. “I-I mean…” He let out a flustered sigh. “I mean if <em>you</em> want.”</p>
<p>Tobio abruptly took both of Hinata’s hand in his and brought them up between them both. “Shoyo. I’m not going to force you to pretend to be my consort.” He bluntly stated, no hint of the flustered king from a few days ago. “But it would probably generate some buzz, and I doubt the empire would be able to stomach trying to arrest a consort of a reigning king outside their border.”</p>
<p>There was a thinly veiled proposition in that statement. Hinata tilted his head slightly. If he didn’t know any better, it would sound like Tobio was willing to do pretty much anything to try and get a strategic advantage over the empire by using their own idle gossip against them. Maybe this was what the kirin meant by him being smarter than he realised.</p>
<p>Considering everything that he had already done to ensure Tobio’s survival and prosperity as a king thus far, pretending to be a consort for a few days wouldn’t be the craziest thing in the world. Besides, it would make it easier for him to remain by Tobio’s side regardless of whatever customs and traditions the empire had, and in turn easier to protect him.</p>
<p>“…okay.” Hinata breathed, his heart was slamming in his chest. “I-I’ll do it.”</p>
<p>Tobio seemed stunned by the declaration. “Wait, you will?”</p>
<p>Hinata nodded. “I don’t know how we’re…we’re supposed to act but…we’ll figure it out?”</p>
<p>Tobio’s cheeks were rosy as he swallowed. “Yeah, yeah we will. We always do.”</p>
<p>There was a nervous laugh from both of them before Tobio dropped Hinata’s hands and went over to his dresser. He rummaged around before finding a small wooden box no bigger than an apple. He brought it over to Hinata and opened it. Within the box was a ring, it was House Kageyama’s signature ring, it matched Tobio’s perfectly.</p>
<p>“It…was my mother’s.” He confessed. “We found it and I kept it all this time for when…” he trailed off, shaking his head dismissively. “I guess if you’re playing the part then this’ll make it more convincing.”</p>
<p>Hinata remembered a comment Nishinoya once made about Tobio giving him things in an effort to court him. He firmly put that behind him as he took the ring and slipped it onto his finger. He laughed nervously again as he looked at the silver band with a dragon carved into it.</p>
<p>“It’s…pretty.”</p>
<p>Tobio snorted, returning the box to the dresser. “I should see if Tooru has sent any news, I trust you won’t go into the throne room until I’ve spoken with your friends? I don’t want those two mercenaries to see you until I have their stupid reply for her majesty.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, yeah.” Hinata was still entranced by the ring. “I’ll stay here and wait for you to return”</p>
<p>“Here, this room?”</p>
<p>Hinata’s cheeks blossomed a deeper shade of red. “I mean,” He didn't know what he meant, “I’ll stay away from the throne room.”</p>
<p>Tobio smiled. “You can leave the fortress, just not via the throne room.”</p>
<p>As Tobio left, Hinata turned the ring around on his finger. He was all sorts of conflicted now. He had just been given Tobio’s familial ring, the one his <em>mother</em> used to wear. It was clearly meant for whomever Tobio legitimately married and yet here he was wearing it. He was in so deep already and they hadn’t even left the kingdom yet! He let out a heavy sigh, turning the ring some more. It fit nicely on his finger with no sign of slipping off.</p>
<p>He needed some air.</p>
<p>Leaving the fortress by the side door, he evaded the throne room and the mercenaries Tobio seemed to dislike already. The city was bustling as he walked down the main street. He stopped to talk to anyone who smiled at him, mostly just exchanging pleasantries and answering questions about how long he was staying. Many asked how Tobio was, which was odd in a way as Tobio was the king and such questions just seemed weird to him. He was the king, he was always doing well as far as the people were concerned. There were a few who tried to pry into what his actual role in the royal house was these days, he brushed them off and simply stated that he was helping Inuoka with some of his studies and rebuilding the void of knowledge left by the destruction of the old library. For many that was hideously boring stuff, nothing gossipy enough.</p>
<p>There was this one woman who kept asking why he was wearing such fine clothes for someone just ‘helping out’. He waved off her question with a literal wave but that was a minor mistake.</p>
<p>“That’s the familial ring isn’t it”? She asked, peering at his hand, specifically at the silver band.</p>
<p>“Uh, yes, I mean no, kinda?” He panicked, trying to hide his hand in his pocket but it was too late. How had this woman managed to see the ring in that split second? How did she know it was <em>that</em> ring? Was it that recognisable? Was it that big of a deal? Was there really that much of a rumour mill in the city?</p>
<p>“It is!” She squealed. “Does that mean you and Tobio are—”</p>
<p>“What?” Another voice joined the fray and soon Hinata found himself almost being mobbed by questions about his true intentions. Several people were asking if he and Tobio were courting, others were adamant the rumours were true. He panicked as he tried to back out of the bombardment of questions until a more familiar voice interrupted.</p>
<p>“Hey hey Shoyo!” Bokuto’s booming voice cut through the air. It succeeded in distracting everyone long enough for Hinata to duck out and run to his saviours that were the Brotherhood.</p>
<p>“What was that about?” Suga asked as a huffing and puffing Hinata barrelled into the group.</p>
<p>Kenma was the first to notice. He seized Hinata’s hand and peered at the silver ring. “Shoyo. What the fuck is this?”</p>
<p>“I can explain!” He exclaimed.</p>
<p>“You fucking better!” Tanaka called, peering over Kenma’s shoulder at the silver band. “Because that doesn’t look like a mage ring.”</p>
<p>A much calmer voice interrupted them. Yamaguchi raised an eyebrow at the gaggle of guild brothers before gesturing for them to follow him. Hinata was more than happy enough to tag along as they were taken around the fortress and through the stables entrance. Once in the guest quarters, Tobio was summoned to explain the current situation. The Brotherhood listened intently as he read out the response that had arrived. Once he was done, he calmly explained his plan;</p>
<p>“So I want to take some of you with me as my entourage.” He finished.</p>
<p>“Some of us?” Daichi repeated. “And the rest?”</p>
<p>Tobio shrugged. “Are welcome to enter the empire at their own risk.”</p>
<p>Daichi nodded, looking to those present before looking back to Tobio. “Did you have specific people in mind?”</p>
<p>Tobio nodded. He had given it some thought and came up with an idea for the ideal group. “Kiyoko? You’ve got more experience in royal politics than most. I was also thinking of Yaku and Kunimi, you’re both unassuming enough to be perceived as non-threatening by most.”</p>
<p>The three mentioned all nodded, understanding and supporting his train of thought.</p>
<p>“Then I was thinking Kenma and Akaashi. Mages who are more subtle in their affairs that are observant.”</p>
<p>“Alright.” Daichi nodded, counting how many that was already.</p>
<p>“And Suga.” Tobio added.</p>
<p>“For…what reason?” Suga nervously laughed.</p>
<p>Tobio shrugged. “You can organise people and information quickly and on the fly. I need improvisation if I hope to wrestle an upper hand over these nobles.” He stated with a slightly wry smile. “You thought Tooru’s nobles were bad? These will be worse. There are six kingdoms and several city-states ingrained in this empire, there are going to be shadow and cloak tactics abound and not just surrounding us.”</p>
<p>Suga nodded slowly, not really seeing anyway he could decline. “Alright. I’m in.”</p>
<p>Kuroo hummed in thought. “So, the rest of us can just take a break here…”</p>
<p>Semi raised an eyebrow. “If I may, can I suggest we try and get to the city? If…there really is danger there, we should be closer than just ‘a settlement near the border’.”</p>
<p>Tobio gave Semi a long glance. “You’re the former Serpent, correct?”</p>
<p>“The second.” Semi corrected, getting a slight glare from Kuroo. “But yes. And I feel like I might know more about your enemy than you realise.”</p>
<p>Tobio snorted. “Then walk with me and Shoyo and share that information.”</p>
<p>Semi was slightly taken aback but accepted the offer. He rose to his feet and followed both Tobio and Hinata out into the hallway. He wasn’t sure what to expect from the king but he was willing to suspend his questions for now. It was the first time he had met Hinata properly, he wasn’t sure how this tiny kid was meant to be an all-powerful mage but once again, he saw enough sense to not ask right now. He didn’t need that headache.</p>
<p>“So what do you wanna know?” He folded his arms across his chest.</p>
<p>“Do you know what the empire wants?” Tobio didn’t hang around asking questions. “And more importantly, who this empress is?”</p>
<p>Semi shrugged. “Empress Yachi, I just know she’s not really got an iron grip on anything. Most of our correspondents came from stewards and couriers. Takeshi wouldn’t let us see the names but he voiced his thoughts on the empress not really ‘ruling’.”</p>
<p>“Uh-huh. Got names of anyone who might be influential?”</p>
<p>“Well,” Semi snorted, “your old friend Kei has some weight.”</p>
<p>Tobio stiffened, scowling. “Seriously.”</p>
<p>“Kei crossed paths with us before the battle, he was actively selling your secrets to us and the empire. He has contacts, I know that much.”</p>
<p>Tobio hummed in thought. “So, is it possible he knows the extent of Hinata and Inuoka’s powers? And even the Brotherhood’s?”</p>
<p>Semi shrugged. “He didn’t talk to me, but given how much we knew, I’d say it’s safe to assume he told them everything, although…” he gestured to Hinata, “He didn’t mention the dragon conjuring so…”</p>
<p>“That was a new thing.” Hinata replied. “He…He wouldn’t have known about anything past my first…five?”</p>
<p>Semi pretended to know what the fuck that meant. “So you might have the edge on him, but I wouldn’t count on it.”</p>
<p>Tobio glanced to Hinata. “We’re definitely going through with our plan then.”</p>
<p>Hinata’s eyes widened as Semi seemed puzzled. “I haven’t…told them.”</p>
<p>Tobio laughed, more than a chuckle that Hinata was used to. “You probably ought to tell them.”</p>
<p>“I mean Kenma saw the ring!”</p>
<p>Semi put the pieces together quickly, glancing between them. “Oh, you two are a thing?”</p>
<p>“No!” Hinata replied quickly, getting a glare from Tobio. “I mean, kinda? It’s…an act?”</p>
<p>Semi groaned. “Please, someone already suggested we become a travelling bard troupe already. Don’t tell me that’s your grand idea.”</p>
<p>Tobio nudged Hinata in the side. “Go and tell them.”</p>
<p>“Me? <em>You</em><em>’re</em> the king.” Hinata pouted.</p>
<p>Semi sighed heavily, seizing Hinata by the wrist and dragging him back into the room where the rest of the guild was confused, to say the least.</p>
<p>“Your weird mage friend wants to tell you that he and the king are pretending to be hitched for one reason or another.”</p>
<p>Pandemonium erupted, mainly from Tanaka and Nishinoya. The rest of the guild was baffled, to say the least. Hinata was bright red as Semi released him and watched the rest of the guild trying to rationalise what he just said. Daichi held up a hand to calm everyone, it had mixed success as Nishinoya tackled Hinata to see the ring for himself.</p>
<p>“Hold on just a damn minute.” Kuroo’s voice rose above the chaos. “So we leave you in Hokubujōsai for like two weeks and you get <em>married</em>?!”</p>
<p>Akaashi facepalmed. “Tetsurou, he’s not actually married.”</p>
<p>“He’s got the family ring.”</p>
<p>“And I have yours, does that make <em>us</em> married?”</p>
<p>That shut Kuroo up, much to Semi and Bokuto’s amusement as Hinata wrestled Nishinoya off of him.</p>
<p>“Alright!” He called, summoning everyone’s attention. “Okay, so here’s the plan <em>Tobio</em> thought up.”</p>
<p>From the doorway Tobio’s astounded voice interrupted. “It was <em>not</em> my idea you dumbass!”</p>
<p>“You brought it up to me so it’s <em>your</em> plan.” Hinata pouted as Tobio shook his head. “Anyway, the idea is I can’t be arrested if I’m the king’s ‘consort’.”</p>
<p>There were a few moments of blissful silence as many of them tried to work out where the logic was. Kiyoko was the first to speak. “I mean, it’s not the worst plan we’ve had?”</p>
<p>Yaku had to disagree, letting out a sarcastic laugh as he ran a hand through his hair. “I’m…are you serious?!”</p>
<p>Hinata shrugged. “I mean how hard is it to pretend to be a consort?”</p>
<p>Kunimi was close to tears as he burst into a fit of laughter. There was really no other way to react. Daichi was at a complete loss. Even the most calm and composed members of the guild like Moniwa and Suga were finding it hard to keep straight faces.</p>
<p>“So you pretend to be his consort…and then what?” Yaku asked, still baffled by this line of thinking. “You waltz into the Imperial Palace and they just shrug and go ‘oh right our mistake, on your way’.”</p>
<p>Hinata pouted, more than a little annoyed at how the others were taking this. “Well <em>no</em>, Tobio’s gonna have to argue with them about the dumb treaty.”</p>
<p>“And you think being a consort will help?!”</p>
<p>Kiyoko cleared her throat, trying to continue playing devil’s advocate. “Perhaps, the consort act will distract from the serious nature of the accusations you face?”</p>
<p>Yaku couldn’t believe this. “What, you’re saying it’s a good plan?!”</p>
<p>“I’m saying it’s not a bad one” Kiyoko sighed. “If the empire’s nobles are like Tooru’s, then court gossip will be of great interest. It might even get them to open up and talk to us more. If they’re a gossiping bunch, they’ll want to know every detail about the king of the eastern kingdom.”</p>
<p>Yaku didn’t want to admit it, but he could see Kiyoko’s point. He huffed as he threw his hands in the air. “Okay, so when are we leaving?”</p>
<p>Tobio smiled from the doorway. “Dawn.”</p>
<p>“Dawn?”</p>
<p>“We just got here…” Kunimi groaned, flopping onto his back as if to make his point clearer.</p>
<p>Tobio shrugged. “The empire doesn’t wait.”</p>
<p>The guild nodded in understanding. Whilst there weren’t really preparations to be done, they understood that Hinata had a lot on his plate. Kenma rose to his feet as Hinata left with Tobio. He followed the duo, noticed but not addressed until they were at the door to the throne room. Tobio turned to both of them and made a ‘stay here’ motion before slipping through.</p>
<p>Alone at last, Kenma gave Hinata a questioning look. Hinata laughed nervously. “Look, I didn’t come up with this idea.”</p>
<p>“I know.” Kenma smiled. “Because you wouldn’t be gutsy to suggest such a thing,” Kenma gestured to the ring, “but this has me both amused and concerned.”</p>
<p>“Concerned?”</p>
<p>“Yes. Because <em>that</em><em>’s</em> not just part of an act, I’m sure Tobio may have made it seem so but if that’s his mother’s ring, then that means a great deal to him.”</p>
<p>“Yeah but—”</p>
<p>Kenma took Hinata by the shoulders. “First the jacket, then the title, and now this ring. Shoyo, are you sure this is just an act? Are you sure he isn’t…trying to say something?”</p>
<p>Hinata nodded. “He’s too wrapped up in the treaty to be thinking about that.”</p>
<p>Kenma wasn’t convinced. He had seen the way Tobio looked at Hinata with adoration and awe. The battle was chaotic yet through the chaos Hinata had saved Tobio’s life and that had to have counted for something in the king’s mind. Enough for him to first suggest this plan of ‘pretend consort’ and then actually be going through with it. There was reputation at stake, Tobio wouldn’t be able to hide it from his people, and if Tooru found out then there would be even <em>more</em> uproar from not only him but the two kingdoms combined. If he was really aware of the social effects and he had gone along with it anyway, Tobio must either be willing to do anything to get the treaty changed <em>or</em> he actually had genuine feelings of affection for Hinata.</p>
<p>“And what happens after the treaty?” Kenma asked, releasing Hinata’s shoulders. “What happens when you’re no longer in danger?”</p>
<p>“What do you mean?”</p>
<p>Kenma smiled again, though there was a sadness in his eyes. “Shoyo. Do you want to come back to the Brotherhood’s home? Or would you rather stay with Tobio?”</p>
<p>It was a silly question to Hinata, he had to stay with Tobio because he was the protector of the line now. He missed Kēpu yōsai of course, but he had a new place to reside. His place was with House Kageyama, and currently that meant being by Tobio’s side.</p>
<p>“I belong here,” he shrugged, placing his hand on his chest, “I’m the new Hēishān.”</p>
<p>Kenma shook his head. “You can move through fucking portals Shoyo. You could stay with us and still protect him. But you want to be here, don’t you? You want to be by his side, don’t you? Just like an actual consort?”</p>
<p>Hinata felt his stomach turn as his cheeks started burning. “Not…not like that.” He murmured. “I mean, he’s…I…”</p>
<p>Kenma sensed he had done what he set out to do; make Hinata actually <em>think</em> about his actions and what he even wanted out of this. Sure it was a stressful situation, choices had to be made in the moment that might have serious consequences but this wasn’t their first foray into the fire. They weren’t at death’s door this time. They could afford to stop and think about these things this time around.</p>
<p>“I don’t know.” Hinata breathed. “I…I…”</p>
<p>“Don’t force it.” Kenma told him. “It’s okay not to know, but just bear it in mind if you need to make a choice.”</p>
<p>He nodded. “Yeah, I don’t know what the empire wants, like the empress said she’ll host Tobio but she didn’t say she’d actually debate the treaty? So maybe she’ll want something else? Maybe Shirabu is wrong about the empire?”</p>
<p>Kenma found that doubtful. Shirabu didn’t strike him as the type to be a liar about that kind of thing.</p>
<p>“We’ll see I guess.” Kenma hummed. They shared a small smile, it wasn’t one of happiness at the situation as such, but one more of reassurance that regardless of what awaited them in the empire, they were going to face it together.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. A Pause For Thought</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I definitely didn't lose track of what day it is...😂 #JustLockdownThings.</p>
<p>Just wanted to say thank you once again for all the kind and enthusiastic comments! They honestly make my day ❤</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>IV</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>A Pause For Thought</strong>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>Tobio entered the throne room, both the mercenaries were still there and showed little inclination to leave without his response. He nodded to Asahi who had been keeping watch on their ‘guests’ all day. The royal guard slowly approached his king, still keeping an eye on their guests.</p>
<p>“We will have half of the Brotherhood with us.” Tobio murmured. “The other half will make their own way across the border. Also,” he flashed a glance towards Ushijima, “rumours suggest that this empress may not be as in control as they imply.”</p>
<p>Asahi nodded, not showing any emotion as he cleared his throat. “So, shall we tell these two so they can leave?”</p>
<p>Tobio had been considering how they intended to get the message back to the empire quickly, if the letter was anything to go by, they wanted to know as soon as humanly possible. He nodded, already striding over to the two mercenaries.</p>
<p>Ushijima noted his approach, turning to face him. “Your answer?”</p>
<p>“We accept.” He said. “And we’ll leave tomorrow, so you can go now.”</p>
<p>Ushijima shared a glance with Aone. “Thank you, but we shall be escorting you to her majesty’s palace.”</p>
<p>Tobio blinked, slowly processing this news. “Escorting?”</p>
<p>“Yes, her imperial majesty wishes you a journey free of hindrance. As you are travelling with two wanted mages, you may be in danger of falling victim to bounty hunters.” Ushijima calmly explained. “So we shall escort you.”</p>
<p>He wasn’t happy about it, but he couldn’t really argue. He let out a loud exhale through his nose. “Fine. But we go at our pace, not yours.”</p>
<p>“Very well. We shall send word.”</p>
<p>It seemed to be a cue as Aone left immediately. Tobio watched him go with a certain amount of suspicion but dismissed it as Ushijima declared they could leave at dawn and easily make the journey in four days without pushing the horses too much.</p>
<p>Four days seemed rather short, but he shrugged it off. Word was passed around the fortress that Tobio was going to be leaving for a short while again. The Brotherhood who were not going immediately with Tobio were left to ponder their route north, those who were had begun making preparations to masquerade as staff of House Kageyama. Nishinoya wasn’t entirely comfortable with the idea of heading right into the empire’s territory but didn’t voice it as Daichi examined a map that was sent up to the guest quarters by Yamaguchi. Semi and Kuroo sat opposite him, putting their slight animosity aside as they put their collective knowledge together to figure out a fast but risk-free route.</p>
<p>“If we avoid the major roads and trails, we shouldn’t get challenged too much.” Semi stated. “As much as the empire likes to know everything, they simply have too much land to effectively guard all of it.”</p>
<p>Kuroo nodded slowly, rubbing his chin as he examined the parchment. “But we need to stick close to the route Tobio will take just in case something happens.”</p>
<p>Semi pointed out a few settlements, mainly of the large villages in the shadow of the mountain range that divided the Empire of the Summer Vale from House Kageyama. “We can village hop, providing we have some sort of cover if people ask who the fuck we are.”</p>
<p>Daichi smiled slightly. “Group of performing bards.”</p>
<p>Kuroo snorted, not taking the suggestion seriously whatsoever. “Uh-huh.”</p>
<p>“I’m serious.” Daichi met his gaze, despite the smile, he showed no sign of joking. “You saw how we awed the tavern on the way here, we can do that tenfold.”</p>
<p>“I dunno, it might seem...suspicious.” Kuroo gestured over his shoulder at Nishinoya. “And he’s technically wanted too.”</p>
<p>“Just don’t use his sparks then.” Semi shrugged. “They’re looking for a lightning mage right? He can masquerade as an ice mage or something.”</p>
<p>It was more than a slightly ridiculous idea, but they could see more logic in it than Tobio and Hinata’s plan. Daichi nodded, catching Nishinoya’s gaze and beckoning him over. In doing so, they caught the attention of most of the others so decided to open up the conversation.</p>
<p>“Here’s the plan,” Daichi stated, “we go village by village and try not to draw suspicion to ourselves. However, to explain our southern natures and our reason for being there,” he paused, “we’re going to be a group of entertainers.”</p>
<p>Tanaka raised an eyebrow. “Like...bards?”</p>
<p>“Like how we were in that tavern on the way here.” Daichi specified. “It’s a good cover I think. And it’ll explain our reasons for being in the empire; earning money on the road with dreams of performing at the imperial palace.”</p>
<p>There were a few slightly reluctant nods, most of all from Nishinoya who was less than keen to show off his magic. Out of the quiet, a more laid-back voice replied.</p>
<p>“I mean, I like this plan.” Lev chirped, rolling on his back as if he were still a house cat and not a lion. “Better to have fun whilst risking our lives, right?”</p>
<p>Semi snorted, seemingly amused by the idea that Lev was going to be taken seriously. As no-one else said anything, it dawned on him that the guild took this talking lion seriously as if he was a human.</p>
<p>Daichi nodded. “I wouldn’t say we’re risking our lives, more…”</p>
<p>“Going on cross-country quests of lunacy again.” Kuroo remarked. “As per usual.”</p>
<p>There was a shared chuckle. Most of the paranoia seemed to have melted a little at the remark. Really, they weren’t putting much at risk aside from Nishinoya, there wasn’t an embargo on visiting the empire, they just hadn’t really had a need or desire to go so far. They were all painfully aware that the only one in real danger was Hinata.</p>
<p>“So, is that it? No-one has any actual objections?” Daichi asked, looking around the group for a serious objection to be made. When none came, he smiled. “Alright, so I propose we leave tomorrow after noon to avoid suspicion from the two mercenaries.”</p>
<p>“Agreed.” Kuroo nodded. “There’s only one road out of here after all.”</p>
<p>“And one safe pass through the northern mountains.” Semi pointed to the map. “I don’t fancy seeing if any of the others are no longer blocked by snow.”</p>
<p>“Nishinoya can melt it surely?” Tanaka joked.</p>
<p>“And cause mass local flooding?” Nishinoya remarked. “Cause I’m sure Tobio will be <em>thrilled</em> at that.”</p>
<p>“What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him.” Tanaka shrugged. “And he’s clearly too busy with Hinata.”</p>
<p>The remark got a chuckle from the others. No-one really knew what to make of the ‘pretend consort plan’. It seemed very odd for Tobio to be okay with such a publicly defining move, there must be other ways to gain popularity in the empire.</p>
<p>Then again this was Hinata and Tobio, they weren’t exactly your typical pair.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Kiyoko had made it no secret that she thought Tobio’s plan wasn’t <em>totally</em> insane, but that didn’t mean she had no reservations. There were obviously risks involved, but it could be a lot worse. As the other half of the guild planned out their route north, her and Suga made themselves busy by making sure they had enough supplies to last this unexpected trip north. It was a calming task, one that allowed her to think about the task ahead and what responsibility lay on their shoulders once more.</p>
<p>Suga didn’t seem too bothered by the outlandish idea, he merely shrugged when asked if he thought there was something wrong. When Kenma told them that Hinata seemed adamant it didn’t mean anything between him and Tobio, Suga had raised his eyebrows.</p>
<p>“Do you think Tobio’s got some ulterior motive?” Kiyoko asked as she paused in sharpening her blade.</p>
<p>“Not sure.” Suga replied, setting the second quiver of arrows aside to take up to the stables when they were done. “I understand why many might think he does, but honestly, he’s a young king who’s trying to maintain his status in this world. He saved Tooru’s ass in that battle and now he’s got the empire demanding his mages. It’s enough to make any king desperate for the cards to stack in his favour.”</p>
<p>Kiyoko hummed, looking down at her reflection in the polished metal. “Suppose that he does though, do you think it’s wise for this to be the way he goes about it?”</p>
<p>“If he has feelings for Hinata you mean?”</p>
<p>“How does one in such a position confess? The power he holds over people, whether he has good intentions or not, he’ll be painted as using it regardless of what he says.”</p>
<p>Suga folded his arms across his chest as he considered it. Kiyoko glanced up as he remained silent, waiting for his words of wisdom. His gaze was fixed on the two quivers at his feet, fingers drumming gently against his shirt sleeves. “Well, Hinata’s not exactly weak, either in spirit or strength.” He chuckled, scratching his head. “I think it’s reasonable for Tobio to be nervous about his reaction if he were to confess such a thing.”</p>
<p>She nodded slightly, humming softly. “But in the end, he’d have to confront Hinata, right? He’d have to admit to himself that there’s something more there?”</p>
<p>Suga smiled at her. “I guess, but that’s up for him to decide. We can’t force him to.”</p>
<p>They held each other’s gaze for a few moments before she turned back to sharpening her blade with the whetstone. The sharp ringing of steel against stone filled the silence, her gaze firmly on the blade. Suga looked around the armoury for anything else they might need before declaring he’d take the arrows and other supplies up to the stables for their departure in the morning.</p>
<p>As she was left alone, Kiyoko halted in her task, setting down the whetstone with a sigh. Something bothered her still. This entire situation brought up still fresh memories, ones that hadn’t been properly dealt with in the immediate aftermath of the battle. It hadn’t been long since she was freeing Suga from the clutches of a psychotic Blue Serpent thug, and something Tendou had said still resonated with her.</p>
<p><em>‘Are you sure you want to spend an eternity with her</em>?’</p>
<p>She hadn’t been able to shake off what he could’ve meant. She hadn’t pried into what Suga had gone through at the mercy of the other, but Tanaka had let slip one evening that the other had mentioned something about spilling any and all secrets in an effort to buy the Brotherhood more time. Someone like Suga didn’t keep secrets, or so they both thought. When she pressed Tanaka for more information, he said he didn’t know what Suga had meant and he certainly wasn’t asking.</p>
<p>It left her with an odd question, one that resurfaced with this entire ‘fake consort’ plan of Hinata and Tobio’s. There was something to be said for both her eagerness to go after Suga herself in that heated moment and also his reaction to her asking about Tendou’s remark. He hadn’t replied when she asked, not verbally at least.</p>
<p>He seemed so at ease around her, then again, he seemed at ease around everyone. Which is why him keeping secrets seemed odd. From what she knew of his past he hadn’t exactly been traumatised like most of the guild, certainly not like her. And the Brotherhood didn’t have any secrets to be spilt.</p>
<p>So what had he told Tendou?</p>
<p>She sighed louder this time. Frustrated that this tiny detail was getting to her when they had work to be doing. She decided her blade was sharp enough and that it was time to practice her fighting stances. With their current task, it was unlikely swords would be drawn once inside the Imperial Palace, but to be unprepared simply wouldn’t do.</p>
<p>The well-practised motions and movements that went with striking the straw dummy provided a release, an escape from her thoughts. She missed being able to lose herself in simple sword fighting and pondered asking Asahi for a duel. The royal guard was her mightiest duelling partner to date and she felt like he’d be a worthy opponent. As she swung her katana down on the dummy’s head, a small chuckle broke her concentration. Glancing up, she saw Kuroo leaning against the doorway.</p>
<p>“Yes?” She panted, sheathing her blade. “What is it?”</p>
<p>He didn’t move. “Your form is sloppier than usual, you pick up an injury?”</p>
<p>She frowned. “No.”</p>
<p>He tilted his head slightly, a knowing smile on his face. “Then you’re distracted.”</p>
<p>“Uh-huh, unlikely.” She lied. “What’s it to you?”</p>
<p>Kuroo stepped into the armoury, eyeing up a sword hung up on a rack. “Fancy a duelling partner?”</p>
<p>She wasn’t sure of his intention but accepted the offer anyway. He selected a standard shortsword, nothing overly fancy about it, and took up a defensive stance. She drew her katana once more, trying to remember what Kuroo’s fighting style was like, if she remembered correctly, he was likely to rush her if she didn’t strike him first.</p>
<p>So she lunged forward and struck his blade. He let out a confident hum as he parried her next blow and beat her back. She didn’t really know how rough they were going to get but she soon tossed her inhibitions aside as he tried to disarm her using his free hand to grab her. She kicked him in the shin before harshly elbowing his side. Swords clashed as they allowed some space between each other. Kuroo let out a short laugh.</p>
<p>“Maybe you’re not as distracted as I thought.”</p>
<p>She snorted. “What would I even be distracted by?”</p>
<p>Kuroo rushed her, unleashing a flurry of swings. She parried each one, steel scraping and the ringing echoing around the room. They were both breathing heavily as they paused for a moment. It was a duel, not a fight, they could be civil.</p>
<p>“Oh I dunno, a lot’s happened recently.” Kuroo shrugged, swinging his blade as he waited for her to ready herself. “Pent up feelings are common when shit happened like it did.”</p>
<p>“Yeah? You’d be one to talk.” She held her blade up in a defensive stance. “You don’t want Semi here, do you?”</p>
<p>He raised an eyebrow as she stepped forward, goading him to make the first move. With a loud grunt he put his full force behind his swing, leaving himself open almost on purpose. She wasn’t dumb enough to take the bait as she side-stepped around him to avoid his backhanded swing. Ducking under the blade, she brought up her own to parry it when he made a third movement. They paused, blades pressed flush against one another.</p>
<p>“Can you really blame me?” He remarked. “But enough about me, what’s on <em>your</em> mind?”</p>
<p>She laughed sarcastically. “And what makes you think there’s something on my mind?”</p>
<p>“You want me to believe you’re not mulling anything over? Nothing at all? Given all that’s happened, there must be <em>something</em>.”</p>
<p>She narrowed her gaze, twisting her blade before stepped back. Kuroo smirked as she showed hesitation for a split second. He lunged again, another flurry of swings headed her way. She ended up stepping back from some of them, not parrying them as efficiently as she had been.</p>
<p>“Tanaka told me about how you found Suga.” Kuroo said, pausing again to let her gain her breath back. “And something about Suga keeping secrets. He wouldn’t really go into detail.” He shrugged. “I’m guessing you’re also curious about those secrets.”</p>
<p>She shook her head. “It’s not my business.”</p>
<p>“That’s not what I said.” Kuroo smiled. “Kiyoko, you don’t have to pretend around me.”</p>
<p>“Pretend what?” She scoffed. “That I understand anything you’re implying?”</p>
<p>He shrugged again. “If you think I’m implying something, then that means you see it too.”</p>
<p>“See what?!” She shook her head almost in disbelief. “Tetsurou, you’re not making any sense.”</p>
<p>He dropped his sword on the stone floor, a signal that he was done duelling. “Your reaction to him getting kidnapped, the way you wouldn’t let anyone else go after him. You walked away from the frontline of the battle to go after him, a battle-maiden walked <em>away</em> from a battle.” He kept a calm smile on his face. “Forgive me for accusing you of anything, but it feels like and looks like you care for him a great deal.”</p>
<p>She scoffed again, sheathing her blade. “Really? That’s what this is about?”</p>
<p>“Hey,” he lowered his voice slightly, “if that had been Keiji, I would’ve done the same.”</p>
<p>“Don’t compare this to that.”</p>
<p>“Why?”</p>
<p>Her words caught in her throat. Why was she fighting Kuroo’s argument so much? “Maybe.”</p>
<p>“Maybe what?” He seemed confused by her sudden answer.</p>
<p>“Maybe you’re right, but that doesn’t mean anything.”</p>
<p>He chuckled quietly. “Oh yeah?”</p>
<p>“No, in fact, I’d prefer it if you didn’t insert where your nose doesn’t belong.” She raised an eyebrow. “Or do I need to tell Keiji that you’re meddling in other people’s lives?”</p>
<p>He put his hands up in surrender, still smiling coyly. “Alright, I was gonna offer to help—”</p>
<p>She returned the smile. “I don’t want our help, if I recall, someone told me you spent almost a year pining after Keiji and only actually confessed after he nearly died.”</p>
<p>“Hey now.” Kuroo pretended to be offended, placing a hand on his chest in mock hurt. “Who told you my secrets?”</p>
<p>“Pretty sure it’s common knowledge.” She giggled. “I think I got this under control, but thanks for the offer.”</p>
<p>Kuroo chuckled. He picked up the sword from the floor and returned it to the rack it came from. “I’ll leave you to it then,” he winked before leaving her alone once more.</p>
<p>She wasn’t sure if he understood what she just said, but as the buzz from the duel faded, her cheeks reddened. Whether she liked it or not, it seemed that there were some in the guild that had noticed her fondness for Suga. Now she just had to decide how to go about doing something about it, if anything at all. Granted, now was probably one of the worst times to be deciding such a thing, but life was short, opportunities fleeting.</p>
<p>She had time though, and the journey of a thousand miles began with the first step. She just had to decide whether or not to take that step.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>When evening came, most of the preparations for the departure the following morning were complete. The horses had been selected and were ready to be saddled at first light, everyone’s travelling clothes were laid out for when they awoke, Tobio had decided to wear his royal regalia to make a statement; leather jacket much like Hinata’s but with a lot more embellishments in bright orange and dark blue tones.</p>
<p>As he readied himself for sleep, he wasn’t thinking about the next day really, he was thinking more about Hinata dithering at the side of the bed.</p>
<p>“What’s wrong?”</p>
<p>Hinata swallowed. “N-Nothing.”</p>
<p>“Lies.” Tobio propped himself up on his elbows and gave Hinata a long, pointed look. “What are you over-thinking now?”</p>
<p>Eyes widened as he felt caught out. He slowly sat on the edge of the bed, feeling Tobio’s gaze on him as he swung his legs into the bed. He scrambled to draw the blanket up over his chest, the injuries from the battle were still healing and they didn’t look pretty in the slightest.</p>
<p>“It’s something Kenma said, that’s all.” He murmured.</p>
<p>Tobio shifted to lie down, keeping his gaze on Hinata as he waited for the other to elaborate. “Yeah?”</p>
<p>Hinata swallowed, he didn’t really want to address it but he felt that if he didn’t now, they’d end up in the middle of the empire with things catching fire around them - figuratively or literally- and he’d end up doing something stupid. All his previous confidence surrounding his decision to go along with this plan was hanging by a thread after the sobering conversation with Kenma.</p>
<p>“He mentioned all these gifts and stuff, like the jacket and the title.” Hinata nervously picked at the edge of the thick woollen blanket as he tucked it under his chin. “And the ring. And he was like ‘are you sure this isn’t something else?’.”</p>
<p>Tobio didn’t reply at first, eyes roving over Hinata’s worried expression. “And what do you think?”</p>
<p>“Me? You’re the one--”</p>
<p>“But what do <em>you</em> see it as?”</p>
<p>Hinata pouted slightly, Tobio smiled slightly at the reaction. “Well, like, I guess the first two are just...you repaying me for saving your life.” He continued picking at the blanket, pulling it a little closer. “The ring is just part of the plan, right?”</p>
<p>“It is part of the plan, yes.” Tobio said. The way he worded it made Hinata dare to doubt him. ‘Part of the plan’ seemed so finite yet open at the same time.</p>
<p>“And when we’re in the empire, that’s...all part of the plan?”</p>
<p>Tobio slowly reached out and took Hinata’s hand in his. It felt so familiar but so foreign. He didn’t answer Hinata’s question as he linked their fingers together. Hinata worried his bottom lip between his teeth, trying to word the thoughts running through his mind.</p>
<p>“The plan so far is to get us to the Imperial Palace and make them take us seriously.” Tobio replied. “It has to be convincing and we can’t hesitate. If you’re having any second thoughts, you need to tell me before we get there.”</p>
<p>It would seem that it was laid out, black and white; pretend to be his consort, get an audience with the empress and then deal with the rest as it came. It wasn’t that adapting to volatile situations was abnormal for Hinata anymore, but this one seemed much more delicate than everything else he had experienced.</p>
<p>Tobio was waiting for some sort of answer, rubbing the pad of his thumb over the back of Hinata’s hand.</p>
<p>“No second thoughts here.” He smiled weakly, hoping Tobio wasn’t trying to read too much into his expressions. “I just, like knowing what the plan is, y’know? The Brotherhood like their plans.”</p>
<p>There was a small chuckle. “Yes, lunatic plans…”</p>
<p>They shared a smile, even as Tobio yawned and mumbled something about needing to rest. Hinata lay awake for a while longer, Tobio’s hand still holding his. The conversation hadn’t exactly proven anything, but it didn’t really <em>disprove</em> anything either. He was still uncertain as to where all this was going to end up, but right then and there, all he could do was go along with it and hope for the best.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Crossing The Border</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>V</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Crossing The Border</strong>
</p>
<p>The mountains of the northern border seemed more imposing than usual as they approached on horseback. Hinata gazed up at the peaks that towered over them. It was cold, colder than he had felt in a while. The snow was still piled high either side of them, water flowed from the mountains above but it was icy in patches with large chunks that flowed down the falls that crashed around them. He let out a shaky breath as they continued plodding onwards. Not even his jacket could keep the chill out. The rest of the party weren’t having the best of times either, most of them hadn’t expected to be travelling through the cold passes whilst there was still a threat of snow.</p>
<p>“I thought this was meant to be the growing season, why is everything so fucking cold?” Kunimi muttered.</p>
<p>Yaku snorted. “It’s called <em>north</em>.” He remarked. “It’s <em>kinda</em> cold. Kitamine froze over a lot in the coldest of cold seasons.”</p>
<p>Tobio nodded in agreement. “The wilderness isn’t much better, we nearly froze to death out there multiple times.”</p>
<p>“Until Kyoutani saved us.” Yamaguchi smiled. “Gee I wish he was with us right now.”</p>
<p>Kyoutani didn’t seem to be returning to House Kageyama anytime soon. Tooru had sent a letter to Tobio regarding the dragon tamer’s proposition to claim the land between House Oikawa and the Northern Territories in order to maintain some sort of peace. He had also extended his well wishes in regard to tackling whatever awaited them in the Imperial Palace.</p>
<p>Tobio was still a little put out that he wasn’t actually sending anyone to help but that was the least of his worries right now.</p>
<p>Ushijima and Aone led the party a few paces in front, not wishing to engage in conversation it seemed. When the party had left Tobu Misaki-Mura they simply stated for them to keep close once across the border. There wasn’t really any danger until that point. Hinata rode alongside Kenma, trying to keep his fidgeting to a minimum lest he tip off the other that he was troubled by Tobio’s conflicting messages. He kept rubbing his chest near his collarbone, the wounds from the battle were taking a long time to heal and the constant chafing of his shirt against them wasn’t helping. The ride was quiet, the mountain pass yielding little to talk about with the dark grey stone and occasional waterfalls. It felt lonely.</p>
<p>The afternoon was still young when they started to go downhill, evidently on the other side of the mountain now and heading for the flatter land beyond. No-one really knew what to expect, lush fields? Barren wasteland? No-one wanted to expect one over the other, they had packed enough food to last the journey and extra in case they got waylaid by snow or other freak weather. Suga and Kiyoko rode ahead of Tobio, already focused on the task at hand and keeping note of how their escorts acted. Neither was certain how this would all play out, but they had decided between each other that they’d do whatever it took to ensure Hinata and Inuoka were safe. The court mage in question was quiet. Inuoka was a far cry from his usual bubbly self as he rode with Asahi. He didn’t want to be here, that much was obvious, but he kept most of his thoughts to himself as they continued riding. He didn’t regard the Brotherhood with disdain if anything they were a blessing. As much as he had faith in Tobio’s stubbornness, having extra friendly faces wasn’t going to hurt in his mind.</p>
<p>As they came to the end of the mountain pass, short grass greeted them. Rolling fields stretched out in front of them, but instead of farmland it was wilderness. Trees and shrubbery dotted the landscape, stone walls and wooden fences lined the road they were on. The flora was a lot less green and flush with life than in the south, the cold weather was probably to blame given the flecks of snow that occasionally fell from the sky above them.</p>
<p>“So, where are we stopping?” Tobio asked Yamaguchi as they pressed north. “I imagine we’re not camping.”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi shrugged, seeing it as his duty to find out from their esteemed escorts. He prompted his horse to trot up to them, riding alongside Ushijima. The other greeted him with a nod of acknowledgement. “Tobio wants to know if you intend to camp or find a tavern.”</p>
<p>Ushijima considered it for a moment. “There is a village not too far ahead. We shall rest there tonight.”</p>
<p>Sensing that was all he was going to get, Yamaguchi returned to Tobio’s side and relayed the information. It was going to be a very different kind of night in the tavern it seemed. As the day drew to a close, the village came into view. It was small but rather aesthetically pleasing with its wooden structures and cosy feeling. It didn’t feel all too different to how Tobio’s kingdom did. Buildings were clustered together either side of a small stream that flowed through the middle of the settlement. Banners flew from the rooftops and over doorways, the vibrant purple colour was unlike anything they had seen before; House Kageyama’s bright orange had been impressive enough but the dye was easy to make from flowers and berries, purple was something else entirely. As they followed Ushijima and Aone into the heart of the village, they were quick to become aware of the eyes on them. Tobio sat a little straighter in his saddle, adjusting the crown on his head as they halted at a large building that was no doubt the tavern.</p>
<p>“We’re here.” Ushijima stated, Aone had already gone inside, leaving his horse with the other. The party organised their horses as they dismounted, each of them a little nervous about what the reception in the tavern would be.</p>
<p>Aone appeared at the door and beckoned them inside. Suga and Kiyoko were the first to enter, checking there wasn’t a trap laid before looking back to Asahi and nodding. Inside the tavern, it was quiet. Either the village had been expecting them, or they didn’t have many patrons. One long table had been set out under a chandelier of candles, tankards were laid out for the party and the fireplace had a roaring fire already engulfing logs at a ferocious pace. Tobio shot Yamaguchi an uncertain glance as they took their seats at the table. It felt far too organised for just a random tavern they happened to stop in. As they relaxed a little after their travelling, several barmaids served them ale from pitchers and offered hot stew with cuts of meat. Despite the suspicion felt, it was a friendly atmosphere.</p>
<p>Ushijima and Aone sat and ate with them, but they didn’t offer to discuss anything. Tobio kept a vague eye on them as they remained silent. Eventually, the silence got too unbearable and Yaku had enough of it.</p>
<p>“So you two are mercenaries hired by the empress?” He asked as Ushijima lowered his empty tankard. “How’d you end up in that line of work?”</p>
<p>Aone ignored him, taking more interest in his stew. Ushijima on the other hand seemed willing to entertain the conversation. “I was a farmhand for most of my childhood. The hard work in the fields meant I grew strong quickly. When the imperial army declared they needed muscle for hire, I decided to sign up.”</p>
<p>Yaku nodded slowly. “Huh. Interesting.”</p>
<p>“And you? How did you end up being hired by House Kageyama?”</p>
<p>He smiled slightly. “I actually lived in House Oikawa’s kingdom for most of my life,” Yaku shrugged, “left my hometown to pursue other things. Ended up in Tobio’s kingdom and found a few other mercenaries to live with for a while. Tobio has always been open to hiring any who are willing to work.”</p>
<p>Ushijima hummed in response, glancing at Kunimi who was sat beside him. “And you?”</p>
<p>Kunimi shrugged. “Same kinda story.”</p>
<p>“Are you brothers?”</p>
<p>“Sort of.” Kunimi wryly smiled. “Brothers in arms.”</p>
<p>“That’s...nice.” Ushijima kept his replies short as Kiyoko offered the basket of bread to Yaku, grabbing his attention in the process. “And you? Are you a mercenary too?”</p>
<p>She blinked before smiling. “Of sorts.” She picked up her tankard and took a long drink. “But my clients were of a more noble background.”</p>
<p>“Noble?” Ushijima’s interest seemed piqued. “A royal guard?”</p>
<p>Kiyoko set her tankard down. “If certain things hadn’t happened, yeah.” She glanced across to Yaku before meeting Ushijima’s gaze again. “But that’s the past. I focus on the present now.”</p>
<p>The statement gained raised eyebrows from Ushijima before he nodded, his attention returning to the stew in front of him. The rest of the meal was relatively quiet. Ushijima and Aone stated that they should continue their trip at dawn’s light before retiring to their rented rooms. It was the first time that the party had been left alone since they left Tobu Misaki-Mura. There was a certain nervousness in the air as they considered their options once they got to the Imperial capital.</p>
<p>Tobio retired to his room earlier than most, he had no interest in drinking or wasting the hours away in card games. He merely wanted to be alone with his thoughts. Just before leaving home he had paid a trip to the shrine to beg the spirits for strength once more, he knew having Hinata with him would keep his spirits high but having his family’s blessing made him feel a little surer of himself. As he sat on the edge of the cheap tavern bed, he took his crown from his head and held it in his hands. Dragon heads stared back at him as he turned it around slowly in thought. He had to think ahead now, he had to figure out how he was going to handle this situation. If the empress wasn’t really the one in charge, how much power <em>did</em> she wield? Could she override the treaty or would they need to track down a grand council member? He wasn’t even sure any of them were alive anymore. He hadn’t heard of them getting involved in any business since before his home was attacked.</p>
<p>If they weren’t around, why was the treaty being obeyed?</p>
<p>He sighed heavily. If they could rewrite it, what stance would he take? What argument could he make for mages to be pardoned? The obvious case was that the Northern Territories conjured not just one but two snake monsters and even brought one back from the dead. If he wasn’t allowed to resort to similar measures to defend himself and his people, then what kind of justice was that? There was a certain amount of irritation being felt. As much as he promised Hinata and Inuoka that he’d do anything he could, if the empress wanted to seize them in her own palace, then he couldn’t stop her easily. He’d need to keep both of them close to him, he’d have to be the one thing stood between them and her.</p>
<p>It wasn’t a position he was going to enjoy being in, but rarely did a king’s duty feel fun. As he pondered more, someone entered his room. He glanced over his shoulder to see Suga stood there.</p>
<p>“Sorry, I should’ve knocked,” he smiled, “I’m just doing rounds and wanted to see if you wanted anything before they closed the kitchen?”</p>
<p>Tobio shook his head. “No, but may I bend your ear?”</p>
<p>Suga nodded, stepping more into the room and closing the door behind him. He remained standing as he waited for Tobio’s thoughts to come spilling out.</p>
<p>“If something…goes awry in the empire, I want you to do one thing for me.” He stated.</p>
<p>“What?”</p>
<p>“Make sure that the south knows what happened. Don’t let the empire cover it up.” He kept his gaze on his crown. “I don’t trust them one bit. And if they end up…if something happens to me, I need someone to tell Tooru.”</p>
<p>“Ah, I see.” Suga hummed. This seemed a rather defeatist, but he could understand the precaution Tobio was taking. It felt like he was coming to the realisation of how dangerous this all was and just how much could go wrong. “Okay. Well, I’ll do my best.” He bowed his head. “And for the record, I admire how much you’re putting on the line here.”</p>
<p>Tobio weakly smiled. “Yeah, thanks. I just hope I can actually succeed.”</p>
<p>“I’m sure you can, you’re stronger than you think.”</p>
<p>Tobio wasn’t sure what to make of Suga telling him that but he smiled again. He waited as Suga excused himself, stating that he had to get the last orders to the kitchen for the others, before looking back down at his crown. As he mulled over his situation, he concluded that as no other king had taken this much of a stand against the empire, he was already going into unknown territory. Whatever happened next, he was going to be known as the stubborn dragon of the east who wouldn’t let the empire order him around.</p>
<p>He wasn’t going to be conquered, not without fighting at least.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>The first tavern they came across didn’t strictly have a stage. Daichi wasn’t allowing that to deter them from trying to have some fun. This whole ‘travelling entertainment troupe’ had an added bonus of distracting everyone from the real issue at hand. Kuroo and Bokuto decided that they’d take the ‘first shift’ as it were; reviving their juggling act but with the added pop that was flaming torches. Because juggling flaming torches in a wooden building was always a great idea. Nishinoya watched nervously, fingers primed to summon ice should anything get out of control. Bokuto didn’t seem to worry about such a detail as Kuroo tossed a dagger into the mix for extra drama. The patrons in the tavern were a little puzzled at their intention but the entertainment was appreciated. Semi and Moniwa watched on as the duo continued, Lev sat at their feet under the table gnawing on a chicken drumstick.</p>
<p>“Are we sure this is a good idea?” Semi whispered.</p>
<p>Moniwa laughed nervously. “I mean, the alternative is letting Kuroo deal cards and from what I heard, the last time those two played Bokuto got accused of cheating and put in a headlock.”</p>
<p>“Gee, can’t imagine either of them being cheaters.”</p>
<p>Moniwa laughed again, shuffling a deck of cards. “But really, you shouldn’t play with Akaashi.”</p>
<p>“Why?”</p>
<p>“He can read minds, and even when he doesn’t actually <em>read</em> minds, he counts cards.” Moniwa smirked. “So he’s always banned. Kenma’s not much better. And then Suga, oof Suga is <em>terrible</em>.”</p>
<p>Semi was finding this rather amusing, as was watching Bokuto make a big deal of finishing up his juggling by launching the dagger at Kuroo’s head and narrowly missing. There was a cheer as he bowed and got playfully shoved by Kuroo for ‘nearly killing him’. It felt eerily calm. There hadn’t been anything of note since they crossed the border. Daichi and Kuroo had kept an eye out for anything odd and paid close attention to how people reacted to them. So far the settlements in the empire didn’t give them any weird vibes, they weren’t sure if that was a good thing or not.</p>
<p>“Semi!” Kuroo loudly announced as he came up to the table. “You and me, arm wrestle, winner gets a round bought for him.”</p>
<p>Semi scowled. “Nope.”</p>
<p>“Scared you’ll lose?”</p>
<p>“Why are we arm wrestling?”</p>
<p>Kuroo glanced at Bokuto. “Told you he’d be boring.” Bokuto scoffed.</p>
<p>“Hey!” Semi snapped. “Quit your bullshit, I’ll break your fucking hand.”</p>
<p>Kuroo grinned, sitting down across from him and slamming his elbow onto the table. “Go on then.”</p>
<p>The gauntlet had been thrown down and now they had spectators. Semi begrudgingly mirrored his pose, letting Kuroo clasp his hand. Everyone around them was watching as Bokuto counted them down. If looks could kill, Kuroo would be a dead man. Biceps flexed as they began. Kuroo’s grin wasn’t wavering as Semi continued to glare at him, their forearms trembled as they seemed evenly matched for the first few seconds. Someone started chanting. Kuroo’s grin grew a little as he started putting pressure on Semi. With an abrupt shift in strength, Semi slammed Kuroo’s hand against the table. There was an uproar as Kuroo howled in over-emphasised pain and Semi snorted.</p>
<p>“Told you I’d break your hand.” Semi uttered, letting his own smirk play on his lips.</p>
<p>Bokuto shoved Kuroo aside and took his place. “Alright, my turn.” He grinned.</p>
<p>Semi could’ve said no. Semi could’ve walked away. Semi didn’t do either of those things. Bokuto’s tattoo shifted as he rested his elbow on the table and flexed his muscles unnecessarily. Once again Semi found his hand being gripped with impressive force before the countdown had even finished.</p>
<p>“Don’t get cocky now.” Bokuto remarked.</p>
<p>“Cocky? Me?” Semi chuckled. “You’re one to talk.”</p>
<p>Bokuto’s strength was more obvious than Kuroo’s. Semi winced as the force being exerted by the other was enough to make his knuckles pop. He narrowed his gaze as Bokuto seemed as calm as anything.</p>
<p>“Give up yet?” Bokuto asked as his arm refused to budge.</p>
<p>Semi snorted. “You haven’t exactly won.”</p>
<p>Bokuto applied more pressure, easily pushing Semi’s arm back but not hitting the table yet. His calm expression faltered slightly as Semi halted his movement. There was a dramatic hush over the spectators as Semi raised an eyebrow, almost challenging Bokuto to stop what was about to happen. He squeezed Bokuto’s hand before slowly driving it back. Bokuto’s eyes widened as he found himself close to losing. There was a hum of excitement as they went back and forth, neither giving up even when they were almost touching the table. Bokuto was biting down so hard on his lip that it was going white. Semi gritted his teeth as their clasped hands trembled.</p>
<p>Bokuto let out a short breath before slamming Semi’s hand back against the table, jumping up and cheering as Semi let out a loud huff. The tavern went wild as Bokuto kept shouting how he was unbeatable. Semi rolled his eyes as he flexed his now sore hand. A large tankard was presented to him by Kuroo, he took it with a certain measure of suspicion but nodded in thanks. Bokuto then decided he wanted to challenge Daichi, and that was when Semi got to finally see their illustrious guild leader put leadership on the back-burner. If Semi versus Bokuto was tense, Daichi versus Bokuto was something else entirely.</p>
<p>“Rest in peace Bokuto’s hand.” Nishinoya remarked.</p>
<p>“Is it gonna be that bad?” Semi snorted, nursing his well-deserved ale.</p>
<p>“Yup.” Nishinoya didn’t seem fazed as Bokuto and Daichi were counted down by Tanaka.</p>
<p>The two remained still for a while, neither giving ground away as biceps flexed. Sweat broke out on their brows as sharp exhales and hisses were all that left their lips. Kuroo started loudly taking bets from those not involved with the guild, jangling a few silver pieces in his otherwise empty tankard to try and drum up excitement.</p>
<p>“Damn you been lifting sacks of flour again Daichi?” Bokuto remarked between breaths.</p>
<p>“No.” Daichi replied. “Try rocks.”</p>
<p>Bokuto spluttered, giving Daichi an opening. He got perilously close to bringing Bokuto’s hand to the table but the other saved himself at the last second. He panted as he tried to fight what seemed inevitable. It was going to be close again as Daichi seemed to allow Bokuto to gain some ground. But all too quickly were Bokuto’s hopes dashed.</p>
<p>Daichi slammed his hand against the table and pinned it there with a triumphant smile. Bokuto was both laughing and crying in pain as Kuroo demanded people pay up. Daichi eventually released his hand and glanced around as if to see if anyone wanted to challenge him after that show of strength. Once it was clear no-one was dumb enough to challenge him, he declared that he was going to retire for the night. It was a cue to the others to either finish their drinks or settle down so not to disturb anyone else in the tavern.</p>
<p>This was just a taste of what was yet to come no doubt, who knew how many taverns were between them and the imperial city.</p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. The Northern Road</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>VI</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>The Northern Road</strong>
</p>
<p>Hinata awoke to an empty bed. He knew Tobio had been sound asleep when he quietly snuck in and the other hadn’t stirred as he laid down next to him. As his eyes adjusted to the early morning light, he saw Tobio stood at the small window that looked out into the village. He hadn’t been up long given the warmth of the bed and how he hadn’t gotten dressed yet. As Hinata stirred, Tobio glanced over at him with a small smile.</p>
<p>“Sleep well?” He asked.</p>
<p>“Mmph…” Hinata didn’t want to leave the warm blankets. “Yeah, you?”</p>
<p>Tobio nodded. “Mostly. It was still dark when I woke up.”</p>
<p>“Early.”</p>
<p>“Mhm.” Tobio stepped back over to the bed and sat down to talk in a quieter tone. “The nightmares have returned.”</p>
<p>Hinata sat up quickly, disregarding his selfish desire to stay warm. “Are they—”</p>
<p>“Not the same.” Tobio weakly smiled, putting out a hand to calm Hinata down before he started insisting on fetching the others. “But…similar in a way.”</p>
<p>Hinata wanted to ask. “What happened?”</p>
<p>He shook his head. “Doesn’t matter, they’re not the same as before, not nearly as bad Just trivial fears.”</p>
<p>“But it—”</p>
<p>Tobio silenced him by putting a finger to his lips. “It’s fine Shoyo.”</p>
<p>Hinata pouted against his finger. “Fine.” He murmured as Tobio retracted his hand. “So what now?”</p>
<p>Tobio shrugged. “It’s barely dawn, I doubt the others are awake.”</p>
<p>Hinata pouted again, wondering if it was worth trying to go back to sleep. Tobio didn’t appear tired as he gazed out the window from the bed. They sat in silence for a while, listening to the distant sound of birdsong begin as the last remnants of night slipped from the world. It was the first time in a while they had just sat in each other’s presence and not spoken about any of the current issues they faced. Hinata got the feeling it would be one of the last peaceful moments for a while.</p>
<p>The silence was broken by Hinata’s stomach growling in protest. Tobio let out a breathless chuckle, coming out of whatever thought process he had been in. He looked to Hinata; “We could go down and see if there’s food?”</p>
<p>Hinata nodded, definitely not arguing with that suggestion. After pulling some more layers of clothing to fend off the early morning chill, they ventured into the quiet of the tavern. Aside from the kitchen staff who were busy starting the fires up to begin the day’s work, there was no-one around. The long table from last night had been broken up into several smaller tables and placed aside leaving a large empty void under the hanging lanterns.</p>
<p>“Puh,” Hinata let out a disappointed noise, “guess it’s <em>really</em> early. Might as well go back to bed.” </p>
<p>Tobio shook his head, glancing around at the empty void. It reminded him of the banquet hall that they had been taught how to dance in. He still couldn’t believe that Yamaguchi found an old woman willing to teach not only him but effectively reteach Hinata how to dance. She had been a strict teacher, not seeming to care if he was the king or not, as she drilled in the basic steps of any formal dance. In the short time they had to learn, he reckoned they did alright, but it had been a few days since they practised. He gave Hinata a curious glance.</p>
<p>“What?” Hinata asked.</p>
<p>“Big open room, no-one around to chastise us for our footwork.”</p>
<p>Hinata didn’t seem to understand at first until Tobio offered a hand to him. “Wait, you want to dance? Now? Here?”</p>
<p>“Well, there’s fuck all else to do?” Tobio snorted, hand still offered to Hinata.</p>
<p>“There’s no music?”</p>
<p>“So?” Tobio was getting a little annoyed as Hinata rolled his eyes. “Do you want to look like a stumbling deer at the Imperial Palace?”</p>
<p>Grumbling slightly, Hinata took the hand offered to him. He was still a little groggy from sleep as Tobio pulled him closer. He felt his cheeks flush red as Tobio’s hand rested at the small of his back. The last few times they had practised, he had been too focused on trying not to fall over or misstep to think about being <em>this close</em> to Tobio. It was far from the prim and proper form they had been taught, yet it almost seemed more fun that way. Tobio started counting under his breath as he led Hinata around the empty room. Hinata found himself forgetting half the stuff he had been taught about dancing, his attention squarely on Tobio’s concentrated expression.</p>
<p>He was actually taking this dancing thing seriously. This wasn’t a gimmick he was adopting for the sheer fun of it. He actually wanted to be a good dancer for whatever fanciful balls the empress organised. So Hinata began to take it seriously, actively anticipating steps that Tobio seemed to have memorised in the short time he had been given. He felt a little dizzy as the room span around him. His grip on Tobio’s shoulder tightened as he felt the queasiness building.</p>
<p>“Wait.” He uttered, expecting Tobio to practically drop him. Instead, the other slowed them to a stop and met his gaze, both of them breathing a little heavier. He was barely a few inches from Tobio, feeling his breath against his cheek.</p>
<p>Concern was etched onto Tobio’s face. “What’s wrong?”</p>
<p>Deep blue eyes studied his face as the room slowly stopped spinning. His chest felt tight and full of butterflies all at once. He tried to swallow the lump in his throat. “I felt dizzy.”</p>
<p>Tobio gave him a slightly puzzled look. “Thought you said you didn’t get dizzy?”</p>
<p>“Yeah well I hadn’t been spun around like…that.”</p>
<p>Tobio huffed in amusement. “Uh-huh. And you’re gonna get over that, <em>right</em>?”</p>
<p>He pouted in response. “How am I meant to ‘get over it’?”</p>
<p>“Like how you get over being winded easily in sword fighting,” Tobio remarked with a smug smile. “By practising.”</p>
<p>“Yes because we have all the time—”</p>
<p>“We have three days.” Tobio cut in, the smile growing a little more. “That should be enough time I think.”</p>
<p>Hinata felt a little alarmed at how quickly Tobio seemed to take to this idea of dancing for approval in the empire. Not to mention that he seemed to trust Hinata completely. “Since when were you so confident?”</p>
<p>Tobio almost looked offended, he tsked loudly. “This is standard for a royal.” He replied in a lower tone. “And you should get used to it if you’re going to be my consort, right?”</p>
<p>Hinata was <em>almost</em> mortified. “Well…when you put it like <em>that</em>,” he mirrored the slight smirk, “what are waiting for hm?”.</p>
<p>Tobio chuckled, mostly at Hinata’s switch in attitude. “Alright, so, follow my lead.”</p>
<p>This time Hinata focused more on the steps they had been taught, how to hold his posture properly, how <em>not</em> to grip onto Tobio’s shoulder for his life as they spun around and around in carefully calculated circles. There was almost a feeling of weightlessness as Tobio took control of their direction had left no room for him to misstep. With the hard part of dancing not really his concern, he found himself thinking other things, like how soft Tobio’s hand was holding his, how concentration was etched onto his face yet he seemed relaxed. The peaceful silence that was the empty room allowed him to hear Tobio’s murmured counting, his sharp inhales as he moved confidently as if he had been dancing his entire life.</p>
<p>It was mesmerising in its own way. He was caught off guard by Tobio abruptly spinning him out of his hold. He let out a less than graceful squawk as he nearly toppled over. Tobio’s strong grip held him up, but it completely unhinged the dance.</p>
<p>“Were you daydreaming?” Tobio remarked as he released Hinata’s hand. “Cause I’m pretty sure you were meant to expect that.”</p>
<p>Hinata wasn’t sure what to say. “Maybe?”</p>
<p>“Daydreaming about what?”</p>
<p>“Nothing of your concern.” Hinata brushed off Tobio’s curiosity, which really only succeeded in making him want to push the topic even more. “No.”</p>
<p>“No what?”</p>
<p>“No I’m not telling you.”</p>
<p>Tobio snorted. “Not even as your friend, instead of your king?”</p>
<p>The semantics of titles wasn’t going to get Hinata to confess anything. He shook his head and tried to get them back on a safer topic. “Start from the top?”</p>
<p>The eagerness threw Tobio off but he wasn’t going to say no. “Alright, just don’t fall over your own feet this time.”</p>
<p>“Shut up.” Hinata scoffed.</p>
<p>It would be a while before anyone else ventured downstairs. Kunimi was light-footed enough to not bring attention to himself as he halted on the staircase. He watched for a few moments, slightly confused at the scene in front of him. He wasn’t aware Hinata and Tobio liked to dance. He vaguely remembered Suga’s crash course in dancing that one cold season but nothing like this. He would expect more squabbling, but the pair actually seemed to be almost used to each other’s presence. He smiled slightly. Although there was no music to be heard, it felt like they were moving to their own song, or more likely, Tobio’s counting as they came to a natural stop in the centre of the room. Kunimi waited for an explosion of sound, yet there was quiet. He was curious, but not enough to want to disturb them.</p>
<p>Hinata wasn’t sure how to react as Tobio didn’t say a single word. This was the first time they had managed to get through the entire dance without messing up. There was a weird feeling of pride about them as they froze there.</p>
<p>“Well done.” Tobio murmured.</p>
<p>“N-Not too bad yourself.” Hinata uttered, averting his gaze.</p>
<p>“Well I <em>did</em> all the work.”</p>
<p>“Sh-shut up, I was trying to be nice!”</p>
<p>Tobio laughed, taking a step back. It was as he did so that he noticed Kunimi watching. A brief wave of panic washed over him before Kunimi brought a finger to his lips and winked. It alleviated some of the apprehension, but it still didn’t change that Tobio felt like he had been caught stealing pies from the palace kitchen again.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Their second day on the way to the Imperial capital of Hinode was a little less daunting. Tobio was more sure of himself as they rode north through the rocky trails and muddy farmland. Ushijima and Aone were less standoffish as they rode, Ushijima even taking the time to discuss simple farming life with Suga and Kiyoko for a while as they passed a field of shaggy-looking cattle. Aone was still silent for most of the day, even when Yaku tried to engage him in some sort of conversation but he didn’t go out of his way to avoid it.</p>
<p>Kenma rode beside Hinata, they didn’t talk much but Kenma sensed there was a strange feeling of ease around Hinata. He noted how Hinata wasn’t fidgeting nearly as much as the previous day and there was a content smile on his face regardless of the grey skies above them. Kunimi of course knew exactly what had prompted this mood lift, but he was enjoying being the only one privy to such information, so much so that Akaashi was giving him a curious glance as he was the one caught smiling.</p>
<p>“We’re all in high spirits today…” Asahi remarked. “Was there something in the ale?”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi chuckled, shrugging as Tobio didn’t rise to the remark. “Maybe the northern air is doing us some good?”</p>
<p>“Maybe.” Asahi hummed, spying another settlement in the distance. Ushijima didn’t show any inclination to stop until the evening, likewise he didn’t really seem to want to discuss what was going to happen when they reached Hinode.</p>
<p>“Her imperial majesty will no doubt send a messenger to the main gate to await our arrival.” He told Suga when asked. “They will have instructions.”</p>
<p>“Okay but what’s <em>likely</em> to be her order?”</p>
<p>Ushijima shrugged. “Could demand to see Tobio immediately, she could also decide to grant him a few days rest before granting him an audience with her. It depends on what else has happened.”</p>
<p>“What else <em>could</em> happen?” Suga pressed nonchalantly. He wasn’t liking how vague Ushijima was being for a messenger from the empire.</p>
<p>“Many things.” Ushijima uttered, it was the first time any of them had seen him break his formal facade. “Too many things.”</p>
<p>Suga raised an eyebrow. “Sounds complicated, you sure we don’t need to know anything?”</p>
<p>Ushijima took his eyes off the trail ahead of them and met Suga’s gaze. His gaze was unreadable but Suga almost felt like that was the point as he replied, “There’s a lot you should know, but it is not my place to tell you.” He snapped his attention forward again. “You will be told when you need to know.”</p>
<p>It gave Suga a weird vibe, to say the least. He didn’t really feel like Ushijima was lying but he equally wasn’t being very forthright. He shrugged it off as best as he could as they continued for a few more hours. He dropped back to share this strange conversation with Kiyoko and Asahi, both of them finding it bizarre but ultimately inconclusive. As much as they wanted to press for information, it wouldn’t be easy to get the other to reveal much more.</p>
<p>Akaashi had heard some of this conversation and was intrigued, to say the least, but he wasn’t going to interfere. He was focused on keeping an eye out for any unsavoury characters. His mind wandered to what the others were doing; he somewhat wished he had been able to stay with them rather than deal with this headache. However, he wasn’t going to complain, at least they would be able to stay in what he imagined to be reasonably good digs compared to a dingy tavern. As the day wore on, the convoy reshuffled and he found himself riding next to Kenma.</p>
<p>“So, thoughts?” Kenma asked him.</p>
<p>Akaashi cast a glance around their surroundings. The sparse forest felt similar to those they’d find near Tanishiti except there were stony outcrops littered everywhere, some were easy enough to spur a horse to jump over, others had to be ridden around as they stood taller than a fully grown man. The trees that did grow were wide, thick oaks, their roots rising out of the ground like serpents. It made riding slow going. To either side of them mountains were not too far away, the valley they were riding through felt open and closed at the same time.</p>
<p>“It could be worse.” He shrugged, looking back at Kenma. “You?”</p>
<p>“Something odd is going on with Shoyo.”</p>
<p>Akaashi smiled slightly. “Oh yeah? Seems to be the talk of the guild.”</p>
<p>“Well <em>yeah</em>.” Kenma gestured to the mage in question as he rode with Yamaguchi. “He’s basically one of them now.”</p>
<p>Akaashi’s smile faded. Slowly, he understood what was actually going on. He couldn’t claim he knew exactly how Kenma felt, but it wouldn’t be hard to imagine. It wasn’t so long ago that Hinata stumbled into their guild that one spring evening, lost, confused but eager to learn new things. And now here he was riding alongside a king whom he had made a pact to protect no matter what.</p>
<p>“You’re scared he’s never coming back.” Akaashi’s voice was quiet so not to drag anyone else into the conversation. “You don’t want him to go, do you?”</p>
<p>When he looked back at Kenma he couldn’t see the other’s face, his hair had fallen across like a curtain. Akaashi pulled his horse to halt before tugging Kenma’s to follow suit. The rest of the party continued onwards unaware. He reached out and placed a hand on Kenma’s shoulder, letting out a slow exhale as he felt the waves of sorrow coming off the other.</p>
<p>“Hey, Kenma,” he murmured, shaking him slightly, “talk to me.”</p>
<p>Kenma sniffed loudly, raising his head to look straight ahead. “It’s fine.”</p>
<p>“No it’s not.” Akaashi grabbed his hand before he could spur his horse to start catching up to the others. “Don’t lie to me.”</p>
<p>There was a look of irritation but there were also glassy eyes as Kenma wiped at his damp cheeks. “I get it, he has this destiny or whatever, but he’s hiding stuff from me, from us. We’re meant to be his <em>family</em>, and I…I don’t know what’s going on in that head of his anymore.” He rambled. “He’s just running around after Tobio, being given all these gifts and honours, I haven’t even spoken to him about that clusterfuck of a battle we all experienced. He’s told me nothing since he left for Tanishiti that day with Kunimi.”</p>
<p>“Well, you have every right to be upset about that.” Akaashi replied, “but…well none of us have really had much time to process it. Between Semi arriving and then the empire’s summoning Hinata…it’s been rough.”</p>
<p>“But he’s meant to be my friend.” Kenma uttered.</p>
<p>Akaashi felt for him, he really did. As he looked ahead of them, he could see the party halting, someone had noticed they stopped. He had to wrap this conversation up before someone came back to find out what was happening.</p>
<p>“I’ll talk to him.” Akaashi stated. “And then he’ll come and talk to you.”</p>
<p>Kenma shook his head. “Don’t force him to.”</p>
<p>“I won’t. I’ll just remind him that he might be Tobio’s sworn protector now, but he’s also got duties to his friends.”</p>
<p>Akaashi waited for Kenma to nod before spurring his horse to start walking again. They caught up to the others and Akaashi made up a white lie about needing to readjust a saddle. Kenma was thankful for his efforts to make him feel a little better about the situation. Really, he understood that Hinata had to focus on some things more than others, but it didn’t make the feeling he had been forgotten any easier to stomach.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Hinode</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>VII</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Hinode</strong>
</p>
<p>On the fifth day, they caught the first sight of the capital city of the empire; Hinode. The sun was high in the sky, bathing the plateau in a warm glow despite the frosty chill in the air. They had emerged from the valley forest and onto a stone-paved road leading towards the skyline. A strong breeze blew in from seemingly nowhere. The origin of the breeze became more evident as they approached the large city and found that the plateau was on the other side of a ravine. A natural land bridge connected the city to the side of the ravine they were on, stone walls kept weary travellers from plummeting to the wild river below. Even so far up, they could feel the spray of the water in the air.</p>
<p>The city itself seemed straight out of a religious text; tall spires and archways dominated the skyline, birds circled them as they sought for a place to land. A set of tall iron gates were thrown open to allow visitors and residents to enter and leave the city. White brick and lightly coloured wood made up most of the building materials of the impressive structures. Horses and livestock were plentiful as they entered through the gates. Several guards stood at attention as Ushijima’s horse led the way, their iron chainmail winking in the light, white eagles adorned their shields.</p>
<p>Ushijima led them down the wide main road towards the centre of the city before abruptly turning right. They proceeded to travel through narrower back roads between tall buildings and away from the main crowds of the city. They ended up in what felt like a village square, circling the horses around a well that took up the centrepiece. Ushijima halted, waiting for everyone else to file in. He dismounted but gave no word for everyone else to follow before a guardsman approached and handed him a letter. Tobio took in his surroundings; tall stone and wooden buildings felt familiar but foreign at the same time. There were onlookers to their arrival, gawkers at the crown on his head and the orange dragon stitched into his clothing.</p>
<p>Hanging in the air was an unspoken understanding that he was not from their empire.</p>
<p>Ushijima cleared his throat as he approached Tobio. “Her Imperial Majesty has permitted you to reside in one of her guest residences within the uptown quarter. There is to be a grand ball to celebrate your arrival.”</p>
<p>Tobio wasn’t entirely convinced that him arriving would be cause for celebration but he nodded. “Alright. When?”</p>
<p>“Tomorrow evening.” Ushijima gave him the letter to read for himself. It confirmed Ushijima’s statement and rattled off directions to the manor house as well as a declaration that the staff were to give Tobio whatever he wanted. He snorted, passing the letter to Suga before meeting Ushijima’s gaze.</p>
<p>“Lead on then.”</p>
<p>Ushijima didn’t mount his horse, instead taking her by the reins and leading her through the streets. The city was larger than Tanishiti, several different quarters and districts made up the greater area all coming under one name. Tobio didn’t really pay much attention to the route, he knew the likes of Yaku and Kunimi would be taking notes anyway. As they moved through the city they were spotted by more onlookers, whispers and murmurs could be heard as he kept his gaze straight ahead. The uptown quarters certainly felt more upper-class. The buildings were spaced apart unlike the terraced districts from before, plazas and open spaces were decorated with bright flowers and short trees. The houses were much bigger, at least two floors in some cases and some towers reaching up to the sky. A distant bell tolled, echoing through the streets.</p>
<p>They came to a more modest-looking manor; two floors in height with an added floor in a tower that sprung from the back. Several primly dressed people stood waiting for them as Ushijima handed off his horse to a stablehand. He gestured to the house. “We are here.”</p>
<p>Tobio waited for Asahi to dismount before following suit. The horses were quickly rounded up by efficient stablehands, the rest of the staff bowed in greeting as he glanced over them. This felt weird, to say the least.</p>
<p>“Welcome, King Tobio of the Eastern Kingdom.” An older woman spoke as she stepped forward. “Kameko Nakazawa, head housekeeper of the manor. Her Imperial Majesty has ordered us to make your stay as comfortable as possible.”</p>
<p>Tobio nodded in greeting. “Thank you.”</p>
<p>She smiled. “Please do come in, we can have food served within the hour and hot baths made up for anyone who desires one.”</p>
<p>Tobio wasn’t going to remark about how fake the hospitality seemed. He allowed himself to be invited into the place they were going to call home for the next few days at least. Inside the manor, it opened up into a large room that felt like a banqueting hall. A grand staircase took up the centre of the foyer, the landing of the floor above looked down upon them. He counted at least five doors up there. Whilst food was being prepared, some of them took up the offer of a warm bath which sent several maids scurrying off into the backrooms of the ground floor. Tobio however was not in the mood. He remained in the main room as the other’s scattered, he felt the eyes of the head housekeeper on him as he remained standing in the room he’d come to call the parlour.</p>
<p>“Can I help you?” He asked.</p>
<p>She smiled at his question. “Is there anything you require?”</p>
<p>There were a lot of things Tobio required, a nosey housekeeper was not one of them. He shook his head, briefly considering if he actually needed anything before dismissing her with a slight wave. He was not alone in the parlour for long as Kunimi returned from putting some of the party’s belongings in one of the many rooms upstairs.</p>
<p>“So what now?” Kunimi asked. “We sit here until tomorrow?”</p>
<p>Tobio considered it. There was a small implication that there were <em>other</em> options. “I mean, if you want to go and explore the city, I’m not going to stop you.”</p>
<p>“Is that right?” Kunimi wryly smiled. “Anything in particular I should look for?”</p>
<p>Tobio shrugged. “Keep an ear out for anything that might be of use.”</p>
<p>“Understood. I’ll take Kiyoko with me, she’s good at talking to people…”</p>
<p>“And you’re good at judging them from afar, yep.” Tobio remarked.</p>
<p>Kunimi pretended to be offended. “Your majesty, I don’t know what you mean.” He chuckled, already turning to go and find Kiyoko. She was certainly interested in scouring the city for information, but they were slightly put out that they were not being allowed to roam freely without an escort.</p>
<p>Ushijima didn’t seem to mind their request, he didn’t even demand to lead them, he simply stated that he’d step in if anyone gave them trouble. Kunimi and Kiyoko didn’t know if that meant outsiders were not wanted or Ushijima thought they’d start a tavern fight.</p>
<p>They first walked around the uptown district, it wasn’t anything particularly different to what they had seen already; large manor houses lined the streets with their flora adding pops of colour that were pleasing to the eye. People bustled about in the afternoon sun, their attire wasn’t too different to that of the southern kingdoms, even by noble standards the colours were fairly muted and practical for the still harsh chill in the air. They proceeded towards what Ushijima referred to as ‘the central circle’, it was where many streets joined up in a crossroads style, except there were far more than four paths spreading from it. Within the centre of the crossroads was a large stone statue depicting a large tree with an eagle roosting in it. From within the rocks at the base of the tree water gently trickled down over paved stone and into a pool below.</p>
<p>They stopped to admire the fountain for a short while. It was as they were ready to move on that they realised just how big Hinode seemed to be. Eight paths in total spread out from this point, including the one they had just come down. They had every reason to believe that each of the remaining seven led to a completely new district.</p>
<p>“So, are there any areas to avoid?” Kiyoko asked Ushijima. “Rougher areas?”</p>
<p>He thought for a moment. “There are a few places, but I imagine you can both handle yourselves.” He glanced down one of the streets to their left. “Every city has its rough areas as I’m sure you can appreciate.”</p>
<p>They shared a nod, Kunimi started walking in no particular direction with Kiyoko falling in step with him. Ushijima followed closely as they picked a street and didn’t bother to ask where it led. A short walk later and they found themselves in a busy market square, much more familiar territory to both of them. Vendors were selling various wares that were the usual, furs, clothes, food and trinkets. Kiyoko cast a quick glance over most of the tables and carts with little interest in purchasing anything. They both moved through the crowd without stopping, turning down another street and finding more permanent traders situated along it. The smell of smoke was in the air as the clanging of metal being struck rang out.</p>
<p>“Ah, the blacksmith.” Kiyoko smiled. Kunimi’s interest was piqued as they sighted the table of daggers laid out for browsing. There were parts of suits of armour also laid out alongside shields and other weapons. Kiyoko nodded in approval at the quality, wondering what Bokuto would make of it all.</p>
<p>“Reckon we’ll need any fresh blades?” Kunimi asked quietly, mindful of their escort.</p>
<p>“Doubtful.” She shrugged, picking up a dagger and examining it. The blacksmith himself was busy tempering metal but he glanced up at them both every now and then as they took their time to look over his wares.  “We could always just pick something up anyway, something to take back and display.”</p>
<p>Kunimi raised an eyebrow. “A reminder of the time we got dragged into more politics?” He snorted. “You’re oddly sentimental.”</p>
<p>“You forget that I don’t exactly have many things to be sentimental about.” She smiled at him. “This might seem like a bore to you Akira, but to me it’s another grand adventure, another journey with the ones I call family.”</p>
<p>Kunimi wasn’t sure where this softer side of Kiyoko had come from but he wasn’t going to question it. He looked at the dagger in her hand, it was more of a hunting knife with its jagged edge and simple hilt, a far cry from the more fanciful blades he had seen elsewhere. On closer examination though, the hilt which was made from lightweight wood had intricate carvings in it, mainly bird wings.</p>
<p>“Huh, it’s quite…something.” He remarked as he handed it back to her.</p>
<p>She nodded. “I was thinking of getting it for Suga.”</p>
<p>“Any particular reason?”</p>
<p>She smiled, a faint rosy hue coming over her cheeks as she turned it over in her hands. “It’s his nameday soon.”</p>
<p>“Is it?” Kunimi could never remember when people’s namedays were, it wasn’t like any of the guild particularly cared. Namedays existed for the children really, to mark when they had survived the cold seasons and when they were of an age that they could be taught some useful skills. They existed for the royals to mark when their princes stopped being children and started being trained to be kings.</p>
<p>“Soon, when the growing season fades into the dry.” She murmured, gaze on the knife. “That’s what he told me, he was born when the sun shone the brightest and the darkness barely touched the sky.”</p>
<p>“Huh.” Kunimi watched on as she nodded to herself and then approached the blacksmith to ask about pricing. Once gold pieces had changed hands and the knife wrapped up in a thin cut of leather, he decided to continue the conversation. “So when were you born?”</p>
<p>Her positive mood didn’t waver even if her voice was quiet and sombre. “When the cold winds howled and the seas were rough. When daylight was scarce and warmth even more so.”</p>
<p>“So the cold season.”</p>
<p>“The middle of it, or near enough.” She nodded. “We’re like two opposites.”</p>
<p>Kunimi scoffed. “So you were born in different seasons, what’s the deal? Pretty sure Hinata mentioned he was born in the dry season too, and Tobio’s nameday is in the heart of the cold one.”</p>
<p>She halted as his point became clear to her. He gave her a slightly puzzled look before she smiled slightly. They continued walking back towards the central part of the city where the street diverged. It was still early in the day so they felt no rush to return to the manor. With curiosity mounting, they picked a new street, this one seemed quieter and Kiyoko wanted to know why. Ushijima followed without a word as they passed through a set of old, rusted iron gates thrown open without a care, however he soon quickened his pace as they found themselves in a network of passageways and side streets. He walked beside Kiyoko, a nervous energy about him as he scanned the empty streets.</p>
<p>“Milady, it would not be wise to dwell here long.”</p>
<p>Kiyoko raised an eyebrow at the title. “Oh? How so?”</p>
<p>Kunimi had his hand on the hilt of his blade as he too glanced around the emptiness. Ushijima was quiet, almost as if he were listening.</p>
<p>“This is the forgotten quarter of the old city, not many choose to roam here freely.” He murmured.</p>
<p>Casting their gazes around, the statement seemed to ring true; the stonework and wooden structures of the two-floor buildings were cracked with age, wood splintered in places and water dripped from holes in overhangs. What windowpanes there were, were cracked in places, some shattered as if rocks were thrown through them. They continued walking, not sure what they’d find as they worked their way through the narrow streets. The comfortable hustle and bustle of the main city seemed far away as quiet fell around them.</p>
<p>“Why is it forgotten?” She asked, looking up at the second floor of what looked like a lavish manor house once. “What happened?”</p>
<p>Ushijima shook his head. “There is much you don’t—”</p>
<p>“Then why don’t you fucking tell us?” Kunimi snapped.</p>
<p>A chuckle came from behind them, turning around they were met with a tall, burly woman. Her face was smeared with dirt, red raw cuts covered her hands and forearms. Ushijima drew his sword immediately and stood between them and the mystery woman.</p>
<p>“Back off.” He stated.</p>
<p>She snorted, putting her hands up in surrender. “Alrigh’ sire.” She remarked in a mocking tone. “But you know the way around ‘ere, visitors aren’t permitted to leave without paying up.”</p>
<p>Kunimi scoffed, Ushijima shook his head. “That isn’t the way and you know it.”</p>
<p>“Well when we’re just tryin’ to get by, it is. And when you lot come in ‘ere just gawkin’ at the ruins of our homes then I think it’s fair game to ask for some fuckin’ charity.”</p>
<p>Kiyoko hadn’t reached for her blade yet, merely trying to work out what this situation was. “What happened here?”</p>
<p>The woman grinned maniacally. “Mages happened.”</p>
<p>Ushijima flashed Kiyoko a warning glance. “It’s wise not to press the subject.”</p>
<p>“Oh but her ladyship <em>wants</em> to know.” The woman replied. “I assume she’s one of these pompous noble folk from afar eh? Came to see what happens when you allow mages to run amok and fuck with anything they chose?”</p>
<p>Aside from being referred to as a noblewoman, Kiyoko didn’t take offence. In truth they were trying to find out what was going on around here, even if it meant slightly aggressive confrontations. “Mages happened?” Kiyoko repeated. “What did they do?”</p>
<p>She gestured to the ruined shells of houses that still stood. “All this!” She exclaimed. “They didn’t listen to a damn thing anyone said, they could shoot fire from their fingers, summon storms from the sky, they weren’t normal folk at all. And so they couldn’t be stopped by steel and iron, not if the honest men and women tried anyway.”</p>
<p>“Why?” Kiyoko stepped forward. “What caused them to—”</p>
<p>“Arrogance.” The woman snapped, grin falling away and being replaced by fury. “Fucking arrogance. They think they’re better than us, they think they can fuck with our lives for fun and no-one will stop them. Well they learnt soon enough didn’t they when they got what they deserved,” she laughed maniacally, “we should’ve gotten rid of them sooner…”</p>
<p>Kunimi swallowed as Ushijima held his nerve. Their escort made no attempt to argue with the woman as he spoke. “Milady, we should go. This is no place for you.”</p>
<p>As much as Kiyoko wanted to correct him, she allowed Ushijima to escort them out of the street. The mystery woman made no attempt to follow them, only maniacally laughing as they assumed a quick pace. Once they were back in the central circle, Ushijima turned to them both with the same emotionless expression.</p>
<p>“That was an error on my part to allow you down there.” He bowed his head. “I apologise.”</p>
<p>Kunimi shrugged. “Whatever, we’ve seen worse.”</p>
<p>“Was she right?” Kiyoko asked, immediately disregarding the apology. “That mages did all that?”</p>
<p>He glanced between them, his voice quiet as he replied. “Partly. However I feel this is a conversation for more private quarters.”</p>
<p>“Back to the manor then?” Kunimi suggested.</p>
<p>“No. That is not private.” Ushijima uttered. “The walls there have ears, as do many in this city. No, if you wish to know more, then I can tell you but not here and not now.”</p>
<p>There was an odd feeling creeping upon them as Ushijima stepped back and gestured for them to pick a new street to explore. Kunimi shot Kiyoko a subtle shake of the head. She replied with a nod. They then turned their attention to continuing their exploration, trying to forget about the new questions rising within them.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Akaashi sought out Hinata easily enough. The manor was big but there were only so many places one could be. Tobio had taken up residence in his own chambers and requested to be left alone for a while. Food had been served to those who wanted it and hot baths had been taken. Kiyoko and Kunimi had left with Ushijima leaving the rest of them in the company of the staff and Aone posted as a guard. Guarding them against what, they could only speculate.</p>
<p>Hinata had been sat in another parlour of sorts towards the back of the manor, this one had wooden benches with thick woollen blankets covering them to make them more comfortable to sit on. Large windows looked out over a patch of wildflowers that had been allowed to grow freely within the confines of the garden. He had been alone when Akaashi approached, wrapped up in his thoughts about what was going to happen next. As Akaashi sat down on the bench across from him, he met his gaze.</p>
<p>“You good?” Akaashi asked, there was a faraway look in Hinata’s eyes even as he nodded.</p>
<p>“And you? I imagine being away from Kuroo is hard.”</p>
<p>Akaashi shrugged. “Used to it by now,” he smiled, “besides, the idiot is in safe hands with Daichi and Bokuto.”</p>
<p>Hinata mirrored the smile, directing his gaze back to the wildflowers. Bumblebees hovered near the freshly opened buds as the breeze made the long grass dance.  Akaashi didn’t want to ambush Hinata with questions, but the direct approach always seemed to work better.</p>
<p>“So you’ve been getting quite close to House Kageyama since the battle.” He remarked, sitting back in a more relaxed posture as he watched Hinata for any reaction. “Thinking of joining them entirely?”</p>
<p>He noted Hinata flinch, there wasn’t a nod or shake of the head as Hinata let out a small sigh. “It’s complicated.”</p>
<p>“Yeah?” Akaashi kept his tone calm. “Wanna talk it out?”</p>
<p>Hinata shook his head. “It’s not really…”</p>
<p>“Anything you can discuss? Yeah, apparently you’ve been saying that a lot, to Kenma specifically.”</p>
<p>The mention of the other made Hinata’s gaze snap to his. The faraway look was gone, replaced by guilt. “Oh…ah, uhm…”</p>
<p>“Yeah.” He nodded. “He told me on the way here,” he leaned forward so he could lower his voice a little, “he thinks you’re abandoning us.”</p>
<p>“What?!” Hinata squawked. “Aban…I’d never abandon you!”</p>
<p>“So you say.” Akaashi held his gaze, whispers and stray feelings were slipping through Hinata’s weak facade. Guilt was strong in his aura, but there was something else beneath it. “Talk to me Shoyo.”</p>
<p>Hinata opened his mouth to speak but thought better of it. This happened a few more times as he tried to think about how to word whatever he wanted to say. His hand came up to scratch at his collarbone as he replied. “I’m Tobio’s protector now…I have to be with him.”</p>
<p>Akaashi could understand the sentiment, but there was much, much more to this. He gestured for Hinata to continue.</p>
<p>“And I don’t want everyone else caught up in anything that happens.” He began to turn the Kageyama family ring around on his finger. Akaashi glanced at it momentarily as Hinata continued. “This whole empire thing got way out of hand…I didn’t mean for you to come along with us but Tobio—”</p>
<p>“Back up.” Akaashi cut in. “Forget about this,” he gestured to the manor around them, “before this happened, before the summons, before all of that. You promised Kenma something, didn’t you? And you haven’t fulfilled that promise.”</p>
<p>Hinata had to think back, but yes he did. He promised Kenma way back before the battle that he would tell the other about the ‘possible futures’ he had seen, to explain why him charging into battle was the <em>only</em> option they had. He promised to tell Kenma what was so important to him that he had to break rules made centuries ago. He had gotten so caught up in getting House Kyoutani reinstated and then the empire’s summons that he hadn’t even been back to Kēpu yōsai since the battle.</p>
<p>He hadn’t really rested. He had moved from one thing to the next, with only a few rest days between. Those rest days had been spent by Tobio’s side, trying to find a way to fit in with his new title and duties. He had intended to go back to Kēpu yōsai, but fate seemed intent on pulling him away.</p>
<p>“I…” He trailed off almost immediately. “I didn’t mean to.”</p>
<p>Akaashi shrugged. “He knows you’ve had a lot to deal with, but he’s still upset. It still stung Shoyo.” Akaashi’s matter-of-fact tone reminded him of his mother’s voice. “Honouring pacts with royalty and dead dragons is one thing, but you should <em>always</em> honour promises made to your friends. Sometimes, our friends are all we have.”</p>
<p>Hinata took in the serious expression Akaashi gave him. This wasn’t just a friendly reminder, Akaashi too felt this same hurt that Kenma did. Whether it was from before this conversation or only since they sat down and spoke, Akaashi’s tone and expression sent a chill through Hinata.</p>
<p>He may be an all-powerful aura mage, but he wouldn’t be here without the Brotherhood’s loyalty. A loyalty that he hadn’t repaid. He had taken everything they had given him, even up to this point, for granted almost. There was something to be said for a group of assassins preparing to ally themselves with House Kageyama and ride all the way north with them all because he was in danger. He knew for a fact that Daichi wouldn’t have given the all-clear for this if he didn’t value Hinata as a person.</p>
<p>“The Brotherhood took you in remember, Suga took you in on that evening because you needed us.” Akaashi stated. “And we allowed you to stay, I told you we’d keep you safe, Daichi ignored Yaku’s protests and let you stay in order to grant you safety and the knowledge you sought from Nishinoya.” He listed off. “We kept you safe even in the most dire of situations, Kenma opened himself up to you to teach you everything he could, throughout all of our trials, we’ve called you a brother, Shoyo.”</p>
<p>There was a pause as he wetted his lips, deadpan gaze still holding Hinata’s.</p>
<p>“And right now, you’re holding secrets from us, you’re pushing Kenma away and trust me when I say this, if you don’t explain yourself soon, more of them will ask questions. Questions that are already being murmured.”</p>
<p>“What questions?” Hinata’s alarmed tone said it all.</p>
<p>Akaashi shook his head. “Some are wondering if you even want to remain with us now that you’re in Tobio’s pocket. Now that you’re more powerful than any other mage we’ve faced, why would you stay? The world is out there calling for you, if you don’t end up in the empire’s clutches, who’s to say you’d want to stay in our Brotherhood?”</p>
<p>Hinata rose to his feet. “I wouldn’t abandon the Brotherhood!” He snapped. “I don’t care about being powerful, I care about bettering the world, the people around me. I care about people being happy!”</p>
<p>Akaashi shrugged. “All I’ve seen is a mage grow beyond anything I’ve seen, summoning dragons, breaking treaties…” He paused. “You haven’t gone home once since you got here.”</p>
<p>The blunt statement got under Hinata’s skin. His hands clenched into fists as he held Akaashi’s emotionless gaze. “So?”</p>
<p>“So do you make a habit of abandoning your family?”</p>
<p>Hinata stepped forward and got in Akaashi’s face. “That’s rich coming from <em>you</em>.”</p>
<p>Akaashi raised an eyebrow, Hinata was close enough for him to see the glassy tears beginning to form. He blinked once and found himself slipping past the facade that had crumbled.</p>
<p>
  <em>The light of day was fading. A battlefield stretched out before him, banners of House Oikawa were scattered across the tangled mess of bodies. Bloodstained everything from the bodies and armour to the grass underneath his feet. The sounds of the dying could be heard lowly on the wind and the air felt thick with the scent of death.</em>
</p>
<p> He was torn from it by Hinata shouting hysterically.</p>
<p>“No, No you can’t see!”</p>
<p>Akaashi blinked and saw Hinata reeling back, tears spilling down his cheeks. His outburst had summoned Suga to the room to investigate. Akaashi shook his head, not entirely sure what he wasn’t meant to see as Hinata crumpled to the floor in a heap of sobs. Suga gave him a confused look as he crouched on the floor to try and console the other.</p>
<p>Whatever that vision had been, Akaashi he hadn’t actively sought to see it. He had to admit, the remark from Hinata had stung a little, but he had made peace with his choice a long time ago. If he could prevent Hinata from making the same choice, he was prepared to stomach all the snide remarks and jabs. He remained where he sat as Hinata was taken to one of the chambers on the upper floor by Suga, thinking over what he had just seen, said and heard. It may not have gone exactly as he planned, but it seemed to succeed in getting Hinata to wake up to what was happening. King or no king, Hinata was a member of the Brotherhood first and foremost in his mind.</p>
<p>Suga returned after a while and sat across from Akaashi with a stern look on his face.</p>
<p>“So, what the fuck was that about?”</p>
<p>Akaashi shrugged. “He needed to be reminded that his loyalties don’t start and end at Tobio’s feet.”</p>
<p>Suga frowned, sitting back in the chair. “So you got him all riled up over it? Wow, <em>good job</em> Keiji.”</p>
<p>“Hey, you’re not the one who had to see how torn up Kenma is right now because Hinata won’t talk to him about anything <em>other</em> than Tobio.” Akaashi quipped, leaning forward again. “He promised Kenma he’d explain all of this magical nonsense that enabled him to summon Hēishān, he made that promise Suga and so far the only thing he’s uttered a word about to any of us is about this stupid fucking consort thing,”</p>
<p>Suga snorted, shaking his head dismissively. “Yes, because he could very well end up <em>dead</em> if he doesn’t get it right.” He replied. “Tobio can say or do what he likes but we’re in <em>her</em> territory right now. And none of us know what she’s like, what she values, or even if she’s really going to discuss this treaty.” He hissed. “For all we know, she might just grant Tobio this audience just to swipe Hinata out from under our noses.”</p>
<p>Akaashi scoffed. “So all the better reason for Hinata to remember that the Brotherhood has been and always will be there to have his back, but only if he actually acts like one of us.”</p>
<p>It was Suga’s turn to get riled up. “Are you <em>listening</em> to yourself Keiji? You sound just like Kuroo from last year.”</p>
<p>“Yes—”</p>
<p>“No. I’m not having it.” Suga snapped. “So Hinata’s a little misguided right now, he’s a little distracted about whether or not he’ll make it out of here alive, but that does not give you <em>any fucking right</em> to sit here and imply that we’ll just abandon him here.” His hands clenched into fists as they rested on his knees. “No-one here gets to make that kind of call. We make our choices together, and I can tell you right now, even if some of you are prepared to do just that, there are those of us who will vote against you.”</p>
<p>Akaashi said nothing, taking on board what Suga was saying with a minor pinch of salt. He nodded slowly.</p>
<p>“And I hope you can find it in yourself to apologise to him once you’ve gotten your head out of your ass.” Suga muttered as he stood up. “Because right now, he needs us more than ever.”</p>
<p>Again, Akaashi said nothing as Suga left. He sighed heavily as he closed his eyes. The battlefield came into view clear as he had first seen it; banners were broken, bodies were twisted and bloodied. The red sun was setting over the sight to behold. Though the memory had only been visible for a few moments, he could already tell it was real, it wasn’t a dream. Something bad had happened.</p>
<p>He blinked, coming back to reality. If it wasn’t a dream, then was it a vision? Was it some abomination that Hinata had stumbled upon? Had someone put it there? Akaashi pondered for a while alone, vaguely wishing Kuroo was there to try and make sense of it all. If this was something Hinata had picked up in his journey to gaining more powers, then what else was he hiding from them?</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Fulfilling A Promise</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>VIII</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Fulfilling a Promise</strong>
</p>
<p>By the fifth day, they had perfected their routine. Daichi would enter the tavern and ask the barkeep if they could try and make some coin, most of the time the barkeeps were all too happy to allow it for a small exchange of coin. Once permission had been granted, they would start with Bokuto’s juggling antics, some nights it was more elaborate than others, it depended on how many things Kuroo could find to throw into the mix. After Bokuto got the crowd warmed up, they’d go to either Nishinoya for some elemental tricks featuring Lev the lion jumping through and over all manner of obstacles, or to Tanaka for some impressive shows of strength.</p>
<p>Usually, they finished off with a combination of all three and so their little routine would take around two hours. It was long enough to get a decent amount of coin but not too long that they aroused suspicion. Those who weren’t involved in the performance were mingling with the patrons of the tavern, canvassing for information about the empire, about anything and everything that could help them in the city.</p>
<p>So far one thing was certain; Hinode was going to give them many more taverns to pick from. Most of the patrons of the small-town taverns were quick to warn them of pickpockets - Kuroo had to laugh at the irony - and of a certain district of the city that was largely abandoned by the general population. A few had mentioned how the Imperial family were from a place ‘much further south’ and had only moved north a few generations back. It was small snippets of information but they could start piecing together an idea of what was in store.</p>
<p>“You reckon the others are there yet?” Kuroo asked Daichi as they both nursed the last drinks of the night. Most of the others were already asleep, a few were mingling with other late-night drinkers but no-one was bothering them.</p>
<p>“I expect so.” Daichi hummed. “Haven’t heard of anything to say otherwise.”</p>
<p>“Reckon Tobio’s climbing the steps to her majesty’s palace already to demand an audience?”</p>
<p>Daichi snorted into his drink, setting the cup down. “No. Tobio may be eager to get going, but he’s not an idiot.”</p>
<p>“And Hinata?”</p>
<p>Daichi paused for thought. “Not sure. I imagine he won’t do anything unless Tobio says so.”</p>
<p>“Really?” Kuroo tilted his head to the side. “He’s always been a loose cannon.”</p>
<p>“Yes but his life is on the line here, Inuoka’s too.” Daichi swirled the remnants of his drink around. “If it were you and I, would you act rashly without thinking about my life?”</p>
<p>Kuroo would’ve said yes because he knew himself far too well, but he also knew if he was in the same situation, he’d be paranoid that any wrong step could spell disaster. “I guess, but who’s to say that he won’t accidentally do something?”</p>
<p>“That’s always a possibility, but we can hope.” Daichi sighed. “So, what’s our plan when we get there? Try to find them or go it alone?”</p>
<p>Kuroo shrugged. Getting to Hinode was the priority, if it was as big as people claimed, they’d find it hard to track down the others and who was to say they’d even be able to join up with them. The understanding he had was that Tobio wanted the Brotherhood’s existence and intentions to stay hidden for as long as possible. Showing their cards too early could spell doom for Kenma and Nishinoya.</p>
<p>“We find a tavern, somewhere to call home for a few nights.” Kuroo eventually replied. “We then split up and scour the city. Pick up on rumours if we have to. We’ll find out something surely. A king from the south makes his way north, there’s gotta be something planned for his arrival, right?”</p>
<p>Daichi’s eyes widened. “Like a ball?”</p>
<p>“Ehh?”</p>
<p>“I heard someone mention it earlier, how it’s apparently ‘nearly time for a ball’.” Daichi snapped his fingers as he tried to think. “Maybe that’s what’s planned?”</p>
<p>Kuroo inhaled sharply. “Guess we better get our dancing shoes on.”</p>
<p>They finished their drinks and rounded up the last few stragglers before retiring for the night. If the weather was favourable, they would make it to Hinode by dusk. The dawn came quickly and they set off at a reasonably quick pace after getting directions from a friendly merchant. As they had bid farewell, the merchant called Daichi back, he pointed to Lev who was confidently striding alongside Nishinoya’s horse.</p>
<p>“You’ll need some kind of leash for him.” He warned. “The city guard won’t let a lion just roam freely.”</p>
<p>Daichi inwardly cussed. They had somewhat overlooked the minor fact that Lev was a <em>lion</em> and not a house cat. No-one had been able to work out what the kirin did to him nor how to change him back, not that he would’ve let them. He nodded and thanked the gentleman for his warning before returning to the others. By the time they got to the bridge that would take them into Hinode, Lev had a makeshift lead attached to him made of rope.</p>
<p>He wasn’t happy about it, but Semi wasn’t going to give him any pity.</p>
<p>“Why do I have to be stuck with you?” Lev muttered as the city guards inspected their horses.</p>
<p>“Shut up.” Semi hissed as the captain of the guard walked over to figure out what to do with Lev. He was a tall but slender man, dark brown hair caught the wind and was stuck up in odd angles as he peered down at Lev.</p>
<p>“…this is a lion?” He stated.</p>
<p>“Yep.” Semi replied bluntly. “He’s trained.”</p>
<p>Lev stayed put and kept his mouth shut as the guard hummed in thought. The rope was tied around his upper body where his front legs met his torso., it would be easy for Semi to tug him back if he lunged for anything or anyone.</p>
<p>“A muzzle might be a wise idea—”</p>
<p>Semi rolled his eyes. “He’s harmless, really.” He gripped the rope a little tighter. “He’s just a big dumb cat.”</p>
<p>The guard seemed somewhat convinced, he glanced around the group once more and came to his decision. “Fine, but if we hear any reports of escaped lions, we’ll put him down.”</p>
<p>Lev growled a little at the mild threat. The guardsman gave him a suspicious glance before allowing the party to continue into the city. Semi was already tired of looking after the guild’s pet but he had been told by Daichi that it would be the quickest way to earn certain people’s trust. Semi wasn’t sure he wanted Kuroo’s trust if it meant dealing with Lev’s antics.</p>
<p>They proceeded up the main road into the central circle. None of them could really believe how big the city felt already. Lev got a lot of attention from everyone they passed, mostly shock at his size even though he was smaller than even their smallest horse Yuki. There were a few who eyed him with suspicion, with fear, but others were marvelling at his unusual presence. Daichi quickly found a trader who was willing to tell them where a decent tavern was and pointed them towards another street. Whilst they were moving about, all eyes and ears were open to see if there was any word on Tobio arriving. Most of the chitchat they heard was about themselves bringing a ‘beast’ into the city.</p>
<p>“Ah, subtlety, our finest skill.” Tanaka remarked as the crowds parted for them at this point. “Think the others will find us easily?”</p>
<p>Nishinoya didn’t laugh. He felt on edge, something wasn’t right about this place. He had known mages weren’t exactly welcome in the empire’s holds but he almost felt like people could tell he wasn’t strictly normal. He stuck close to Tanaka and Kindaichi as they ended up outside the tavern. It was a simple stone building with a wooden sign reading the <em>Ancient Ingot Inn</em>.</p>
<p>They entered, leaving the horses outside but Lev was invited in. As taverns went, this was a fairly upmarket one; wood panelling decorated the majority of the room apart from the stone fireplace. Flags and banners hung on the walls bringing bright bursts of colour to the walls. Stacked atop the fireplace were piles of ingots forged from different metals, giving the tavern’s namesake a nod. A small bar took up only half the length of the wall, manned only by a single middle-aged woman who raised an eyebrow at Lev’s arrival. Once Daichi calmly explained they were a performing bard troupe and Lev was very well trained, she relaxed a little.</p>
<p>“Well, as long as he doesn’t shit everywhere and eat off the tables, he’s fine.” She remarked with a smile. “I imagine you’re looking for rooms then?”</p>
<p>“Rooms and any helpful information about this city.” Daichi smiled back. “We’re from elsewhere, first time here.”</p>
<p>“Ah empire virgins?” She chuckled as Daichi’s face flushed red at the crude remark. “I kid, but if Hinode is your first trip then <em>oh boy</em> you picked a time.”</p>
<p>Daichi nodded. “Yeah?”</p>
<p>She gestured to the nearest wall where several posters and notices were stuck to a piece of gnarled wood; a piece of parchment had been nailed to it reading; ‘<em>Celebratory Ball: Welcoming A King</em>’ and went on to describe how the Imperial Palace was hosting a ball within a few days to celebrate a king from the south visiting. It gave no details but said that anyone without an invitation should stay away from the uptown district or else the guards might forcibly move them on.</p>
<p>“Empress is setting out to impress.” She stated as Daichi read the notice. “We haven’t had a ball in a while, not since one of the steward’s daughters got married off to acquire a new kingdom.”</p>
<p>Daichi nodded. “Right, so I guess it’s a big deal?”</p>
<p>“Big deal?” She laughed. “They don’t do balls where you’re from? It’s where the nobility go to ruffle feathers and set up new marriages for their kids…or each other.” She winked. “It’s the talk to the city even when it’s an internal affair, but this one, phew this one will be bigger.”</p>
<p>“How…so.” Daichi dared to ask.</p>
<p>“King from the south? The empire hasn’t hosted a king from the south since the treaties were signed what like two ‘undred years ago? And this one is <em>young</em>. Like, <em>real</em> young, and as far as most know; he’s not got a queen.”</p>
<p>Daichi was struggling to follow what was happening. “So…people think he’s gonna what? Marry the empress?”</p>
<p>She nodded, giving him a knowing smile. “It’s on the lips of many yes, she’s young, so is he. His kingdom is in dire need of land and power from what we hear, fended off the territories and lost a lot of men in the process.”</p>
<p>“And you think the empress will accept that?” Daichi remarked, finding this both amusing and interesting in equal parts.</p>
<p>“Well,” she sighed, wiping down the bar as she continued, “it’s complicated I’m sure, but if I were her and some young, victorious king came riding into my city demanding an audience with me…” she sighed again, this time more wistfully, “what I’d give to be whisked away.”</p>
<p>Daichi had heard what he needed to hear. The people of the empire seemed to think Tobio was here by choice, not because he was summoned. He quickly moved the conversation back to renting rooms and paying for them upfront. The barkeep was quick to assure him that they could even perform in that same tavern that evening if they wished. He nodded and rejoined the others who had taken over one of the circular tables and already helped themselves to drinks.</p>
<p>“What’s the word?” Bokuto asked as Daichi sat down. “Anything scandalous?”</p>
<p>Daichi glanced around, the tavern was quiet for the time of day which meant a discussion in hushed whispers was called for. “We need to find the others before this ball happens.”</p>
<p>“Ball.” Kindaichi repeated. “Like, dancing and shit?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, it’s to celebrate Tobio’s visit.” Daichi raised an eyebrow. “Except the people don’t seem to know his true reasons for coming here.”</p>
<p>“They think he’s here for a fun time?” Kuroo murmured. “Are they mad?”</p>
<p>“Deluded, possibly,” Daichi replied, looking to Moniwa. “These treaties were signed centuries ago apparently, Tobio’s apparently the first king to have visited since then.”</p>
<p>Moniwa hummed in thought, obviously trying to remember any shred of knowledge that would help them in that moment. “If the treaties were written up after that last conflict between them, then yeah it makes sense House Kageyama never visited after,” he shrugged, “they had proved their point in the battle.”</p>
<p>“And their neighbouring kingdom changed hands far too many times in that same period.” Bokuto added. “No-one would’ve thought to cosy up to the empire if there were countless inner conflicts happening.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, House Oikawa wouldn’t have made any effort.” Kuroo remarked.</p>
<p>Daichi looked to Semi. “You got any thoughts?”</p>
<p>“Not especially.” He shrugged. “I know none of our clansmen came anywhere near here.”</p>
<p>Daichi hummed. There was a pause as everyone took this new information on board. It was just one woman’s account of course, but if it was the common understanding that Tobio had asked for an audience with the young empress for no apparent reason, then speculation was sure to fly on the matter. Of course, they knew that Tobio had no such interest, in fact his plan to make out Hinata was his consort would be a spectacular response to those rumours.</p>
<p>“So, we need to find them before this ball.” Kuroo nodded, bringing his tankard to his lips intending to take a long drink. “When is it?”</p>
<p>“Tomorrow evening.” Daichi replied, watching Kuroo tip his head back as he drank.</p>
<p>Kuroo slammed his empty tankard down. “Well fuck.”</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>The commotion in the manor had succeeded in both annoying Yaku and intriguing him. He heard raised voices from downstairs whilst he was checking out their accommodation for the next few days and decided he wanted nothing to do with it. Fate seemed to have a few different ideas though. He heard crying, and Yaku always hated crying. He begrudgingly opened the door to see Suga ushering Hinata into a different room and telling the worried maids to not bother him for a while.</p>
<p>Yaku of course, now curious as well as a tad concerned, was not about to let strangers try and interfere with anyone in his Brotherhood. He may not be the type to console others but like hell was he going to let anyone else have an opportunity to weasel information out of Hinata. He waited for Suga to disappear back downstairs before quietly making his way to the closed door. He knocked once before letting himself in. The room had five beds in it, all of them made up with nice bedsheets and thick blankets. Hinata was sat on the one furthest from the door hugging his knees close to his chest, sobbing still even as he clocked Yaku’s presence in the room.</p>
<p>“So, what was it this time?” He asked as he made his way over to the bed and sat on the edge.</p>
<p>Hinata sniffed, eyes red from crying. “I’m a shitty person.”</p>
<p>Yaku wasn’t sure how to respond to that. “Who said so?”</p>
<p>“Well, he didn’t <em>say</em> it, he just…implied h-heavily.”</p>
<p>Yaku nodded slowly. “And you think so?”</p>
<p>“I guess? He made me sound like I was abandoning the Brotherhood when really I’m just trying to make sure no-one gets wrapped up in all this crazy fucking shit!” He rambled, panting heavily by the end of it. “I didn’t mean to break any promises to anyone, I just wanted to—”</p>
<p>“Slow the fuck down.” Yaku sighed, reaching out and placing a hand on Hinata’s head in the same way he’d calm his sister down when she got worked up. “Who said all this?”</p>
<p>“Akaashi.”</p>
<p>Yaku hummed in thought. Of course it was Akaashi. “And what’s this promise you made?”</p>
<p>“I told Kenma I’d….explain all my new magic powers and stuff…like how I conjured Hēishān and stuff.” He sniffed loudly, gesticulating wildly with his hands. “But I’ve been too busy to, and with all this summoning stuff it’s just gotten way out of hand and I didn’t mean to forget but I need to protect Tobio!”</p>
<p>Yaku nodded, at least feigning understanding the situation. His hand was still on Hinata’s head, reassuring in a way. He slowly let it drop to Hinata’s shoulder, squeezing it in a vague attempt to comfort the other. “So what’s stopping you telling him now? We’re not going anywhere today.”</p>
<p>Hinata sniffed again. “I just…” He shrugged. “Kenma probably hates me.”</p>
<p>Yaku chuckled slightly. “Kenma doesn’t hate you, dumbass.” He shook his head.</p>
<p>“But—”</p>
<p>“Hey, do you wanna make it right?” Yaku interrupted.</p>
<p>Hinata nodded, looking up at him with red eyes.</p>
<p>“Then give me two moments.” Yaku immediately got up before Hinata could argue. He slipped out of the room without another word, leaving Hinata to gawk at the situation. Sure enough barely a few moments later he returned with Kenma in tow. He closed the door firmly behind them and gestured for Kenma to sit on the edge of the bed.</p>
<p>Kenma, for the most part, was confused, but he shot Hinata a small smile.</p>
<p>“Right,” Yaku sighed, remaining stood up as he folded his arms across his chest, “here you go Hinata, tell him what you need to tell him.”</p>
<p>“What!?” Hinata exclaimed, shifting his sitting position so his ankles were crossed. “I can’t just, I mean—”</p>
<p>“Quit making up excuses.” Yaku rolled his eyes. “Look, I’ll even leave the room and make sure you don’t get interrupted.”</p>
<p>Kenma watched as Yaku was true to his word and left. He swallowed as he looked to Hinata whose expression made it seem like he had seen a ghost. He had a vague notion what this was about, given the raised voices and the fact he knew Akaashi had said he was going to talk to Hinata.</p>
<p>“What is it?” Kenma asked.</p>
<p>Hinata worried his bottom lip between his teeth. His stomach was twisting and turning into a knot as Kenma’s gaze on him didn’t yield any clues as to how he was feeling. Though if he took Akaashi’s comments at face value, he knew Kenma was probably hurting inside.</p>
<p>“I made a promise to you.” His voice was hoarse when he spoke, there was a lump in his throat. “And I…I’ve been bad at keeping it.”</p>
<p>Kenma tilted his head, knowing exactly what that promise was. “Well, I’m sure you had a reason to, and I’m not sure what Keiji said—”</p>
<p>“He said I was abandoning the Brotherhood.” Hinata cut in, eyes tearing up again. “But I’m not! I don’t mean to! I just have a lot happening and there was too little time to think and I couldn’t get back to Kēpu yōsai in time—”</p>
<p>Kenma gently took his hands. “Hey, it’s okay.” He murmured, squeezing Hinata’s hands. “We have time now.”</p>
<p>He was right, regardless of the impending political drama, they had time in that moment that day to talk it through. Hinata felt his nerves fading a little as Kenma kept hold of his hands. When he properly thought about it, it was no wonder he felt all kinds of on edge. The Battle of the Dynasty wasn’t even a month old. They had all gone through hell that day, they had all seen, heard and felt things they shouldn’t have to experience. It was a miracle they had all come out relatively unscathed. Sure physical injuries remained, there were bruises and wounds still recovering, but considering everything; no-one had been left changed for the worst.</p>
<p>At least, not that he could see right now. Subtle personality changes were creeping in as time passed, as they came to terms with what happened. He knew it could’ve been so much worse. That it <em>had</em> been so much worse.</p>
<p>Hinata nodded. “Alright, alright…” he swallowed. “It started with a vision.”</p>
<p>Everything he was about to tell Kenma was true. Except he was going to tell it to him as if it were a dream, a prophecy that Hēishān granted that had never happened. Kenma didn’t have to see or hear the heart-wrenching screams of their friend as he discovered his lover was dead. He didn’t have to experience the guilt of knowing there was every opportunity to stop the battle. He didn’t have to know that Hinata had inadvertently caused the death of his best friend.</p>
<p>“Hēishān wanted to warn me.” He stated. “He…He seemed to know that the southern armies weren’t going to be enough to win. And he said that there were others who’d rally if a call was made, if they knew what was at stake.” Hinata kept hold of Kenma’s hands, focusing his gaze on the soft knuckles of the other. “He kept telling me that five parties were needed, that we couldn’t win without them.”</p>
<p>Kenma nodded along, taking in everything he said. “So that’s why you were so adamant to find the white dog.” He whispered.</p>
<p>“Yeah.” Hinata weakly smiled. “But it’s what Hēishān showed me to…to convince me.” He inhaled a shaky breath. “He showed me what would happen if I didn’t succeed. If I failed to unite everyone.”</p>
<p>“And what happened?”</p>
<p>Hinata tried to swallow the lump in his throat. Countless days had passed since he saw Kuroo die but the memory was fresh as Akaashi had dragged it forth only a short while ago. He winced. “People died. People…People we care about.”</p>
<p>Kenma nodded. “Can you tell me who?”</p>
<p>Hinata considered saying no, but really that would just put him back to when he promised he’d tell Kenma everything. As much as Akaashi’s words had stung, he was right when he said they should always honour promises made to friends.</p>
<p>“Iwaizumi and…” He glanced up, Kenma’s golden eyes were kind, understanding just as Hinata remembered them to be. He felt safe with Kenma, he always had done. “Kuroo.”</p>
<p>There was a pause as Kenma processed what he was just told. Hinata had expected something akin to grief, but Kenma merely nodded. Maybe it was the idea that all this was a vision, that it hadn’t happened, that stopped Kenma reacting so strongly. “So Hēishān predicted two of the strongest people you know would die.”</p>
<p>Hinata nodded. “And…what would happen after.” He let out a sigh. “Tooru would be distraught and the southern kingdom would fall into chaos, Takeshi would press for another invasion and Tooru would …he would’ve willingly died just to be with Iwaizumi again.”</p>
<p>“And what of us?”</p>
<p>Hinata shook his head. Answering these questions made the memories come back, the feelings that were associated with them hitting him in the gut like a sucker punch. “It was horrible. Akaashi was broken. The Brotherhood felt broken.” He let out a weak sob. “I didn’t, I didn’t know what to do!” Kenma gave him a slightly puzzled look as he continued. “Hēishān told me I had to stop it, that I was the only one who could do it. Only I could unite all five parties.”</p>
<p>“And you did.” Kenma’s hands came up to cup Hinata’s face, thumbs rubbing over tear-stained cheeks. “And you <em>did</em>.”</p>
<p>“But it cost so much.” Hinata breathed.</p>
<p>“Cost?”</p>
<p>He nodded in Kenma’s hold. “It wasn’t enough was it? Uniting the five parties only bought time. It didn’t win the battle…what won the battle was <em>me</em> summoning Hēishān.”</p>
<p>There was a small smile. “Yeah,” Kenma regarded him with a look of adoration, “how <em>did</em> you manage that?”</p>
<p>He mirrored the smile through the tears. “That tablet in the vault? Yeah Inuoka was right, it can summon great power…when I threw myself into the volcano, Hēishān’s spirit met me. That was where I made my pact, the pact that would bring him to the battle and save everyone.”</p>
<p>“You…threw yourself into a volcano.” Kenma repeated. “Shoyo,” a bubbly laugh broke the tension in the room, “Shoyo what the actual fuck?”</p>
<p>Hinata felt relief wash over him as Kenma laughed some more. It seemed ridiculous by all accounts, but Kenma wasn’t surprised really. <em>Hinata</em> was ridiculous and that was just the way he liked it. He was starting to get a better idea of the whole picture, between Hēishān showing Hinata prophecies of friends dying and the kingdoms collapsing, it seemed like Hinata was left with only one option to avoid it. Such option had led them to this point.</p>
<p>“So you became House Kageyama’s guardian to save Kuroo and Iwaizumi.” Kenma summarised after he finished laughing at the sheer absurdity of it all.</p>
<p>When simply put, it felt like such a small feat, yet it had felt so long-winded. Hinata nodded slowly. “Yeah, and now look where we are; me and Inuoka are wanted, you and Noya probably not far behind…”</p>
<p>“But Kuroo and Iwaizumi are alive.” Kenma stated, his smile not faltering. “Shoyo, you realise this completely disproves Keiji’s accusation that you abandoned the Brotherhood. If anything, you’ve done more for him than he knows.”</p>
<p>“But he can’t know!” Hinata blurted out. “I mean, no-one is supposed to know. Hēishān made it clear that no-one should know what I saw, that it was all…it was all a past that— a past that <em>shouldn</em><em>’t happen</em>.” He ran a hand through his hair as he tried to make his words fall in the right order. “But I made a promise to you, and I…I wanted to make sure I didn’t break it.”</p>
<p>Kenma blinked slowly before nodding. “I understand.” He abruptly leaned forward and pulled Hinata into the tightest hug he’d had in a while. “And thank-you. Thank-you for telling me but most of all,” he pulled back enough to press his forehead to Hinata’s, “thank-you for saving him, despite the trouble you’ve put yourself in for it and that no-one else will know what could’ve happened, know that I am eternally grateful for it.”</p>
<p>Hinata wrapped his arms around Kenma. Whilst a heavy weight felt lifted from his shoulders, he knew that this was just a false relief. He could let Kenma think he knew the truth, the reality would be too hard to explain. Hinata didn’t want to know what would happen if he told Kenma everything. That was one consequence he didn’t want to know.</p>
<p>“Are you still mad at me?” Hinata breathed.</p>
<p>“Mad? I was never mad.” Kenma whispered in return. “I just…worried about you, like I always do.”</p>
<p>“Worried?”</p>
<p>Kenma took hold of Hinata’s hand, the one with the Kageyama ring on it to be specific. “This,” he gestured to the silver band, “this worries me.”</p>
<p>“Why?”</p>
<p>“Because are you sure you’re doing this for the right reason? Sworn protector or not, pretending to be Tobio’s partner is a heavy ask of anyone.” He placed a thumb over the silver band. “What happens after? What happens when you return to the south? The people will know, they will know that you and Tobio presented yourselves as lovers to the empire and I don’t know about you, but I think Tobio would hate the idea of lying to his own people.” He squeezed Hinata’s hand. “Shoyo, answer me honestly, is there something else going on here?”</p>
<p>Hinata closed his hand around Kenma’s. “Maybe.”</p>
<p>Kenma drew back a little, just enough to get a full look at Hinata’s face. “Maybe?”</p>
<p>“I-I don’t know.”</p>
<p>“What makes you uncertain?”</p>
<p>Lots of things made Hinata uncertain. Most of all was the idea that Tobio would have such intimate feelings for him, then it was the idea that he’d throw the political scene into chaos over it. Tooru was very public about his love for Iwaizumi but even he hadn’t <em>officially</em> committed to the other, it was a poorly kept secret at this point. Tobio was different of course, but he still had the same pressures facing him.</p>
<p>“It’s…It’s weird to talk about.” He turned the ring around on his finger. “He doesn’t really give me any solid ideas if this is all for an act or…more.”</p>
<p>“Have you asked?”</p>
<p>“K-Kind of…but he just said it had to be realistic to work.” He pouted, making Kenma laugh slightly.</p>
<p>“I’ll admit, he seems very fond of you. And you can’t ignore how he’s done all of this,” he gestured to the room, “to try and get your and Inuoka pardoned. He’s very forthright with his desire here.”</p>
<p>“And then there’s the dancing.”</p>
<p>Kenma blinked. “Dancing?”</p>
<p>Hinata’s face flushed red. “I…so uh…” he went on to explain the early morning dancing he and Tobio had done in the taverns on the way to Hinode. He babbled about the weird feelings he felt as Tobio had held him close and spun him around and around, the way Tobio’s expression softened in those few moments they had alone together.</p>
<p>“You sound like Kuro.” Kenma remarked. “Before he confessed to Keiji.”</p>
<p>Hinata startled at the remark. “Wha?!”</p>
<p>Kenma chuckled. “He had the same look in his eyes when he described being alone with Keiji on jobs and in taverns, the admiration for the other in anything he did…yeah.” He smiled fondly. “You’re not all too different.”</p>
<p>“Gr-Great?”</p>
<p>Kenma playfully poked his forehead. “<em>I</em> think you’re rather fond of Tobio, and that maybe you agreed to this consort plan as a way to try and be closer to him.”</p>
<p>Hinata pouted. “I agreed to this plan because it seemed safer than going ‘hey I’m that mage you want arrested’.”</p>
<p>“Yes because going ‘hey I’m that mage you want arrested but I’m also basically married to the king so good luck arresting me’ is such a greater idea.” Kenma smugly remarked before shrugging. “We’ll figure it out, because you know what? You have us, and we’ll have your back.”</p>
<p>“Because that’s what the Brotherhood is all about?”</p>
<p>Kenma nodded. “And once a brother, always a brother.”</p>
<p>Hinata pulled Kenma into another hug. His chest felt lighter as he sighed in content. There was one less thing he had to worry about finally, now he could properly focus on the task at hand, even if said task was made more complicated by his feelings.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Reassurances</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>IX</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Reassurances</strong>
</p>
<p>When Kiyoko and Kunimi eventually returned to the manor house, they were greeted with a slightly tense atmosphere. As they sat in the main parlour Suga seemed irritated, as he kept rubbing his forehead and only really half-listening to their new information on the city. Kiyoko let Kunimi finish telling Suga about the ‘crazy woman’ they had met and how Ushijima wouldn’t come into the manor even when invited. She watched Suga’s thoughtful expression remain even as Kunimi stopped talking.</p>
<p>“So, yeah.” Kunimi uttered after a few moments of silence. “Thoughts?”</p>
<p>Suga snapped out of his thoughts. “Hm? Oh, uh…well, I guess we’ll just wait on this ball to happen and take it from there.”</p>
<p>“You don’t want to look around the city at all?”  Kunimi asked. “Not even a little?”</p>
<p>Suga shrugged. “We shouldn’t stretch ourselves too thin right now, we need to stay together.”</p>
<p>Kiyoko glanced over to where Suga’s idle gaze kept flicking to, Akaashi was sat alone scribbling something on a piece of parchment. He too was wearing a look of slight irritation. She deduced something had happened whilst they were gone but it was obvious Suga didn’t want to talk about it. Not so openly anyway.</p>
<p>“Say,” she spoke up, “what do you say we check on the horses?”</p>
<p>He met her gaze with a slight smile. “I’m sure they’re well cared for.”</p>
<p>She rose to her feet. “Koushi, let’s go and check on them.” She reiterated, offering him her hand. He seemed to understand her intention and took it, standing up and letting her lead him out of the manor. She kept hold of his hand as they walked around the outside of the building to the stables where all the horses had been put in stalls. It was a familiar environment in a way with familiar faces of Hotaru and Amaya greeting them with interest.</p>
<p>“I know what you’re doing.” Suga remarked, still holding her hand.</p>
<p>“Yeah?” She gave him a knowing smile. “Then what am I doing?”</p>
<p>“You’re getting me away from everyone else so you can ask me what’s bugging me, and I’ll end up telling you because you won’t accept ‘I’m fine’ as an answer.” He shrugged.</p>
<p>She pretended to be amazed at this reading, bringing her free hand up to her chest in fake shock. “Oh wow, are you sure you’re not an empath mage like Keiji?”</p>
<p>He chuckled. “Remember who you’re talking to.”</p>
<p>“The calm in the eye of the storm.” She turned to face him fully, dropping the slight comedic act and adopting her usual calm nature. “Who obviously has had the wind knocked out of his sails.”</p>
<p>He shrugged again. “Everyone’s a little stressed right now, it’s to be expected.”</p>
<p>“Koushi,” her tone was reminiscent of a mother calling out her child for cheeky behaviour, “don’t try to brush this off to me of all people.”</p>
<p>He rolled his eyes in a dramatic fashion before breathlessly laughing. “Yeah…you’ve always been able to tell when I’m playing it down.”</p>
<p>“So what is it?” She jumped straight into the topic, squeezing his hand in reassurance. “What happened?”</p>
<p>For a moment he shook his head before reconsidering. He told her how he heard Hinata and Akaashi arguing about something and then found Hinata more distressed than he’d ever seen whilst Akaashi just watched on. He described hauling Hinata upstairs whilst he was still wailing and hysterical at something Akaashi had said or done, then returning to Akaashi and hearing the most ridiculous reasonings come from the other.</p>
<p>“And so yeah, I have no idea what to do about it all.” Suga sighed, running his free hand through his hair. “Going to this ball in this current state seems like a disaster waiting to happen.”</p>
<p>“To be fair, most of our guild outings and plans tend to seem like disasters.” She giggled. “But I understand,” she squeezed his hand again, “have some faith in them.”</p>
<p>He appreciated her optimism, but it didn’t really alleviate his worries. “We don’t even know how this ball is gonna play out.” He sighed. “No-one knows what an empire ball is like.”</p>
<p>“So? It can’t be much different from the pageantry of House Oikawa.”</p>
<p>He nodded, still seeming unconvinced. “I’m scared.”</p>
<p>There was a pause as she regarded him with a curious look. “Scared of what?”</p>
<p>“Scared something’s not gonna go right, that this is some sort of trap…that we’re walking into one of the most dangerous situations we’ve ever faced.”</p>
<p>Kiyoko nodded as he listed off his worries. Seeing him so unsure of himself and their prospects of being successful didn’t sit well with her. It wasn’t the Suga she knew. Slowly, she reached out and took his other hand in hers, holding both of them between them as she met his gaze.</p>
<p>“Even if it’s not smooth sailing, we’ll make it through, you know we will.” She told him. “Because that’s what the Brotherhood does, we persevere through the shadows.”</p>
<p>He looked down at their hands, the slightest hint of pink dusting his cheeks as he glanced up at her again. As much as he was troubled by the day’s events, he didn’t want to wallow in them all day. For all he knew there was going to be more tension later if Akaashi didn’t wind his neck in, and that was without the idea that they needed to come up with a plan for the ball the following day.</p>
<p>He wanted a distraction, even if only for a few hours.</p>
<p>“You know, there’s probably certain conditions to being allowed into this ball, even as Tobio’s entourage.”</p>
<p>Curiosity piqued Kiyoko. “Yeah? Like what?”</p>
<p>He laughed nervously. “Like fancy clothes, the ability to dance, the willingness to partake in idle gossip.”</p>
<p>She snorted. “Your point?”</p>
<p>“We don’t have anything fancy with us and I’m going to take a random guess that the empire isn’t going to provide such things.”</p>
<p>She put two and two together. She wasn’t opposed to the idea in all honesty. “Are you proposing we go shopping?”</p>
<p>He shrugged. “I should probably get some fresh air, and away from the chaos that is our group.”</p>
<p>All things considered, it wasn’t a bad plan. “Alright, I’m sure Ushijima can point us in the right direction.”</p>
<p>He nodded, opening his mouth to say something but second-guessing himself. “I’ll meet you outside the manor in a short while then, I’ll just tell Yaku where we’re going and see if Tobio is willing to give us some coin for our trouble.”</p>
<p>“Alright, I’ll find Ushijima I guess.”</p>
<p>He slowly let go of her hands, offering her a small smile as he turned and left the stables. She waited until he was gone to smile to herself. That hadn’t gone exactly how she had imagined, but her hands felt warm and there was a strange nervous energy about her. Glancing to the stall next to her, Hotaru was watching her silently, tail swishing as she propped her head over the stall door in interest. She stroked the mare’s nose, humming softly as the comfortable silence filled the air.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Tobio heard out Suga’s proposition and agreed it was probably a good idea to have at least <em>something</em> more fancy than travelling clothes. He of course had brought some attire for the court but he couldn’t blame the Brotherhood for being caught unaware. He got Yamaguchi to hand over a bag of gold coins to at least help purchase something appropriate for those who were going to be obviously at the ball. The likes of Yaku and Kunimi could probably get away with their usual attire - assuming they weren’t caked in mud or the blood of their past victims of course - as would Asahi. So really, Suga just had to find a few pieces for the rest.</p>
<p>Once Suga had left, Tobio returned to his scribbled notes. Yamaguchi had asked around the serving staff of the manor about what to expect from the ball and most of them gave him helpful replies such as ‘there isn’t an official order of events so they could very well arrive in the middle of something’. And how the empress wasn’t due to show up until at least halfway through so the nobles could mingle without her presence distracting them. There was also the minor detail that it was an invitation-only ball but as everyone in the manor was with Tobio, they could all feasibly attend.</p>
<p>Tobio hummed as he read over some of the more superficial parts like what colours not to wear, how to address anyone of the nobility if you’re an outsider and so on. This was a headache, simply put. Dancing seemed to be a large part of the proceedings but he equally didn’t <em>have</em> to. It would just reflect poorly on him if he declined any offer no doubt. So he summoned Yamaguchi back to his chamber and asked what the rest of the party’s plan was. Yamaguchi shrugged, listing off how he was going to take charge of Inuoka, making sure no-one antagonised him, Asahi would stick close to Tobio but not overbearingly so. Yaku and Kunimi had already stated upfront how they intended to mingle with the guests and try to gain as much information as possible.</p>
<p>“And what of Akaashi and Kenma?” Tobio asked.</p>
<p>“Kenma will probably stick with me, I mean unless you want him with you? Akaashi is more of a rogue agent.” Yamaguchi replied without much hesitation. “Even if we gave him orders, I can foresee him acting on his own terms anyway.”</p>
<p>Tobio nodded. “I suppose Suga and Kiyoko will be posing as advisers?”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi allowed a small wry smile. “Well, yes and no. I feel like they might do better to pose as guests of yours, nobles maybe? They can act the part for sure and no-one up here really knows how you run your kingdom so who’s to say that you don’t have nobles like Tooru?”</p>
<p>He thought it over. Suga and Kiyoko did seem to have a more regal feeling about them than the others. They could improvise pretty well and trusted each other.</p>
<p>“Alright, nobles it is then.” He nodded again. “And Shoyo will be with me.”</p>
<p>“Yes.” Yamaguchi’s smile didn’t falter. “As your…consort?”</p>
<p>Tobio’s cheeks flushed a rosy tint. “Yes.”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi had been privy to a few conversations between the Brotherhood in the last few hours. A lot of them were starting to question what the deal with the bond between Tobio and Hinata was. Truthfully, he was curious too, but he also knew that Tobio was the master of not being able to word any feelings other than irritation. Basically, this was going to be a long, <em>long</em>, process.</p>
<p>“And how far are you going to be playing this?”</p>
<p>Tobio wrinkled his nose. “What do you mean?”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi shrugged. “We don’t know how the empire feels about affectionate displays. They could be reserved or…” he let Tobio fill in the blank. “So, if it came down to it, would you?”</p>
<p>Tobio’s face was now red with embarrassment. Hands fidgeted in his lap as he picked at the corner of the parchment. “I-I…I guess.”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi folded his arms. “Tobio?”</p>
<p>“What?”</p>
<p>“I know I suggested it in the first place, but is there more to this than an act?”</p>
<p>“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Tobio stiffly replied though his red face didn’t help matters, “he’s a sworn protector of House Kageyama and is willing to do whatever it takes.”</p>
<p>“That’s not what I asked, Tobio.” Yamaguchi took a step forward, leaning over so he was that much closer to him. “Sworn protector or not, acting as your consort in front of the <em>empire</em> is rather extreme, especially when this is really all for a chance to get himself pardoned?”</p>
<p>Tobio’s stubborn nature wasn’t doing him many favours. “So? He wants his freedom, and he feels responsible for landing Sou in this mess too.”</p>
<p>“Are you sure that’s all he wants? And all <em>you</em> want?”</p>
<p>“Are you accusing me of something?”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi snorted. “I like to think I know you better than most, Tobio. And I can see that you care a great deal for him. Why else would you have marched all the way up here to challenge a leader you’ve never met? We just won a fucking Battle of the Dynasty and you immediately set off to fix another problem.”</p>
<p>“Tooru would’ve done the same in my position I’m sure.”</p>
<p>“Sure,” Yamaguchi nodded, smiling coyly, “for Iwaizumi of course.”</p>
<p>“Tadashi—”</p>
<p>“No,” Yamaguchi shook his head, “Tobio you can’t lie to me,” he stepped closer and lowered his voice a little, “you have feelings for him, don’t you?”</p>
<p>“D-Don’t be…” Tobio trailed off, Yamaguchi’s smile spoke volumes. No matter what he said now, Yamaguchi wouldn’t believe it. “That’s not important right now.”</p>
<p>The other shook his head again. “If you say so.”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi dropped the subject, instead stating he’d enquire about when supper would be served and let Tobio know in due course. As he was left alone, Tobio sighed heavily. The more he was questioned about this act, the more he was starting to wonder if it was really worth it. He wasn’t even sure how he was going to <em>talk</em> to the empress, let alone argue that the treaty was all nonsense.</p>
<p>He decided he needed to focus on the ball first and foremost. There would certainly be no talks being held during such a lavish event, he could afford to relax a little and take in the situation at hand. He’d have Suga and the others scouting ahead as well, if all went smoothly, he could call a meeting and get a lie of the land way before any official audiences with her majesty.</p>
<p>And then he just had to not fuck it up, for Hinata and Inuoka’s sakes.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>By the end of their first day in Hinode, Daichi and Kuroo already had a few ideas on how to get to the ball. One was simply forging an invitation they could easily lift from a noble with well-practised skills. The other, slightly more ambitious, idea was to try and get their newly formed bard troupe to perform at the ball. Moniwa and Semi were united in wondering what the hell they were thinking as Kuroo strode up to a rather official-looking man in the uptown district.</p>
<p>“There is no way that he’s gonna hire you at this short notice.” Semi uttered as Bokuto watched on.</p>
<p>“It’s the imperial capital,” Bokuto shrugged, “a load of dancing fools from the south wanna perform for their entertainment, I can’t imagine they’d turn us down!”</p>
<p>“Besides,” Nishinoya remarked, “we have a lion.”</p>
<p>“A very stupid lion.” Semi sighed, watching as Lev tugged on the rope harness currently being held by Kindaichi.</p>
<p>There were a few raised voices from where Kuroo was talking to the other man, nothing indicated it was going poorly yet. Daichi was trying to read the other’s posture; head tilted to the side in curiosity, arms folded across his chest in apprehension, yet he wasn’t telling Kuroo to fuck off. They waited for a while as Kuroo continued talking to him, when finally they started walking over.</p>
<p>“Guys, this is the guy in charge of the entertainment for the ball,” Kuroo introduced them, he then turned to the gentleman in question, “and this is my bard troupe; The Greatest Guild.”</p>
<p>Semi and Moniwa shared a glance at the rather shit name. It wasn’t commented on as the gentleman took an interest in Lev. Lev let the stranger gawk at him like he was some sort of freak. They waited with bated breath as he straightened his posture and hummed loudly, stroking his impressive beard in thought.</p>
<p>“Alright,” he said to Kuroo, “you got yourselves a gig.” He nodded. “I’m sure the court will <em>adore</em> your little lion act.”</p>
<p>Kuroo grinned, extending his hand. “Great! Now, let’s talk payment and details?”</p>
<p>Even if Kuroo seemed a little forward, the gentlemen nodded and ushered him to follow. Semi almost couldn’t believe it had been that easy, but then again this was Kuroo who was sorting this out. Though it did prompt a few questions.</p>
<p>“So, are we all being dragged into this?” Tanaka asked. “Or just a few of us?”</p>
<p>Daichi shrugged. “I’m sure Kuroo will have it under control.”</p>
<p>It would turn out that Kuroo was a very good negotiator. He would agree with the fine gentleman that two of their little group would perform individually as warm-ups before Lev would be the main entertainment. Nishinoya’s elemental magic tricks would be a marvel to behold alongside Lev’s tricks and Bokuto’s juggling antics. Kuroo wasn’t sure how it was all going to play out, but those who he hadn’t mentioned would get honorary invitations as long as they dressed for the ball appropriately.</p>
<p>When he explained all of this that evening in the tavern, Daichi had to admit he was impressed with him. Of course, it left them with a few problems, like finding suitable attire at short notice and actually having a routine sorted. Kuroo brushed it all aside, stating that they could figure it out in the morning. So for the rest of the evening, they played cards together and drank more than enough ale to convince themselves that this wasn’t a terrible plan. As the night went on, they began to retire to their rooms in the tavern. Lev followed Nishinoya upstairs and left Kuroo sat with Semi still playing cards. The two of them had shared a few laughs over a tankard of ale before deciding to begin to get accustomed to the capital’s finest wine ahead of their dance with the nobility.</p>
<p>“So, riddle me this Tetsurou,” Semi picked up the daintier glass that the wine was served in, “why are you so…enthusiastic about this empire nonsense?”</p>
<p>“Oho?” Kuroo shuffled the deck of cards ready for their next game. “Can’t I be excited for something?”</p>
<p>Semi snorted into the glass, draining the sweet drink and grimacing at the sharp taste. “Well, you don’t stand to gain anything from this entire charade.” He set the glass down. “So what’s at stake here for you?”</p>
<p>Kuroo began dealing cards between them. “Nothing personally, but the Brotherhood has a lot at stake.”</p>
<p>“Yeah?” Semi nodded over to a serving girl who approached and took his empty glass away to be refilled. “Like?”</p>
<p>Kuroo set the remaining cards down and picked up his dealt hand. “Mages. Four of them to be specific.”</p>
<p>Semi picked up his hand and examined the cards. “Four, I thought Inuoka was House Kageyama’s?”</p>
<p>Kuroo nodded. “I wasn’t referring to him.” The first card was laid down and the game was afoot. “Keiji’s an empath mage.”</p>
<p>Semi raised his eyebrows as his new drink was delivered with a sweet smile. “Huh, an empath mage.”</p>
<p>“You sound underwhelmed.”</p>
<p>“I wasn’t expecting it.” Semi discarded a card and drew a fresh one.</p>
<p>“Yeah? Why?” Kuroo asked.</p>
<p>He shrugged, pausing to take a sip. “This wine is fucking…weird.” He wrinkled his nose as Kuroo drew a fresh card. “And I wasn’t expecting it because he’s very unassuming.”</p>
<p>Kuroo chuckled. “He doesn’t use his powers much.” He discarded a card.</p>
<p>“I can tell.” Semi nodded, taking another sip. “So, the mages are…mages. So you’re doing all this for what? I highly doubt her majesty will listen to a bunch of lunatics.”</p>
<p>“Who said anything about her listening to us?” Kuroo raised an eyebrow. “Her audience is with Tobio, not us.”</p>
<p>“So why—”</p>
<p>“Tobio is young, foolish sometimes.” Kuroo cut in, picking a new card and frowning slightly. “He doesn’t know anything about this empire, about the politics and so on. He’s only one person and he’s got enough to worry about.” He paused to take a sip of his own drink. “Whereas us, we’re unknown for the most part.”</p>
<p>“Unknown.” Semi repeated as he set another card down. “Are you sure?”</p>
<p>Kuroo shrugged. “We haven’t got a light on us like Tobio has. And we’re used to…” he chose his words carefully as he considered the cards in his hand. “We can acquire information quite well. Lying through our teeth has always been a unique skill.”</p>
<p>Semi snorted. “Yeah.” He smirked as he watched Kuroo’s eyebrows knit together in thought. “Pity your card game skills are lacklustre.”</p>
<p>Kuroo shook his head, glancing up at Semi before rolling his eyes. “You always were better than me.” He snorted, throwing down his hand.</p>
<p>Semi’s smirk grew as he carefully laid down his hand. He picked up his drink and took a generous sip, leaning forward on the table as he savoured the taste of both victory and the wine he was warming up to. “In any case, whilst the duo of lunatics performs, what do the rest of us do?”</p>
<p>Kuroo picked up his glass and swirled the wine around. “Get drunk and bed a noblewoman?” He offered, watching Semi snort into his glass again. “I’m not even joking, there was this one time that Tanaka used a tactic in Kitamine.”</p>
<p>“Uh-huh, somehow I doubt a noblewoman would wanna sleep with the likes of us.”</p>
<p>“You never know.” Kuroo shrugged. “But if that doesn’t appeal, you can always just sample the wine…and keep your eyes and ears open.”</p>
<p>“Open for <em>what</em>.”</p>
<p>Kuroo drained his glass and set it down. “Anything that might give Tobio a faint idea of how to handle this situation. Names of those who support mages, details on how the treaties were written, influential figures.” He listed off. “Even any indication that the empress herself might be sympathetic.”</p>
<p>Semi nodded, finishing off his drink. “Well, I guess we better get some sleep, someone has to go out and find the ‘appropriate attire’ for a ball, whatever the fuck that is.”</p>
<p>Kuroo laughed. “Fancy clothes Eita, think feathers and gemstones.”</p>
<p>“I am <em>not</em> wearing feathers.”</p>
<p>“Why not, I think you’d look rather fetching.” Kuroo winked.</p>
<p>Semi pouted, unable to keep a serious face for long as Kuroo just smugly grinned at him. “Whatever you big dumbass,” he rose from his seat, “I’ll catch you tomorrow.”</p>
<p>Kuroo nodded, collecting up the cards on the table as Semi excused himself. The interaction had reminded him how well the two of them got along and almost made him feel like reminiscing about their past. He stopped himself though, digging up their time in the Blue Serpents was not going to help them currently, and he wasn’t even sure if he wanted to reopen old wounds.</p>
<p>For now, at least, he and Semi seemed to be on good terms, and he wanted to keep it that way.</p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Welcome To The Masquerade</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>X</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Welcome to the Masquerade</strong>
</p>
<p>The night could not come soon enough for Tobio. He faced more questioning glances from Yamaguchi over supper as most of them ate together. The topic of conversation was focused on the ball the next night and all the different things that could happen. Ushijima and Aone joined them for supper though it was the former who spoke, the latter remained silent as he always did. Once everyone had eaten enough, Tobio returned to his chambers immediately, citing he was too tired to really socialise. Most accepted that he had a big day ahead of him and left him alone.</p>
<p>Most of them that was, except Hinata of course.</p>
<p>It had kind of become an assumption that he would share a bed with Tobio that night, even if he didn’t know this himself. As he knocked on the door of the other’s chambers, he wondered if Tobio was reconsidering this entire plan of theirs.</p>
<p>“Enter.” Tobio’s soft voice called to him.</p>
<p>Silently he slipped inside, closing the door behind him. Their room was small but it merely felt that way due to the large bed set in an oak frame that took up most of the floor space. Tobio was sat in the middle of the bed already in his nightshirt and reading over some notes that had been handed to him by Asahi.</p>
<p>“Hey.” He greeted as Tobio glanced up and smiled slightly. “You’re here early.”</p>
<p>Tobio shrugged. “I figured it would do me some good to get some sleep, I doubt we’ll be able to practice our dancing tomorrow.”</p>
<p>Hinata let out a nervous laugh, he wasn’t sure if he was meant to be happy about that or not. “I guess not, but I think we’ll be good, great even!”</p>
<p>The optimism in his voice made Tobio’s smile grow a little as his eyes scanned the words on the parchment. Not sure what else to do, Hinata slowly approached the bed and sat down next to him, glancing at the notes for himself. They were mainly on the plan for the ball; how each person had their own role to play and how Asahi himself would ensure Tobio wasn’t left vulnerable to attack.</p>
<p>“So, nervous?” Hinata asked, trying to break the awkward feeling in the air.</p>
<p>“Sort of.” Tobio replied, flipping over the parchment. “But I’m confident.”</p>
<p>“Why?”</p>
<p>“Because it’s my job to be confident.” Tobio snorted. “Kings have to be confident in the face of adversity.”</p>
<p>Hinata pouted slightly. “Okay, how are you confident? What’s…what’s your secret?”</p>
<p>Tobio set down the parchment and gave Hinata an almost puzzled look. He took a few moments to toss the pile of papers to one side and turn to face the other. “Don’t you remember what I told you on that roof?”</p>
<p>Hinata blinked. The statement sounded so vague yet it immediately took him back to the cold season, the lavish event that Tobu Misaki-Mura had put on to celebrate their king’s birthday. The same event that Tobio had ended up sat on the roof of all places with Hinata. “You said that when I’m with you, you feel invincible.”</p>
<p>“Exactly.” Tobio laughed breathlessly. “And you’re going to be with me tomorrow night, right?”</p>
<p>“Well yeah,” Hinata pouted, “why wouldn’t I be? It’s not like you’re arguing for my innocence or anything…”</p>
<p>“That’s not for at least another day,” Tobio pointed out, taking Hinata’s hand, “tomorrow night is about gestures, about appearance, about showing off what we have.”</p>
<p>“…what <em>do</em> we have?”</p>
<p>The question hadn’t meant to feel so loaded. Hinata felt far too close to Tobio to deal with this answer as he felt the other squeeze his hand. Everything felt too confusing still, too conflicting. As pure as feelings might be, there was too much going on to pin down anything. Tobio seemed to understand this as he shrugged, tearing his gaze away.</p>
<p>“A close bond,” he answered, “a pact between you and the spirits.”</p>
<p>Hinata let out a small sigh. Relief was the main emotion felt but he also felt a pang of something akin to rejection. He wasn’t sure what to make of it. “Yeah, yeah…”</p>
<p>The silence that fell seemed heavier than normal. Tobio let go of Hinata’s hand and picked up the papers again to resume reading over them, seemingly done with the conversation. Hinata hugged his knees to his chest as he watched the other read in silence. It was an odd kind of silence as they sat there barely inches apart but not able to meet each other’s gaze. It felt like there was this unspoken thing they wanted to address and ignore at the same time.</p>
<p>It would have to remain unspoken at least until after the ball. There was no way Tobio could handle more things to deal with on top of it all. Hinata found himself becoming sleepy as Tobio continued flicking through notes and humming in thought every now and then.</p>
<p>By the time Tobio finished reading all he needed to, he glanced beside him to find Hinata already asleep, still hugging his knees to his chest. He snorted slightly and shook his head as he set the notes aside properly this time. The candles that had been illuminating the room were close to burning out by themselves so he decided to leave them burning as he set about trying to move Hinata under the blankets at the very least.</p>
<p>For someone so small, Hinata was hard to move without waking up. Tobio found himself sighing heavily as he finally laid down himself, Hinata was fast asleep next to him having not made a sound of stirring in the process. He lay there thinking over what a hectic day he had in store for himself before remembering he wasn’t the only one who had to endure it. Glancing over in the dim glow of the candlelight, Hinata’s soft sleeping expression reminded him of the first night they shared a bed, the nervous energy that had been in the air for something so simple and innocent.</p>
<p>For all the shit they’d been through, Hinata still seemed so innocent to him. He decided he liked that about him, there was something nice about having someone who was so innocently optimistic about everything, prepared to ask the dumb questions and think the best of people he’d never met. Someone who <em>only</em> saw the good in some people.</p>
<p>He found himself smiling at the thought as he pulled up the blanket around him and allowed sleep to claim him.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p> When the carriage pulled up to the manor house, there were a few raised eyebrows. It wasn’t surprising per se to the group that the empress would send carriages for them, but it was almost unexpected how grand they were; pulled by two white horses, the carriage itself was made from a dark oak that seemed to shine in the early evening light. Gold embellishments appeared to sparkle as the footmen stood ready to escort their guests into the carriages.</p>
<p>“So we go in two parties.” Ushijima turned to Tobio as the other stood at the window. “I’ll accompany Suga, Kiyoko and Akaashi ahead of you. You’ll be sent for when her Imperial Majesty has arrived.”</p>
<p>“Aone accompanying us then?” Tobio clarified.</p>
<p>“Yes.” Ushijima glanced around to see if the others were ready to go. Suga was already stood at the foot of the staircase wearing the smart jacket he had purchased the previous day, the dark leather contrasted well with his pale skin and silvery hair. Akaashi was stood beside him in a similar jacket but looking slightly more disinterested.</p>
<p>“Where’s Kiyoko?” Tobio asked him.</p>
<p>“She should be down shortly.” He shrugged, glancing up the staircase, “I think one of the maids was helping with the fastenings on her dress.”</p>
<p>Tobio nodded. “And you both know what your role is?”</p>
<p>“Nobility of House Kageyama, accompanying you north in order to better our family’s reputation and make contacts.” Suga recited. “And our family deals in shipbuilding.”</p>
<p>Akaashi snorted. “God help us all if they question you two.” He remarked with a slight smile.</p>
<p>Suga returned the smile. “Well, let’s hope they don’t?”</p>
<p>There was a shared chuckle between them before footsteps on the staircase distracted them. As someone who usually wore tracking gear or armour, Kiyoko wasn’t overly used to being in ball gowns, however she was far from uncomfortable as the free-flowing silk moved as she descended the stairs. Her hair was swept up in a bun, pinned back with an ornate golden clip. Her dress stopped just before it touched the floor, light blue silk was embellished with silver flowers. A lace shawl covered her shoulders where were dress sleeves did not.</p>
<p>“Ah, milady.” Suga bowed his head in greeting as she descended the stairs.</p>
<p>She smiled in return, accepting his hand as he offered it to her upon her reaching the bottom step. “Is everyone ready?”</p>
<p>Ushijima nodded. The large oak doors were opened to reveal the carriage seen from the window. Akaashi went first, caring little about the protocols of leaving a house. Suga led Kiyoko by the hand to the waiting carriage, the footman nodding in greeting before helping Kiyoko up into the carriage. Once the three of them were seated, Ushijima was quick to join them. He brought with him a package that he only opened once the carriage had started moving. Pushing aside the thin cotton within, he revealed three ornate masks, each of them different in their embellishments of tiny gemstones around the eye holes but all similar in dark colouring.</p>
<p>“What...are those for?” Kiyoko asked.</p>
<p>Ushijima offered them to each of them. “A requirement of the ball, masks. The nobility like to do dealings without necessarily knowing who they’re talking to. Adds to the excitement apparently.”</p>
<p>“More like adds to the scandals that erupt.” Akaashi snorted, taking a mask and tying the silk ribbon behind his head to secure the mask to his face.</p>
<p>Ushijima waited for Suga and Kiyoko to take masks before continuing. “It would be good to familiarise yourselves with each other’s masks and attire.”</p>
<p>Kiyoko selected the more delicate of the two remaining masks, golden gems circled her eyes and continued down to frame her cheekbones, the rest of the mask was a deep blue colour that seemed to shimmer under the fading light of day. Suga’s mask mirrored hers in colour, with silver gems instead of golden. Both masks halted just below the rise of their cheekbones, leaving their lower faces exposed.</p>
<p>“Now you all look the part.” Ushijima nodded, setting the box aside. “As for when we arrive, you’ll be shown into the palace and then allowed to mingle with other guests. There are no rules of engagement, you may talk to whoever you wish.”</p>
<p>They shared a nod. Suga flashed Kiyoko a smile as the carriage moved over the cobblestone streets. Glancing out the windows, they could see people in masks walking in the direction of the palace they yet to set their eyes on.</p>
<p>“So, what is actually our goal here?” Akaashi asked. “Just to mingle?”</p>
<p>“I think,” Kiyoko murmured, “we should try and find out how the people feel about mages and the treaties.”</p>
<p>“Agreed, it might be in our interest to know these things before any formal talks take place.” Suga nodded.</p>
<p>Akaashi didn’t seem entirely convinced but nodded in agreement.</p>
<p>The carriage began to slow, signalling they had arrived in the imperial quarter at the very least. Their first glimpse of the palace revealed a large square building with large spires climbing into the sky. A set of double doors were held open to allow guests to arrive. White stone made up most of the structure with large glass windows allowing in the natural light in. From within the palace, large flaming torches illuminated the cavernous rooms, giving off the impression of grandeur.</p>
<p>The carriage halted at the foot of the steps. Ushijima waited for the door to open before climbing out ahead of them, gesturing for Akaashi to follow him first. Suga took a moment to take Kiyoko’s hand and give it a reassuring squeeze.</p>
<p>“Ready?” He murmured as Akaashi slowly disembarked from the carriage.</p>
<p>“As ready as I’ll ever be.” She replied with a small smile. “Let’s go.”</p>
<p>He kept hold of her hand as he stepped down onto the rug that had been laid for their arrival. He helped her out of the carriage into the loud sounds of horses and turning carriages. Guards were positioned at the doors to the palace but with Ushijima’s escort, they were allowed in without having to produce any sort of invitation.</p>
<p>Once inside the palace, the cavernous room opened up to them, it may have only been the grand hallway, but it felt twice the size of any banquet halls they had been in with large colourful rugs covering much of the marble flooring, large oil paintings hung on the tall walls depicting colourful sunsets and past leaders of the imperial family. They quickly walked through the hallway, Suga let go of Kiyoko’s hand and offered her his arm instead as he saw many other gentlemen doing, falling into step with her easily enough as Akaashi walked on her other side. The trio followed Ushijima through another set of doors into an even bigger room.</p>
<p>Marble statues decorated the walkways that led to either side of the sunken dance floor. Chandeliers hung over it either side of a domed stained-glass roof, candles were alight along with stone pedestals that held braziers. There were nobles everywhere, servants dashed between them with trays of drinks and lavish snacks. Two doors led outside to what appeared to be walkways decorated with hanging lanterns amongst plants and fountains. It was bustling with excitable guests as a harpist played soft music, filling the air with strumming strings. It was a relaxed atmosphere if one forgot about the power held by those present.</p>
<p>“Her Imperial majesty will be here soon, you’ll know when she’s arrived.” Ushijima told them. “And then Tobio will be sent for. So until then, have fun.” He bowed his head. “I will be nearby if you need me. Don’t hesitate to ask.”</p>
<p>Suga nodded in thanks. “Very well.”</p>
<p>Akaashi was already eyeing up a tray of drinks heading towards them. Kiyoko glanced around at the colourful array of both masks and dresses. Many of the ladies wore elaborate layers of fabric with accompanying hats and accessories. The masks were equally elaborate, some took up entire faces, others extended out beyond the face with plums of feathers and flowers. It was evident that Ushijima had picked fairly low-key masks so as not to draw too much attention to them.</p>
<p>“So,” She murmured to Suga, “I guess we ought to start mingling?”</p>
<p>Akaashi accepted a drink from a serving boy, taking a sip and immediately grimacing slightly at the sweetness. “Oh boy, this is gonna floor some of the others.”</p>
<p>“Drunk assassins, what could possibly go wrong?” Suga remarked.</p>
<p>Akaashi raised an eyebrow behind his mask as if to question Suga’s sanity. “A lot.”</p>
<p>They then parted ways, Akaashi going off alone to seek out someone to low-key interrogate about any manner of things. Suga and Kiyoko continued arm in arm, walking slowly towards a group of couples that seemed less boisterous than others. As they approached, they were greeted with nods and polite hellos before the conversation from before was resumed.</p>
<p>“So, this entire ball has been thrown because a young king is visiting her majesty.” One woman with a white mask exclaimed, gripping her partner’s arm in excitement. “I wonder if he intends to try and woo her?”</p>
<p>“Oh that would be exciting!” another woman, this one wearing a deep red mask replied, splaying a hand against her chest. “If he tries to woo her that is, but I wonder if she’d be able to refuse? Would she refuse? I certainly wouldn’t refuse a king propositioning me.”</p>
<p>“Puh,” a man uttered, his green mask decorated with red stones, “an empress being approached by a lowly king? I’ve not even heard of him having great deeds under his belt.”</p>
<p>Suga decided to chip in. “I have, I mean I may be slightly biased, but I’ve heard a great deal.”</p>
<p>All attention was on him as he smiled. The white-masked woman seemed intrigued as she looked at them both. “Ah, are you perhaps visitors too?”</p>
<p>Kiyoko nodded. “We’re from the south, yes, just happened to be visiting at the same time as King Tobio.”</p>
<p>“Really?” The second woman replied. “What’s he like? Is he handsome?”</p>
<p>Suga chuckled glancing at Kiyoko. “What do you say? Is he?”</p>
<p>Kiyoko swatted at Suga playfully as she played into the act, “Oh hush, besides, he’s younger than me.” She turned back to the noblewoman. “I’d say he’s got a boyish youth about him, he’ll grow into a fine-looking man. Any woman who catches his eye will be lucky to have him.”</p>
<p>“Ooh, her majesty is also young. Maybe it’ll be a set up by the gods!”</p>
<p>There was a shared murmur of excitement by the women, clearly the idea of Tobio trying to woo this empress was a common thought. Suga turned to the man who had voiced his doubts. “You think he’s got no chance?”</p>
<p>The other male shrugged. “I mean, he’s not exactly well known up here.”</p>
<p>“Is that an issue?”</p>
<p>A serving boy interrupted the flow of conversation with an offer of drinks, once everyone had a glass in hand, the other man replied.</p>
<p>“It’s more of a hierarchy thing I’d say.” He explained. “He’s a king, she’s an empress, she’s got far more at stake in marrying him than he has to gain from marrying her. She has centuries of her family’s legacy to uphold, he just wishes to elevate his family name.”</p>
<p>Suga took a sip of the drink, he could understand Akaashi’s reaction as the sweet sharp berry taste made him blink a few times. “Ah, I see where you’re coming from.” He nodded. “But maybe she’ll be charmed by his much simpler life in comparison? Dare I say, it may feel refreshing?”</p>
<p>He glanced at Kiyoko almost as if to ask if she felt the same. She smiled and nodded, picking up the flow of the conversation with ease. “Yeah, maybe the pressures of being such a public figure will sway her towards him? Similar experiences yet his much lower expectations may be refreshing. His kingdom is quite a simple one, he’s loved by his people and does his best to do right by them.”</p>
<p>There were nods of understanding from those gathered. The scarlet mask-wearing woman gestured to them both. “So, are you two together?”</p>
<p>Suga swallowed as Kiyoko tensed slightly. “Yeah,” he smiled, “been together a while.”</p>
<p>Kiyoko was unsure where this was going but nodded along, gripping his arm a little tighter as she smiled sweetly. “It’s quite a story really, he saved my life.”</p>
<p>“Oooh? do tell!” The noblewoman practically squealed as she leaned closer to listen.</p>
<p>Kiyoko giggled, looking at Suga with bright eyes. “Do you want to or shall I?”</p>
<p>“You can dear,” he smiled back, “I think you tell it better.”</p>
<p>They had all of them hanging on every word as Kiyoko turned back to them. “Well, I come from a small town by the coast, I was raised in quite a rough time for our family, bandits kept attacking our farms and stealing out livestock. And well one day I was tending to the dairy cows, trying to get them in for milking when this horrible man came out of the forest swinging his sword and threatening me.” There were gasps and wide-eyed stares as she went into unnecessary detail about how horrible this thug apparently looked. “And just as I thought he was going to kill me, an arrow flew past my head and struck him. He went down like a fallen oak! And when I looked to see who had loosed that arrow,” she glanced up at Suga with a smile, “it was none other than Koushi.”</p>
<p>He chuckled. “I was hunting in the area with some other nobles, when I heard the commotion and just couldn’t stand by and watch a pretty lady be attacked by such a beast.”</p>
<p>The women were swooning, all of them looking fondly between the two of them. The men nodded in approval at Suga’s reasoning.</p>
<p>“How romantic!”</p>
<p>“How heroic!”</p>
<p>“It was like fate brought you together!”</p>
<p>There was a shared smile between them as the conversation quickly turned to less dramatic things. They snuck away from the conversation as a debate arose about different flavours of wine and neither of them felt qualified enough to comment. Kiyoko was still holding Suga’s arm as they took a moment to catch their breath.</p>
<p>“So we’re ‘together’ hm?” She murmured, a coy smile playing on her lips as she set her empty glass down on a nearby table.</p>
<p>Suga chuckled, covering her hand with his own. “Is this a problem milady?”</p>
<p>She giggled, maybe it was the wine getting to her but she felt strangely calm about this entire thing. “Not really, just would’ve appreciated a heads up.”</p>
<p>He leaned down a little, breath tickling her cheek. “I figured we were close enough to play into it with ease.”</p>
<p>She could feel herself blushing. “Oh really? And what gave you that idea?”</p>
<p>He hummed softly, holding her gaze for a moment. “It just felt natural.”</p>
<p>He pulled away and gave her a small smile. She returned it before turning to look over the rest of the room, the dance floor was bustling with dancing couples. She leaned against him, resting her head against his shoulder. If they weren’t here on royal business, she could almost afford to relax a little and enjoy the moment.</p>
<p>“I wonder where Keiji is.” She murmured as they appreciated the soft music wafting through the air.</p>
<p>Suga shrugged. “I’m sure he’s fine, probably gotten into a debate about proper shipping etiquette or something.”</p>
<p>She laughed a little at the mental image before continuing, “I wonder where the others are…Daichi and Kuroo.”</p>
<p>“I doubt they’re here, invitation only.” Suga accepted a new drink as a serving girl presented the tray to them both. “This is probably going to be a long night.”</p>
<p>“Oh how <em>ever</em> will we manage?” Kiyoko remarked, making Suga snort into the glass. “Perish the thought Koushi, us having to socialise with nobles <em>all night</em>?”</p>
<p>“Hey you,” He teased, “tone it down.”</p>
<p>“Or what?”</p>
<p>He raised an eyebrow, taking a long sip as he mulled over his response. His gaze flickered to the dance floor where several couples were dancing and an idea came to him. “Or else I’ll make you dance.”</p>
<p>“But I don’t know how.” She smugly replied. “So I’d like to see you try.”</p>
<p>“Oh is that a challenge?”</p>
<p>“Maybe it is Koushi, maybe it is.”</p>
<p>They shared a smile, it was really all too easy to fall into this act.</p>
<p>Elsewhere in the banquet hall, Akaashi was watching the room alone. He was more than happy to watch with a glass in hand. He had concluded that the empire’s taste in alcohol was much richer in every sense; his remark earlier about how it was going to floor the others was true, the wine felt a lot more potent than the ale they were used to. He wanted to make sure Hinata of all people didn’t overdo it.</p>
<p>As he silently watched over the room, he found himself joined by another, the mask obscuring his identity as he leaned forward on the stone wall of the balcony overlooking the dance floor.</p>
<p>“So, you’re not a regular here.” His confident voice reminded Akaashi a little too much of Kuroo, but the bright blond hair immediately told him it wasn’t his partner in crime. He seemed around the same age though, similar build too.</p>
<p>“What’s it to you?” He replied carefully. “Maybe I’m not.”</p>
<p>“Ooh, cryptic.” The other turned to fully face him. His mask was odd in the sense it took up half of his face, but rather than split horizontally like most, it was split vertically. The right-hand side of his face as Akaashi looked at him was obscured behind the white mask with dark red embellishments.</p>
<p>“Yeah, and?” Akaashi wasn’t going to say anything more than necessary. He wasn’t stupid.</p>
<p>“The empire likes cryptic.” The other remarked. “We find it intriguing when someone comes and ruffles our feathers.” He stepped closer to Akaashi, intense gaze upon him yielding little clue about his intentions. “So, what’s your story? Are you here to ruffle our feathers or dance to our tune?”</p>
<p>Akaashi raised an eyebrow, not that the other could see it. “You first.”</p>
<p>He laughed, reaching out and clapping Akaashi on the shoulder. “Oooh, I <em>like</em> you. You’re good. Suspicious, mysterious…”</p>
<p>“Getting bored.” He supplied with a wry smile.</p>
<p>“Tsk, now now,” the other took his hand off Akaashi’s shoulder and waggled his finger at him. “Don’t talk like that, we’re just getting to know each other, and you’re not familiar with the…way of things.”</p>
<p>“Which is why <em>you</em> should go first.” Akaashi smiled sweetly as he took a sip from his glass.</p>
<p>It seemed to amuse this stranger to no end. “Ah, but you’re the guest in these halls, so by all means, you can go first.”</p>
<p>Akaashi shrugged. “Or I can walk away.”</p>
<p>“Ooh, cold, icy cold.” The other pretended to shiver before sighing. “Alright, I shall concede defeat.” He bowed his head. “I am of influence in this court, not quite as influential as others, but my brother and I can have our way when we put our minds to it.”</p>
<p>“Brother,” Akaashi repeated, nodding, “I too have siblings.”</p>
<p>“Ah, but are you a twin?”</p>
<p>“No…”</p>
<p>The other smiled. “My twin and I, we’re quite the devils when we want to be.”</p>
<p>Akaashi was sure this was going to be a long conversation. “So you’re influential you say? In what way?”</p>
<p>“In a lot of ways; money, fame, power…values, family ties and allies.” He listed off like they were ingredients for an expensive drink. “But we’re missing one key thing.”</p>
<p>“Yeah?”</p>
<p>He leaned a little closer to Akaashi, almost a little too close. “We’re in need of a favour, a favour from a certain kind of person.”</p>
<p>“I’m not a whore for hire.” Akaashi flatly stated, half-joking. It seemed to make the other laugh a great deal which he was thankful for at least.</p>
<p>“Gosh, no, no I don’t swing that way…well…not these days.” He winked, making Akaashi chuckle slightly. “No, we need a favour from you.”</p>
<p>“Me?”</p>
<p>“You. Yes.”</p>
<p>“You don’t know who I am.” Akaashi narrowed his gaze at the other, he could feel something in the gaze of the stranger. Something akin to familiarity. “Or do you?”</p>
<p>The stranger leaned even closer, close enough for his lips to brush against Akaashi’s ear. “Through the shadows, you persevere.”</p>
<p>Akaashi swallowed as the other pulled back and met his gaze again. People up here shouldn’t just quote the guild’s motto out of nowhere. They shouldn’t even <em>know</em> it, let alone want to utter it to complete strangers. “Alright, you have my attention.”</p>
<p>“Excellent.” He smiled. “Walk with me, this is not a conversation for such public ears to hear.”</p>
<p>Akaashi set his now empty glass down and followed the other through a set of doors that led outside. Three pillars held up the roof providing cover to the walkway decorated with plants and flaming braziers, ivy wrapped around them and provided much-needed colour to the white surroundings. From here he could look out and see the thick walls of the city of Hinode wrapping around the distract that neighboured the palace, fires and torches illuminated the darkening sky. There was a cool breeze, something refreshing after the crowded banquet hall.</p>
<p> As Akaashi followed the stranger, another approached them, his mask matched with the exception that it covered the left side of his face as he met Akaashi’s gaze.</p>
<p>“Who is this?” He asked the stranger as Akaashi looked between them and saw they were identical save for the differing in hair colour. They were twins just as he said.</p>
<p>“Ah, this is one of <em>them</em>.”</p>
<p>Akaashi continued glancing between them, expecting an explanation.</p>
<p>“Ah.” The new twin seemed quieter than the other as he looked Akaashi up and down. “And does he know us?”</p>
<p>“No, but I have his attention.”</p>
<p>Akaashi cleared his throat. “Feel free to tell me who you are at <em>any</em> point…”</p>
<p>“He’s also very sassy.”</p>
<p>“And getting bored.” Akaashi uttered, hoping this would prompt this explanation to be given sooner.</p>
<p>Both twins smiled at him, the first nodding almost in understanding. “We know who you are, so I suppose you should know who we are. We’re a family with a vested interest in keeping the empire from being commandeered by another. And we’ve heard that you’re rather good at changing the course of things.”</p>
<p>“Lovely.” Akaashi sighed, it seemed that they were getting a reputation. “And you have names I assume?”</p>
<p>“Of course,” He glanced to his twin, “we are the Miya twins.” He gestured to himself, “Atsumu,” he gestured to the other, “and Osamu.”</p>
<p>Akaashi nodded. “I see.”</p>
<p>“And you’re of the Brotherhood, and House Kageyama.” Osamu added. “We have been told about you.”</p>
<p>“By who?” Akaashi uttered.</p>
<p>“A friend, both of ours and yours.” Atsumu smiled sweetly. “He was adamant we assist in your mission here, for his influence does not carry much weight here.”</p>
<p>“Not as much as ours.” Osamu added.</p>
<p>Akaashi wasn’t even going to try and work out who that was. He figured this was probably something Suga ought to know about, but he was also keenly aware that Suga and Kiyoko were probably busy mingling. He also wasn’t sure how much help it would be to know that there were not just one but two people out there influencing this latest adventure of theirs.</p>
<p>“So, what now?”</p>
<p>Atsumu continued smiling. “Her Majesty will be arriving soon, and then the real fun will begin.”</p>
<p>Akaashi didn’t like the sound of that, but he nodded anyway. This was going to be a long night.</p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. The Greatest Guild</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>XI</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>The Greatest Guild</strong>
</p>
<p>Akaashi returned to the banquet hall with the Miya twins. He wasn’t wholeheartedly convinced they were truly allies but for now he was prepared to hear him out a little more. There was still dancing and drinking occurring around them as they took up their post on the walkway overlooking the dance floor. He accepted another drink offered to him, as did Atsumu.</p>
<p>“So, what’s <em>really</em> the reason this ball is such a lavish affair?” He asked Atsumu. “I’ve heard a lot of talk about Tobio courting her majesty.”</p>
<p>Atsumu snorted into his drink. “Oh if only it was that mundane.”</p>
<p>From Akaashi’s other side, Osamu shrugged. “Gossip keeps the nobles docile. It keeps things less dramatic.”</p>
<p>“I’d disagree, court gossip never makes anything easier.” Akaashi uttered. “Not in Tooru’s kingdom at least.</p>
<p>Atsumu chuckled. “Ah, but this is the empire my friend, things work a little differently here. These nobles don't have a hope in hell of becoming empress, so what do they have to gain?”</p>
<p>Osamu answered his brother’s question. “Influence. Money. And maybe a little more land within old kingdoms.”</p>
<p>Atsumu nodded. “Yes, so see here my friend,” he leaned a little closer to Akaashi and pointed down at a noblewoman on the dance floor. Her puffy dress stood out more than most with its garish bright orange colour. “She’s the sister of a lord in the upper court, and he’s trying to marry her into a more well-off family. Why, you ask? Well he’s already married to another woman of equal status and as grand as they’re doing, they want <em>more</em>. More land in the northern region where the mines are bountiful.”</p>
<p>Akaashi nodded. “So?” He wasn’t sure what this had to do with Tobio’s apparent ulterior motives.</p>
<p>Osamu nudged his arm, gesturing to a man on the other side of the dance floor. “He’s recently lost half his estate to a rival because of such a marriage. So now he’s also looking to marry a fortunate woman, most think he’s after a woman from the far eastern region whose family are famous wine merchants.”</p>
<p>“Our point is,” Atsumu continued, “as frivolous as the concept of marrying for status is, it’s a very trendy thing right now. So it’s no surprise that rumours are flying of the imperial family getting in on it. As much as they hold all the cards, the new empress is young and easily swayed.”</p>
<p>“Young? How young?” Akaashi asked.</p>
<p>“Most think she’s around sixteen summers old.” Atsumu shrugged. “I can confirm that she’s younger than us, but not as much as some would imply.”</p>
<p>Akaashi’s eyes widened behind his mask. That was the same age as Hinata. Someone of Hinata’s age was in charge of an entire empire? That was certainly new information that definitely wasn’t going to sit well with some of them.</p>
<p>“And she didn’t come willingly.” Osamu murmured. “Her aunt preceded her.”</p>
<p>“And where is the aunt now?”</p>
<p>Atsumu chuckled. “She decided to marry her childhood sweetheart after thirty summers of reigning. She had no children by her suitors and showed no inclination to forfeit her family’s claim. However, whilst the idea of marrying an unknown king is seen by many as ridiculous, marrying a blacksmith with no noble background is completely out of the question.”</p>
<p>Akaashi was starting to understand now. “So it was a status thing.”</p>
<p>“Yup.” Osamu nodded. “She decided to tell the court to fuck off, abdicated and detailed that the throne be passed directly to her niece. Not back to her sister who was technically next in line.”</p>
<p>“And thus, we are at this point.” Atsumu shrugged. “A young girl who wasn’t prepared from a young age as her predecessors were, suddenly thrust on the most powerful throne in the realm.”</p>
<p>“I imagine she’s scared.”</p>
<p>“Of course,” Atsumu’s tone dropped as he leaned closer once more, “I would be too if I had half the people surrounding me that she does.”</p>
<p>“And thus your family’s values, like you told me before.”</p>
<p>“The Miya family does not want this great empire to be sailed off a waterfall, which is exactly where it's headed.” He uttered. “We need your help in derailing that.”</p>
<p>Akaashi nodded, they hadn’t actually said what the specifically wanted of him or the Brotherhood. He imagined it was one of two things; murder or negotiation and the two were vastly different asks of them. “So when she gets here, what happens next?”</p>
<p>“Tobio will be sent for, and once he’s arrived and greeted by her, the entertainment will be brought out.”</p>
<p>He almost didn’t want to ask about that. They watched in silence for a while as the harpist finished her song and fell silent. There was a muted round of applause as she bowed and the dance floor emptied. The Miya twins hummed in unison as one of many ushers approached the staircase leading up to a private balcony.</p>
<p>“Ah here we go.” Atsumu hummed, flagging down a serving boy and getting fresh drinks for all three of them. “Sit back and watch,” he handed a drink to Akaashi, “and let me know afterwards what you think of her.”</p>
<p>Akaashi took what must’ve been his fifth or sixth drink by now and sipped it. The usher had disappeared behind a curtain only to reappear and stand at the balcony facing the room. He opened his mouth and a loud voice silenced what chitchat was occurring.</p>
<p>“Presenting to the court, Her Imperial Majesty, Hitoka Yachi, Empress of the Summer Vale.” He stepped aside as the curtains were pulled back. Akaashi watched as the petite girl stepped forth, her attire was modest but eye-catching; dress pure white like snow-capped mountains and not nearly as layered as many other dresses. He could tell she was young and not nearly as confident in herself as the noblewomen he had encountered so far. She had blond hair that was set in a bun pinned with ornate gold and silver clips. She wore a mask like everyone else at the ball but hers was bright purple and covered in silver gemstones.</p>
<p>She halted at the edge of the balcony, setting gloved hands on the short stone wall. She was flanked by two guards either side of her, all fully dressed up in iron-plated armour that bore the white eagle crest. There was a slow, deliberate nod from her which was responded to with polite applause.</p>
<p>“What do you think?” Atsumu whispered.</p>
<p>“I’m undecided.” Akaashi replied honestly. All he had seen was a young girl nodding to a hall of strangers. He wasn’t sure what he was supposed to have seen.</p>
<p>“Let’s see how she reacts to your friend Tobio then.” Atsumu gestured to the doors at the entrance to the banquet hall. Another usher nodded before announcing in an equally loud voice.</p>
<p>“Presenting to the imperial court, from the south, His Majesty King Tobio of House Kageyama, ruler of the South-Eastern kingdom, and his esteemed guests.”</p>
<p>The doors were thrown open. Akaashi steeled himself for what came next, Tobio seemed calm as he walked into the room with Asahi at his side, the trademark battle-axe was nowhere to be seen but Akaashi didn’t doubt Asahi’s strength and ability to kill a man with his bare hands. Hinata walked half a step beside Tobio, the royal regalia of House Kageyama was on full show as the rest of the entourage filed in but halted before the steps.</p>
<p>The king was dressed in fitted clothes like Akaashi remembered first meeting him in; black shirt with black pants and a black cloak flowed behind him with the orange dragon of his family’s crest stitched into it. The Silver crown atop his head shone in the light, dragon heads reiterating his family’s sigil. Tobio’s mask seemed fitting; dark blue set with orange gemstones, Hinata’s was almost matching save for fewer gems. Only the front trio continued until Tobio was stood in the middle of the hall looking up at the empress.</p>
<p>There was a dramatic hush over the court. The king seemed unsure of himself as he held the gaze of the empress. She didn’t yield visibly. After what felt like far too long, Tobio half-bowed. It was significant to many it seemed as there were murmurs from around the hall that he didn’t fully subject himself.</p>
<p>“Your Imperial Majesty,” he spoke with confidence as he righted his posture, “thank-you for hosting me here tonight.”</p>
<p>For the first time since she arrived, the empress spoke, her voice light but to Akaashi it seemed obvious she had rehearsed her words many times.</p>
<p>“You are most welcome.” She stated with a small smile. “The pleasure is all ours, hosting a king of such reputation. I do hope you enjoy yourself tonight before our official business is discussed on the morrow.”</p>
<p>Tobio nodded slowly, smiling as he met her gaze again. “I’m certain it’ll be a night to tell the others back home all about.”</p>
<p>And just like that, the conversation was over. The empress turned to one of her ushers and nodded, a signal for the music to begin again. Tobio quickly left the centre of the room with Hinata in tow. Akaashi glanced to Atsumu beside him.</p>
<p>“How did that go in your eyes?”</p>
<p>Atsumu hummed in thought, watching Yachi look out over the hall. “It was, interesting.”</p>
<p>Osamu decided to be more forthright with his thought. “He did not bow fully, something many will see as a sign of disrespect.”</p>
<p>Akaashi snorted. “I’m not surprised.”</p>
<p>“You’re not?” Osamu asked.</p>
<p>“No. Tobio doesn’t rate the empire very highly. The half-bow was probably something he was ordered to do by Yamaguchi.”</p>
<p>Atsumu nodded as Osamu shrugged and drained his glass. “In any case,” the former clapped Akaashi on the shoulder, “run along. We need to return to our usual mingling, inform your king that we will be in touch.”</p>
<p>Akaashi wasn’t going to correct either of them as they slipped away. He set his empty glass down once more and started walking around trying to find one of the others. It didn’t take long to find Yaku keeping far away from the now slightly tipsy nobles. He nudged the other and nodded towards the balcony where the empress was still stood.</p>
<p>“So, she’s young.” He uttered.</p>
<p>Yaku snorted, his raised eyebrow obscured by his simple black mask. “Yeah, I hear many are already trying to hook her and Tobio up.”</p>
<p>“Already? You’ve been here like two minutes.”</p>
<p>“That’s enough time to hear several nobles state that they’d make a powerful alliance.”</p>
<p>Akaashi snorted. “Speaking of which, I may have found us some allies.”</p>
<p>“Huh, how so?”</p>
<p>“An interested party in not letting the empress be ruled by another. They knew me, or rather, the Brotherhood’s motto.” He kept his voice low as a group of nobles passed by all excitedly chatting. “Twins. They said that they were contacted by a friend of ours.”</p>
<p>“Friend got a name?”</p>
<p>“Didn’t get it out of them this time.” Akaashi declined the offer of another drink, Yaku accepted however. “But they said they’ll be in touch.”</p>
<p>“Peachy.” Yaku remarked. “Seen Suga and Kiyoko?”</p>
<p>“Not since we arrived, though wouldn’t be surprised if they were…” He trailed off, he wasn’t sure what he made of their little act. “They’re probably mingling well.”</p>
<p>Yaku nursed his drink, choosing not to ask what he meant by that. They watched the guests of the ball continue to talk excitedly amongst themselves, they listened when it didn’t require much additional effort on their part and rarely spoke more than a few words in greeting to others. As they found a good lookout spot near one of the many marble statues, there was another loud announcement.</p>
<p>“And now, for Her Imperial Majesty’s entertainment, may I present to you, esteemed guests of the imperial court; the Greatest Guild!”</p>
<p>Yaku and Akaashi exchanged a glance as the doors swung open again and a much more familiar, and alarming, face came into view. Bokuto grinned as he walked into applause and cheers from the crowd. He was wearing relatively smart clothes in comparison to his usual attire; a fitted pale green shirt that showed off his muscles without being too tight and plain leather pants. His hair was still stuck up like a bird’s nest though.</p>
<p>“Oh gods above what the fuck have they done.” Yaku whispered as Bokuto strode confidently to the centre of the hall. He waited for hush before producing three sharp daggers.</p>
<p>“I’m gonna need another fucking drink.” Akaashi breathed as Bokuto began juggling the weapons, much to the audience’s amazement. “Or maybe five.”</p>
<p>Yaku summoned a serving boy to fulfil Akaashi’s desire for more alcohol. As if juggling three daggers wasn’t outlandish enough, he had to take it up a notch. From behind him, a second person appeared and they were all too happy to literally throw more daggers into the mix.</p>
<p>“Is that <em>Tanaka.</em>” Yaku snorted into his glass. “Oh gods.”</p>
<p>Tanaka grinned to the audience as various gasps of awe and surprise were heard as he continued tossing new blades into Bokuto’s juggling. It was rather simplistic really, but it seemed to captivate the audience nonetheless. As Bokuto dramatically caught the daggers and threw them one by one back to Tanaka, it was starting to dawn on both Yaku and Akaashi that this was probably just the beginning of some dumb plan a certain person cooked up.</p>
<p>The culprit in their minds made his grand appearance with a grin. “Ladies and gentlemen,” he took a moment to bow extremely lowly to the empress, “Your Imperial Majesty,” he received a slow nod for his trouble before he turned back to the room. Akaashi hadn’t ever seen Kuroo wearing a top hat, he wasn’t sure if he approved or not. It did match his black jacket that seemed far too prim and proper for Kuroo. “I’d like to welcome you all to our little show tonight! We have a lot of surprises and talents for you all to witness!”</p>
<p>From behind Akaashi and Yaku, a low chuckle came. They turned to see Semi shaking his head as he fastened a simple grey mask to his face. “If it helps,” he offered, “he was <em>very</em> confident in himself.”</p>
<p>“That’s Kuroo for you.” Yaku snorted.</p>
<p>Back in the centre of the room, Kuroo was already beckoning someone else to join the lunacy in the centre of the room. Nishinoya had a spring in his step despite the very real fear that was gripping him no doubt. Like the others, he wore neutral-toned clothes, nothing flashy and remotely mage-like.</p>
<p>“Now then ladies and gentlemen,” Kuroo addressed their audience, “I will <em>personally</em> assure you that everything you are about to witness is completely safe and no-one is in any danger at all. We are <em>professionals</em>.”</p>
<p>“Professional idiots.” Yaku muttered, Akaashi snorted into his glass.</p>
<p>Nishinoya took the cue to snap his fingers. Snow burst into existence with gasps from the crowd. He was quick to shape it into an elaborate swirling vortex, dusting the dance floor in snowflakes that glittered in the candlelight. There was immediately applause for his efforts. He turned and bowed to the empress before turning to face the main entrance, he held out both hands in front of him let out a short exhale.</p>
<p>In the air he drew a large circle with his finger, there was nothing to show for it for a few moments until he snapped his fingers again. Flames sparked into existence in mid-air in a perfect ring. He was smiling as he made a show of sticking his hand through the centre to show it was possible to do so. More applause rang out before he put up two hands to silence everyone.</p>
<p>Akaashi dreaded to think what was coming next.</p>
<p>There were louder, more aghast gasps as all eyes flew to the doors. Kindaichi was by far more nervous as he held tightly onto a rope that was attached to none other than Lev. Whether it was an act or not - Akaashi couldn’t tell what was or wasn’t anymore - Lev seemed more fierce than usual with his puffed-up fur and slow movements.</p>
<p>“Okay, yep, professional idiots.” Yaku confirmed, downing what was left of his drink.</p>
<p>Lev eyed the flaming ring, green eyes focused on Nishinoya on the other side. There was a tense moment of silence before Kindaichi let go of the rope. Kuroo stood behind Nishinoya and watched as Lev charged immediately towards the ring of fire. There were shouts and calls for the Empress to be protected even though the balcony was far enough out of Lev’s reach.</p>
<p>As Lev leapt through the ring of fire and landed gracefully, Kuroo stuck out his hand. Lev halted immediately, sitting like a trained dog would at his feet. There was a pause as everyone waited for Lev to move, but instead he sat at Kuroo’s feet without a sound. Once it was clear that the lion was indeed trained, explosive applause broke out.</p>
<p>“I can’t believe you’re basically married to that moron.” Yaku laughed as Akaashi sighed heavily.</p>
<p>“Me neither.”</p>
<p>Kuroo was soaking up the cheers and attention as Nishinoya started creating more rings of fire and now ice platforms. What followed was Kuroo appearing to lead Lev around the course of obstacles, wowing the crowd with both how well ‘trained’ the big cat was and how quickly Nishinoya could conjure elements. The audience ate it up, it seemed like they had never seen such a display.</p>
<p>Elsewhere in the banquet hall, Tobio and Hinata stole a moment’s peace to talk. All things considered, that had gone by without a hitch. Hinata kept his gaze on the other as Tobio took a long drink of the sweet wine. He wasn’t sure if he should drink himself.</p>
<p>“So, whilst your friends are being a great distraction,” Tobio offered his arm to Hinata, “walk with me.”</p>
<p>Only hesitating slightly, Hinata looped his arm around Tobio’s, swallowing as he felt closer to the other than he should in a public environment. There were a few glances cast their way as Tobio set his glass down on a tray and started walking along the walkway. Many of the nobles were too entranced by Lev’s antics to care about him now, and that was how he liked it. Hinata expected Tobio to drag him outside for fresh air, but instead Tobio seemed more set on finding some nobles to mingle with.</p>
<p>His determination paid off it seemed as they were accosted by a woman. Her off white dress was embellished with light blue gems and her mask matched perfectly.</p>
<p>“Ah, you must be this king we’ve heard so much about.” She remarked. Tobio wryly smiled as he nodded.</p>
<p>“King Tobio, yes.” He bowed his head slightly. “Pleasure to meet you.”</p>
<p>She seemed intrigued by his greeting. “There are many here who want to know your purpose.”</p>
<p>Hinata swallowed as Tobio shrugged. “I have personal business with her imperial majesty.”</p>
<p>The woman glanced between him and Hinata. “Personal?”</p>
<p>Tobio was about to reply when a dark-haired man approached, his white mask covering half his face vertically, red gems glittered in the candlelight. He put a hand on the woman and offered a small smile. “Ah milady, your husband is looking for you.”</p>
<p>She pouted slightly, huffing. “Alright, thank-you milord.” She nodded to Tobio in farewell. The masked man remained, watching her leave before turning back to both Tobio and Hinata.</p>
<p>“I would be careful your majesty.” He murmured as he bowed. “There are many here who do not want you here.”</p>
<p>Tobio considered this statement carefully. “And you?”</p>
<p>He righted his posture and offered a small smile. “It would be improper to discuss my intentions in a secretive manner at a public ball.” He stated. “But for now, just know that I am one of a few who think you are sorely needed here.”</p>
<p>Tobio wasn’t given an opportunity to ask for clarification as the other was gone, striding back into the crowds. Hinata wasn’t sure what to make of it, chalking it up to weird politics and customs as Tobio shrugged. They were offered drinks again, Hinata still had his original in his hand as Tobio took a fresh one.</p>
<p>“So, what now?” Hinata asked as they paused by one of the marble statues and making it appear like they were reading the plaque beneath it.</p>
<p>“We mingle and try not to start any fights.” Tobio replied. “Hopefully your friends have managed to find out something whilst they’ve been here.”</p>
<p>“And if anyone comes up to us?”</p>
<p>Tobio shrugged. “We handle it.”</p>
<p>Back in the centre of the hall, Lev had just scaled up an impressive tower of ice that Nishinoya had conjured out of the snow that had been steadily falling around them. Kuroo smirked as the lion proudly stood atop the structure as applause rang out. Then came the issue of getting him down. Nishinoya had to focus hard as he slowly began to melt the ice so that the tower would sink without sending it toppling over. It was an impressive feat of magic if he did say so himself as Lev jumped from the substantially smaller tower and sat at Kuroo’s feet again.</p>
<p>As for the water that now covered the floor, he flicked his wrist and the water came together in a vortex, swirling with controlled speed until he abruptly snapped his fingers and sent it dissipating. Whatever droplets did fall, they were more akin to the spray of a waterfall than rain. As he let out a sigh, more applause rang out.</p>
<p>Kuroo saw it fit to end their little performance there. He nodded in thanks before turning back to the empress. He did a sweeping bow, removing his top hat and all. “And thus, your Imperial Majesty, our time here is at an end.” He righted his posture. “We hope you have been entertained.”</p>
<p>Despite the mask hiding her face, there was a look of awe. She cleared her throat as she lightly applauded. “Indeed,” she spoke, commanding the room’s attention, “it has been refreshing to see such daring acts.”</p>
<p>Kuroo took it as a compliment. “It’s been a pleasure to entertain you, milady.”</p>
<p>She smiled. “Oh, do stick around if you wish. I’m certain many would love to hear how you trained such an exotic creature.”</p>
<p>That was what Kuroo was really looking for. “Ah, many thanks to your Imperial Majesty.” He bowed again, glancing at Lev. “Come then you, let’s find the others.”</p>
<p>He snatched up the rope still attached to Lev to at least appear like he was in control. With the normal, much tamer entertainment in the form of the harpist returning to the floor, the more peaceful music rang out in the vaulted ceiling. Kuroo was quick to accept all the compliments and warm reception as he walked with Lev, seeking out anyone that he actually knew. As soon as he saw Akaashi, identifiable in an instant even with the mask, he grinned.</p>
<p>“Were you impressed?” He asked, nudging Akaashi playfully.</p>
<p>“Impressed by how gutsy that all was,” Akaashi remarked, glancing at Yaku and Semi, “yes, I kind of was actually.”</p>
<p>Kuroo beamed at him, tipping his hat. “Good, because it was hard work getting us here.”</p>
<p>“Where are the others?”</p>
<p>Kuroo hummed softly. “Bo and Tanaka are over by the main stairs I believe, I think Kindaichi is trying to stay far away from any dancing that might be occurring, wouldn’t be surprised if Daichi is the same…” He glanced around, losing his train of thought for a moment. “Wait, is that…”</p>
<p>He gestured to the staircase leading down to the dance floor, Akaashi could see it was Suga and Kiyoko easily enough. “Yeah.” He answered, already anticipating Kuroo’s question.</p>
<p>“Huh. They’re pretty comfortable with each other.”</p>
<p>Akaashi snorted. “Yeah?” He shot Kuroo a look. “Your point?”</p>
<p>Kuroo gave him a knowing smile. “It’s nothing really, I just remembered something I heard a while ago…”</p>
<p>Akaashi wasn’t buying it really, he glanced back down at the duo. Yaku followed his gaze, both of them now watching the others as they approached the dance floor.</p>
<p>Whilst the others had been wrapped up in either watching Kuroo’s antics or the political intrigue that came with interacting with any of the nobles present, Suga and Kiyoko had been slightly less focused on the task at hand. They had continued to talk with whoever they came across, coming up with different stories of how they met each time they were asked. There was a strange buzz of excitement that came with pretending to be together.</p>
<p>Cause that’s what it was, it was all an act, right?</p>
<p>As they had been offered more free drinks, the line between fake and real began to blur. Even if it was hard to tell beneath the masks, they were both blushing as she clung to his arm. They had been in a very animated conversation with another couple for a while about the merits of training a lion to entertain people, which of course neither of them really had strong opinions on but it was fun to pretend they were just as shocked as the others. Whilst the usual calm music began to fill the air once more, those they had been talking to declared they were going to go and dance, looking expectantly at them both.</p>
<p>Kiyoko chewed on her lip as she smiled at Suga. “Are you going to make me dance?” She murmured.</p>
<p>He gave her a coy smile. “Does milady <em>wish</em> to dance?”</p>
<p>She playfully slapped his chest, giggling. She’d say it was the wine getting to her, but there was a warmth in Suga’s smile that broke through any facade she put up. “Does milord wish to teach me?”</p>
<p>“I’m sure you’ll pick it up quickly.”</p>
<p>And so that’s when they had been spotted by the others, as he led her down to the dance floor, both of them almost giddy with the excitement that neither had felt in what felt like ages. As soon as Suga halted and took her hand in his, she felt a little unsure of herself. His arm wrapped around her waist, hand splaying against her lower back. She set her hand on his shoulder, letting out a nervous laugh as he nodded.</p>
<p>“Follow my lead and you’ll be fine.” He murmured.</p>
<p>It was easier said than done, but she found herself being slowly led around the open dance floor. The room began to spin, slowly, but it was still captivating as his strong hold made her feel safe yet free at the same time. The music was slow, keeping the dance at an equally slow pace. It gave them both time to settle into the simple steps. As she relaxed into the dance, she looked up to meet his gaze. Even with the mask covering most of his face, she could see the rosiness in his cheeks, and she imagined her own was far from pale.</p>
<p>“You know,” Suga murmured between them, “if the others see us, it’s gonna raise some questions.”</p>
<p>Kiyoko scoffed, she really couldn’t care less what the others thought right now. “And does that bother you?”</p>
<p>He released her waist and gently spun her around, pulling her closer as she returned to his hold. “Not really, does it bother you?”</p>
<p>She shook her head, both at the question and the idea he was caring <em>now</em> of all times. “If it bothered me, I wouldn’t be dancing with you right now.”</p>
<p>He chuckled. “Fair point, but we could easily play this off.”</p>
<p>“As an act.” She finished. “Sure Koushi because I think everyone will <em>definitely</em> believe that. They’re not believing it with Tobio and Hinata so I doubt they’ll believe us after everything.”</p>
<p>“Hey now,” he gave her a boyish grin. “I never said they’d <em>believe</em> us. Just that we could at least attempt…if you <em>were</em> bothered by it.”</p>
<p>“Well I’m not.” She gave him a smug smile. “So now what do we say?”</p>
<p>Suga shrugged. They were close enough to whisper, to exchange any number of words that not one other soul would hear. Yet as they held each other’s gaze, there didn’t seem to be a need to speak. Often, they found themselves exchanging wordless glances on a daily basis, though most of those times were in the midst of guild conversations and not nearly as emotionally charged as this moment. It was true what they said, that the eyes were the window to the soul. Though neither had spoken of this bond they had, they knew there was something there just waiting to be revealed.</p>
<p> The music continued, the gentle strumming of strings filling the air alongside the quiet drone of conversation around the banquet hall.</p>
<p>“I do have one question, one you didn’t answer before.” She murmured as she returned to his hold after another spin.</p>
<p>“Yeah?”</p>
<p>She smiled, in truth she hadn’t stopped smiling but her smile grew a little. “Back when…back when you were taken, apparently you told Tanaka about how you had spilt your secrets to that brute Tendou in an effort to buy us time.” She waited for him to nod in confirmation. “And when we saved you, Tendou said something that’s been sticking with me all this time.”</p>
<p>Suga’s gaze didn’t waver as he continued leading the dance. “And what’s that?”</p>
<p>Her heart was beating quicker as she swallowed. The memory was fresh in her mind but she almost felt like she had imagined it. “He asked if you…were sure about spending ‘an eternity’ with me.”</p>
<p>To Suga’s credit, he didn’t seem surprised like he did the last time she mentioned it. He also wasn’t badly wounded and exhausted like last time either. His hand holding hers tightened a little as his smile didn’t waver. He let go of her waist to spin her around again, almost like he was trying to formulate his response in the few seconds it gave him.</p>
<p>“Well, I’ll start with the first thing,” he whispered, blush was creeping over his cheeks a lot more noticeably now, “the secrets that I mentioned?”</p>
<p>She nodded. “You don’t keep secrets, do you?”</p>
<p>He chuckled breathlessly. “I keep one or two, but there was only one that Tendou got out of me.” He spun her around again, pulling her closer once more as she returned to him. “He was insistent that a guy like me had to have a sweetheart somewhere, back home on a farm and away from the Brotherhood’s brutish ways that I’d be committed to spending my life with.”</p>
<p>She felt her stomach drop slightly. “And do you?”</p>
<p>He chuckled again, warm breath tickling her cheeks. “No, no I don’t.”</p>
<p>She tried not to let out a sigh of relief, her nerves were starting to get to her even with the wine in her system. “So what did you tell him?”</p>
<p>He bit his lip for a moment. “I told him, that there was only one person who I’d ever consider spending an eternity with.”</p>
<p>The music was slowing, the dance was near an end. She held his gaze, hanging on every word as he gradually brought the dance to a stop in time with the music.</p>
<p>“And who’s that?” She dared to ask as polite applause broke out.</p>
<p>He gave her a sheepish smile. “Who do you think?”</p>
<p>It was her turn to blush as his hand came up to cup her face. The masks were a slight hindrance to them both in that moment but it was something they almost didn’t mind. They remained still for a moment as a new song began, he dropped his hand and immediately pulled her into his hold to begin a new dance. She had to giggle at how close they were, how the beating of her heart drowned out the harp strings. There was something different about the way he led her around this dance, there was a spring in his step but with every rise and fall his gaze was on her.</p>
<p>She had no idea he was such a good dancer.</p>
<p>“So tell <em>me</em> something.” He murmured as the music slowed slightly. “Why were you so set on saving me as opposed to sending someone like Kunimi or Yaku?”</p>
<p>She giggled. “They had only just returned, I couldn’t ask them to go after you.”</p>
<p>“Is that all?” He had a coy smile on his lips as he spun her around. “Cause I’m pretty sure Daichi told me otherwise.”</p>
<p>She pouted slightly, succeeding in making him laugh a little louder than before being unable to suppress her own giggle. “Daichi, pah, last time I tell him anything.”</p>
<p>His smile grew a little at her reaction. “He didn’t say <em>much</em>, just that you were <em>very</em> insistent on coming to my rescue.”</p>
<p>“Uh-huh.”</p>
<p>“And that you were prepared to gut Tendou yourself.”</p>
<p>“Oh did he now?” She remarked.</p>
<p>“You’re not denying any of it.”</p>
<p>She snorted. “I’m not gonna deny that I wanted to gut him.”</p>
<p>“But are you gonna deny everything else?”</p>
<p>She raised an eyebrow under her mask. “It depends what you’re about to accuse me of.”</p>
<p>The music came to an end again, he pulled her close and let go of her hand, allowing her to reach up and hook her wrists around the nape of his neck, pulling him closer to her. They were merely inches apart as he let out a shaky breath.</p>
<p>“I’d rather <em>ask</em> you, rather than accuse you.”</p>
<p>“Go on then.” She whispered, voice shaking.</p>
<p>There was a brief pause as he wetted his lips, a shaky breath preceding his question. “So, do you…do you perhaps, consider me more than a friend?”</p>
<p>“Is that really how you’re putting it?” She giggled breathlessly.</p>
<p>He shared her breathless laugh. “You’re avoiding the question though.”</p>
<p>It was sure to get a reaction from anyone watching, but she felt a surge of courage that she couldn’t ignore. If she let this moment pass without acting on it, she would never forgive herself. She closed the gap between them. His lips felt as soft as has imagined they would. It was a short, chaste kiss, but it felt more than enough as a short exhale of surprise came from him as she pulled back.</p>
<p>“Does that answer your question?”</p>
<p>His face was bright red under the mask, she imagined that she was equally flustered as they stood there in the middle of the banquet hall savouring the atmosphere and the moment. Her hands moved to hold his, a delicate gesture that felt quite different now.</p>
<p>“I think it does.” He replied. “I feel like we need some fresh air after all this dancing.” Catching his drift, she nodded and allowed him to lead her towards one of the doors leading outside.</p>
<p>From the balcony, Akaashi and Yaku had seen it all. There was a shared smile between them as they saw Suga leading her outside. Neither said anything, but there was an almost shared relief. Even if there were arguably more important things to be worried about that evening, at least there was something good to come out of it.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Cheap Wine and Unwelcome Revelations</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>XII</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Cheap Wine and Unwelcome Revelations</strong>
</p>
<p>The long night of festivities was playing havoc with some of the lesser experienced members of the Brotherhood. Many would think that out of all of them, Kunimi would be used to the atmosphere and heavy drinking that came with such events. They would all be both surprised and amused at the idea that Kunimi couldn’t handle his wine. But that’s exactly what happened as Yamaguchi found the former palace servant leaning against a pillar with glass in hand, his usual stoic nature shattered by fits of giggles.</p>
<p>“Are you okay?” Yamaguchi asked, nudging him in the side.</p>
<p>“I mean, if okay is code for; ‘<em>this wine is shit but also, I strangely like it</em><em>’</em>, then yes.” Kunimi remarked.</p>
<p>Yamaguchi raised an eyebrow. “And where are the others? Where’s Yaku?”</p>
<p>Kunimi shrugged, laughing it off slightly. “Beats me, I just got told to mingle and drink.”</p>
<p>“I find that hard to believe.”</p>
<p>Kunimi shrugged again, accepting a fresh drink from a serving boy and downing it in a few seconds. If Yamaguchi didn’t know he had concealed weapons that could and would be used at a moment’s notice, he wouldn’t care so much. But Kunimi was becoming a liability slowly and they couldn’t afford the scandal that would erupt if something went awry.</p>
<p>“Where’s Kindaichi?”</p>
<p>“Somewhere…” Kunimi glanced over the banquet hall. “He hates loud music and crowds.”</p>
<p>“Uh-huh.”</p>
<p>“He’s a stable kid, prefers the company of the few than the many.” Kunimi shrugged. “The Blue Palace held balls like, but he, he was always in the stables with all the guest’s horses.”</p>
<p>“And you?”</p>
<p>He laughed, leaning heavily against the pillar for support. “I was always trying to get out of serving duty. Like I’d rather follow Tooru around all evening than serve drinks to the noble fucks.”</p>
<p>“I see.”</p>
<p>Kunimi met Yamaguchi’s gaze. “There was one time when Tooru pulled me aside late into a ball like everyone was drunk off their asses. I don’t even remember why there was a ball but I do remember Tooru and Iwaizumi hadn’t like…” he made a gesture to the air. “They weren’t <em>known</em> if you catch my drift...”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi wasn’t sure he should be listening to Kunimi’s drunk tales but he nodded in vague interest. The longer he kept Kunimi locked in conversation, the longer he had to decide how to get the other out of the main hall.</p>
<p>“So like, Tooru grabs me and tells me that he needs me to unlock one of the private chambers, like close to the banquet hall but not <em>too</em> close.” Kunimi continued, smiling to himself at the memory. “Dumbass me was like ‘sure prince Tooru, whatever you say, nothing could <em>possibly</em> go wrong’. So I did. And he snuck in with Iwaizumi and told me sternly to keep everyone else <em>out</em>.”</p>
<p>“Oh…” Yamaguchi quickly understood. “And what happened?”</p>
<p>Kunimi laughed. “I heard <em>everything</em> whilst stood outside that door.”</p>
<p>“Oh gods.”</p>
<p>“Yup!” Kunimi laughed more hysterically. “And it’s like, sure, I’ve seen the prince…well, <em>king</em> now, I’ve seen his dick. This just completed the picture I already knew was being painted.”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi had now decided this was as much as he wanted to know about Kunimi’s palace life. “Alright, let’s go find Kindaichi.”</p>
<p>There was a pout that Yamaguchi almost laughed at as Kunimi mumbled in protest; “Why?”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi didn’t hesitate as he took Kunimi by the hand. “I just think you need a break.” He smiled sweetly, linking their fingers. Kunimi’s confused expression was clear even behind his mask. “It wouldn’t do to have you cause a scene.”</p>
<p>“Me? Did you not just see Kuroo’s fucking lunatic plan?” Kunimi didn’t pull his hand away. “And you want <em>me</em> not to make a scene?”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi snorted, tugging Kunimi to follow. “Kuroo doesn’t have daggers in his pockets, does he Akira?”</p>
<p>Kunimi opened his mouth to speak but thought better of it as he let Yamaguchi lead him towards the entrance of the hall. He was stumbling a little but this seemed passable as normal by this point in the ball’s affairs. Many of the nobles and esteemed guests were laughing jovially and drinks were being spilt everywhere. Kunimi was far from as drunk as them, but like Yamaguchi said; no-one else was packing daggers <em>probably</em>.</p>
<p>There was still music being played, though it was a lot calmer than before, slow dancing was now the main entertainment for many. Tobio had been eyeing up the dance floor as couples gracefully moved around it to the music. He wasn’t particularly bothered by it, but there were eyes on him still even with many being intoxicated.</p>
<p>“It would seem,” he murmured to Hinata who was still denying any attempt to drink, “that they are expecting something.”</p>
<p>“Like you said they would, yeah.” Hinata shrugged, offering his glass to a passing gentleman who accepted it without question. “What of it?”</p>
<p>“How confident do you feel about dancing?”</p>
<p>Hinata stiffened. “Enough?”</p>
<p>That was all Tobio needed to hear. He looked to Hinata with a soft smile. “A dance, milord?”</p>
<p>Hinata let out a small squeak of surprise at the title. He nodded and allowed Tobio to drop his arm only to take his hand instead. It definitely didn’t go unnoticed as Tobio led Hinata down the stairs towards the relatively empty dance floor. There were whispers and murmurs around them, many pointing out how Hinata was not a conventional dance partner. Tobio wasn’t paying any attention as he abruptly pulled Hinata into his hold.</p>
<p>“Ready whenever you are.” He murmured, hand gently pressing against the small of Hinata’s back. “Just remember to follow my lead.”</p>
<p>Hinata pouted slightly. “Yes, I <em>do</em> remember.” He uttered, hand gripping Tobio’s shoulder. “Just don’t forget that I’m supposed to be your <em>partner</em>, not your servant.”</p>
<p>Tobio wryly smiled. “I wouldn’t have it any other way Shoyo.”</p>
<p>The harpist didn’t seem to care who was dancing to her music as she kept it calm and slow. Tobio took the first step forward, holding Hinata’s hand tightly as he kept a calm facade up. All attention was on them as they began to dance around the floor. Hinata thought back to their first dance alone in the tavern, how strangely at ease he felt in Tobio’s hold. As much as he was the other’s sworn protector, it was moments like this that he was reminded of his place in the grand hierarchy. No matter how much he was gifted with magic and friends, Tobio was still his king.</p>
<p>King of his heart maybe.</p>
<p>Falling into step with the other, he found the ballroom becoming blurred, nothing outside of his gaze on Tobio mattered as he was guided around the space.</p>
<p>“You good?” Tobio murmured under his breath, the warmth tickling Hinata’s cheek as he gazed up at the other. From behind the mask he couldn’t tell if Tobio was blushing as much as he was. He could see his eyes though, the deep blue depths that he felt drawn to.</p>
<p>“Y-Yeah.” Hinata whispered. “How long is—”</p>
<p>“As long as we want it to be.” Tobio released his hold on Hinata’s waist and spun him without much warning. Hinata to his credit didn’t fall over, merely stumbling slightly into Tobio’s hold again, inadvertently getting a little <em>too</em> close.</p>
<p>Tobio’s breath hitched as he almost anticipated something else. The feeling in the air was one of increased expectation and anticipation from their onlookers. After all, no-one knew who this mysterious stranger dancing with Tobio was. They had seen him arrive, but there was no title to him.</p>
<p>“Sorry,” Tobio whispered. “Should’ve warned—.”</p>
<p>“It’s okay!” Hinata hissed as Tobio’s hand settled on his back again. “I-I should’ve been ready.”</p>
<p>Tobio smiled as he kept them dancing. It was his innocent, genuine smile, the one that Hinata rarely saw but always felt strike him in his chest like an arrow hitting its mark. “You’re doing fine.”</p>
<p>“You’re just saying that to make me feel better, you don’t actually <em>mean</em> it.” He uttered, trying to keep himself calm despite the conflicting emotions in him.</p>
<p>“Don’t I?” Tobio leaned closer, their foreheads were touching as he slowed their steps. Hinata’s continuous wondering how much of this was really an act didn’t seem like it was fading anytime soon.</p>
<p>“You—I mean…ugh.” Hinata pouted in mild frustration. It would be far too easy for Tobio to tilt his head slightly and cause an uproar with a simple gesture. But it was far too early to pull a stunt like that, besides, Hinata would probably be mortified.</p>
<p>Probably. <em>Maybe</em>.</p>
<p>He pulled back a little and resumed the pace from before. Hinata tried to ignore the feeling of butterflies in his chest as he gazed up at Tobio’s calm smile, it was almost odd to see the king seem so relaxed in their current setting. Even with the eyes of the empire on them, Tobio didn’t place a foot wrong.</p>
<p>“I’m gonna spin you again.” He murmured.</p>
<p>At least Hinata had some warning this time and was able to be a tad more graceful about it. He returned to Tobio’s hold with a softer smile and he swore he saw Tobio’s eyes widen a little. The fond look in the king’s eyes felt like it was only for him despite their audience.</p>
<p>“Don’t freak out.” Tobio whispered. Hinata was about to ask ‘at what’ when he felt himself be tipped back. His gaze fell on the stained-glass window above them as Tobio’s strong hold on him kept him from falling to the floor. Before he could get used to the new view, he was already being pulled close again, inhaling Tobio’s scent as they halted.</p>
<p>There was a moment when the strumming of harp strings was all he could hear over his thundering heart. Then came the polite applause that signalled they had passed some kind of test. Tobio chuckled, relaxing slightly and bringing Hinata’s hand to his lips. A chaste kiss was placed onto his knuckles as deep blue eyes regarded him silently.</p>
<p>“That was fun.” Hinata found himself saying, heart thundering still as Tobio’s lips left his hand feeling tingly, almost like he had summoned sparks to his fingertips. “We should…do it again.”</p>
<p>“Maybe we will.” Tobio replied, linking their fingers together. “But for now, we should find the others.”</p>
<p>Not going to argue with that, Hinata nodded. They made their exit from the centre of attention, figuratively and physically. Quickly they found Daichi and Asahi discussing how the heck Kuroo managed to get the rest of the Brotherhood invitations to perform at the ball. At the sight of his king, Asahi bowed respectfully, the hint of a knowing smile on his lips as he righted his posture.</p>
<p>“Are you having fun, your majesty?”</p>
<p>Tobio gave him a polite nod in return, hand still holding Hinata’s. “Yes, this ball is quite something.”</p>
<p>Daichi had been given a basic black mask to fall in line with the ball’s customs, he nodded as Hinata glanced between the two of them. “Don’t ask how Kuroo got us here, it involves far too much to explain.”</p>
<p>Hinata shrugged. “I uh, wasn’t sure if you’d seen Kenma?”</p>
<p>“Kenma?” Asahi replied. “Last I saw he was with Inuoka in the grand hallway, neither of them has entered this room since we all arrived together.”</p>
<p>“Seems wise.” Tobio cut in. “Sou is probably worried about causing a scene.”</p>
<p>Asahi nodded. “I imagine they’ll slip out soon. This evening’s festivities are nearing an end of course.”</p>
<p>“Already?” Hinata felt like not a lot of time had passed. Tobio chuckled at his naivety.</p>
<p>“They’re probably nearly out of wine if Kunimi’s state is anything to go by.”</p>
<p>Hinata had loosely heard about the other being a little too enthusiastic about the wine. There was simply too much going on for him to keep track of in one night. He felt almost relieved when more guests began to leave and there was a noticeable absence of the empress. Tobio waited until Ushijima approached to confirm he could indeed leave before declaring the entire party was departing for the manor.</p>
<p>Ushijima wasn’t entirely happy about Kuroo and company being included in that, but he wasn’t going to argue. He merely requested that the new additions made time to bathe properly that evening once back.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>As the dawn’s early light streamed through the thin drapes, Kiyoko stirred in the bed she had not to gracefully fallen into the previous night. The wine had snuck up on her, on most of them actually. Akaashi had been barely coherent as Kuroo carried him up the stairs to their room. She had gotten off somewhat lightly compared to him, though not without her own pitfalls.</p>
<p>There was an arm slung across her waist. Her vision was blurry as she blinked in the harsh light. It was warm under the blankets, even with the itchy clothing rubbing against her skin. The arm around her tightened as she moved still half-asleep. Her head was pounding, as the light made her wince. Rolling over to get away from it, she collided with someone.</p>
<p>“Fuck that’s bright.” Suga murmured.</p>
<p>She snorted, curling into his hold before the situation sunk in. “Koushi?”</p>
<p>“Hmm?” He didn’t seem bothered by this chain of events.</p>
<p>“What happened?”</p>
<p>Even with her pounding headache and slightly blurred vision, she could see the slight smirk on his face as he gazed at her. “We got really drunk on wine, got back here, passed out and…yeah.”</p>
<p>“Yeah what?”</p>
<p>His arm shifted, hand coming up to cup her face. “It was all an act…at first.”</p>
<p>“And now what is it?”</p>
<p>He shrugged, there were distant sounds of the manor waking up; varying loud groans of pain and irritation at being hungover could be heard through the door. “Depends what you want it to be.”</p>
<p>“Koushi, I can barely think right now, don’t ask me such cryptic things.” She complained.</p>
<p>“Then don’t think.”</p>
<p>He leaned closer unexpectedly and bumped noses with her. It was a gentle gesture, one that she could turn down easily enough if she really was too groggy to handle. Instead she tilted her head slightly and smiled into the chaste kiss. There was the lingering taste and smell of wine on their breath, another reminder of what had led to this moment.</p>
<p>He hummed in amusement, bringing his hand up to caress her cheek. “Not that I don’t want to stay here…but I think order needs to be restored elsewhere.”</p>
<p>She giggled. “After you. I’m staying here.”</p>
<p>He shook his head slightly but seemed set on keeping to his word. She felt the bed shift as he got up far too quickly for someone who was just as hungover as her. He seemed as nimble as always as she watched him pull on extra clothes. He glanced over his shoulder at her and flashed her a soft smile.</p>
<p>“I’ll see if someone can bring you something to drink.”</p>
<p>“I’ll be waiting.” She remarked, pulling the blankets around her tightly.</p>
<p>He quietly left their shared room. He could hear a loud conversation from downstairs of those who were less affected by last night’s festivities than others. Doors all along the hallway to the staircase were in varying states of ajar, he didn’t bother anyone as he made for the staircase. In the parlour of the manor he found Yamaguchi and Daichi nursing cups of hot drinks, a maid was just clearing away some additional crockery when he entered and she offered to make a fresh pot.</p>
<p>“If you could send some upstairs, that would be great.” He smiled. “Fourth door on the left.”</p>
<p>She nodded and continued clearing away other cups. Daichi raised an eyebrow as he sat down at the table. Suga knew exactly what he was silently remarking at but he wasn’t going to take the bait. Instead, he turned his attention to Yamaguchi.</p>
<p>“So, when is Tobio talking to the empress?”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi thought for a moment. He seemed unaffected by the wine, probably because he had been too busy to drink anywhere near the amount needed to be drunk. “Courier came by today with an official summons, sometime after noon I think it said. So he has time to get the fuck out of bed.”</p>
<p>The blunt and blasé nature of Yamaguchi’s reply made Suga laugh. “He’s that troublesome as a charge?”</p>
<p>There was a huff as he rolled his eyes. “<em>Well</em>, I’m not saying he’s the <em>worst</em>, but he’s not a morning person usually and with everyone in various state of hungover, I can’t imagine he’s in a very perky state either.”</p>
<p>Suga nodded, accepting the cup of tea from the maid before she continued on her way upstairs. “Is he as wasted as Kunimi?”</p>
<p>“Hah! No.” Yamaguchi snorted, laughing a little before continuing. “No, Kunimi is <em>wrecked</em>.”</p>
<p>“Gods help us all.” Daichi sighed, rubbing his forehead. “No more drinking for them then, at least not wine.”</p>
<p>“However, Akaashi drank just as much and he’s fine, <em>now</em> at least.” Yamaguchi shrugged. “So I guess everyone is different.”</p>
<p>Suga nodded again. This wasn’t really news to him, the Brotherhood were heavy drinkers when free alcohol was involved. He cradled the steaming cup as he changed topics slightly. “So Tobio and Hinata shared a room again?” He got a nod from Yamaguchi. “Hm, I guess I can go and see if they’re awake.”</p>
<p>“Eh, I wouldn’t worry. Give them privacy.” Yamaguchi seemed very calm considering the important appointment the king had that day. “I mean, I’m not in a hurry to have him worrying over this meeting that by all accounts is gonna be fucking horrendous.”</p>
<p>“How so?”</p>
<p>“Well, it’s the empress, and I don’t know what she really thinks Tobio is gonna do? He ain’t gonna hand over Hinata and Inuoka, and I doubt she’ll just rescind the treaty. So it could be a stalemate.” He stifled a yawn. “It’s gonna take several days to sort this out, if not weeks.”</p>
<p>Suga could see the issue. “I can see why you’re not in a hurry to get to it.”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi wryly smiled. “Yeah, I’m not looking forward to it.”</p>
<p>Upstairs still, Akaashi was awake and pretty okay with everything. He wasn’t hungover surprisingly, he wasn’t sure if it was that he didn’t get affected by the sweet wine or if he happened to end up with weaker drinks. Either way, he found himself dealing with not only a hungover Kuroo, but a hungover Bokuto too. And he didn’t really have time to deal with either as he knew he needed to pass on the strange message from the twins he met the previous night.</p>
<p>“But Keiji,” Kuroo whined, hugging him tightly as he tried to roll out of bed, “we don’t have to go to this stupid meeting.”</p>
<p>“No,” Akaashi replied, “but I have to talk to Tobio.”</p>
<p>“What about?”</p>
<p>“Nothing that concerns you if you’re not going to this meeting.”</p>
<p>Kuroo grumbled, burying his face in Akaashi’s shoulder. “Koutarou, tell Keiji he’s not allowed to leave.”</p>
<p>Bokuto had fallen back to sleep and was snoring loudly, much to everyone else in the room’s delight. Kenma, who had been smart enough not to drink, was merely watching this fresh entertainment with sleepy eyes, Lev was sprawled out at the foot of his bed asleep, tail twitching slightly as the grumbles and complaints from Kuroo kept coming.</p>
<p>Akaashi was starting to tire from the antics though. “Tetsurou, just let me go and talk to Tobio. You can be clingy later.”</p>
<p>“Just how important is it <em>really</em>?”</p>
<p>Akaashi sighed heavily, looking to Kenma for help and getting an amused smirk in return. “A matter of kingdom security?”</p>
<p>“Then you can tell me.”</p>
<p>“<em>Fine</em>.” Akaashi sighed. “I met two guys last night from the empire, they knew our motto and that Tobio is here on business that the rest of the nobles don’t seem to realise. They know far too much about us to not have been told by someone, but they told me to tell Tobio that they’ll be in touch.”</p>
<p>Kuroo hummed in thought as his lagged brain put the pieces together. “So…allies.”</p>
<p>“Kind of? I don’t know, I just know I need to tell Tobio.”</p>
<p>Kuroo made an unimpressed noise but released Akaashi from his hold. Akaashi playfully poked his forehead before rolling out of bed. After lazily getting dressed he sought out some less clingy and hungover people. He found Yamaguchi in the parlour with Suga and Daichi but no sign of Tobio. When he asked for the king and got told he was probably still in bed nursing his headache, Yamaguchi was naturally curious as to what Akaashi wanted to talk to Tobio of all people about.</p>
<p>So Akaashi loosely explained the mysterious stranger he had encountered and how unsettled out he was at being that easily identifiable in the imperial palace. Daichi seemed deep in thought at the mention of a ‘friend’ appealing to these twins on their behalf, there weren’t many people he knew who would have any contact with the empire, let alone have contacts on that sort of scale.</p>
<p>“Huh, Miya twins.” Yamaguchi repeated, glancing out the window in thought. “Never heard of them.”</p>
<p>“Maybe Ushijima has?” Suga offered.</p>
<p>There was a collective shrug, no-one had seen their guide that morning so far, it was likely he wouldn’t return until Tobio was due to see the empress. Akaashi wasn’t sure he wanted to wait that long. He stated he was going to go an explore the city a little and that anyone was free to join him. Daichi nodded, standing up and immediately gesturing for him to lead on.</p>
<p>The crisp morning air was refreshing to both of them as they stepped out onto the street. Neither really knew anything about the city beyond bits and pieces they had overheard the night before; Hinode was an old city that had been untouched by the imperial family until the last hundred years. One of the old emperors decided that the imperial family needed to be closer to their borders so that they were closer to the action. Hinode as a result had been picked and that was that.</p>
<p>Parts of the pre-empire city still existed; the much more modest wooden and grey slate structures were tightly clustered together in the older city districts. Many of the more working-class seemed to live in these more slum-style areas. It felt familiar and almost cosy to them both as they meandered through side streets and alleyways.</p>
<p>“So, what do you think about these twins?” Akaashi asked Daichi as they found themselves in a quieter part of the city.</p>
<p>“Not sure.” Daichi replied. “I’d have to meet one for myself.”</p>
<p>Akaashi nodded, recalling his initial impressions. “Atsumu felt cocky like Kuroo, like he knew more than he was letting on to me. I dunno if he’s got some other motive to getting us involved in whatever it is they’re planning.”</p>
<p>“And the other?”</p>
<p>Akaashi shrugged. “He was quiet, thoughtful. He finished Atsumu’s sentences a lot or elaborated in much blunter terms.”</p>
<p>“Did they seem to think poorly of us?”</p>
<p>“Not really. They just uttered our motto to get my attention, then when I asked what they wanted they just said something about not letting another family sail the empire off a waterfall.”</p>
<p>Daichi paused to admire the view of the empty street in front of them leading back to the central circle of the city. Tall buildings framed the street and blocked out the still low sun, casting much of the lower levels in shadows and gloom. It was nice to be alone for a few moments and not have to think too much about how they were holding themselves.</p>
<p>“Sounds like this is gonna get dicey.” He remarked after a few moments of thought. “I hope Tobio knows what he’s doing.”</p>
<p>“Of course he fucking doesn’t.” Akaashi sighed. “None of us do.”</p>
<p>“Which is why we need to keep our heads and not get at each other’s throats.” Daichi calmly stated. “Look, as much as we’re here to help Tobio, we have to keep ourselves out of danger too, regardless if that means Hinata…” he didn’t want to say that they’d abandon Hinata, but he had to crunch the numbers; he couldn’t put fourteen people in danger right now for one mage who was actually quite capable of defending himself.</p>
<p>“I know.” Akaashi echoed his thought. “But I’m not certain others will see it that way.”</p>
<p>Daichi shrugged. “We’ll make do.”</p>
<p>It seemed that the conversation was at an end as they began walking back to the central circle. Akaashi was still caught up on things but Daichi seemed as calm as ever despite the situation. Akaashi dared to ask how the heck Kuroo ended up getting them into the ball and Daichi indulged him in the tale of the bard troupe. It wasn’t all that surprising to Akaashi, he was more surprised that everyone else, including Semi, went along with it.</p>
<p>“Well,” Daichi said as they wandered through the central circle, “it was either that, or we sat it out.”</p>
<p>“And getting everyone drunk was <em>totally</em> a better idea.” Akaashi gave him a wry smile.</p>
<p>Daichi laughed. “I mean, I got to see my two best friends finally admit their feelings for each other.”</p>
<p>Akaashi snorted. “Ah yeah, that.”</p>
<p>“All part of an act, yeah right.” Daichi smugly smiled. “And he made sure she was going to get tea delivered to her this morning.”</p>
<p>“He’s such a romantic.” Akaashi remarked. “I wish Kuroo did that for me.”</p>
<p>Daichi laughed again, Akaashi had to join in. Neither was going to say it took them long enough, that the glances and time spent in each other’s company over the months had been building something unspoken. The final straw had been her insistence to rescue Suga herself and the length she went to. The bonds of Brotherhood were strong, but what they had was something different. Akaashi could recognise it in both of their presences, the air of calm that each of them carried was not just down to their personalities.</p>
<p>As they crossed the open area of the city, stepping around market stalls and out of the way of horse-drawn carts, they bumped into Ushijima. The other seemed startled at their presence in the main area of the city, even if it was nearing midmorning and market day was in full swing. He bowed his head in greeting before gesturing for them to follow him. They ended up in a much smaller tavern than usual, and it wasn’t really a ‘tavern’, it was far cleaner and the clientele was sober.</p>
<p>“A tea house.” Ushijima stated as they sat on the floor at a low table and were immediately served three clay cups between them by a serving girl. She smiled sweetly at them and rattled off a lot of different names of drinks only for Ushijima to state; “The usual.”</p>
<p>Once she had returned with a teapot and left them alone again, Ushijima decided to at least explain his intentions a little more. “The manor has the potential for too many eyes and ears.” He stated as he started pouring tea between them. “However, here does not.”</p>
<p>Daichi and Akaashi exchanged a glance, this didn’t bode well for a casual conversation. “What’s this about then?” Daichi asked.</p>
<p>Ushijima set the teapot down and took his time savouring the warmth that the cup provided as he held it. “You ran into the Miya twins last night, did you not?” He looked at Akaashi.</p>
<p>“Yes.” He replied bluntly, still not certain how much they should really be trusting Ushijima. “What of it?”</p>
<p>“They are on your side.” He replied. “And before you ask how I know this, I first must apologise for deceiving you.”</p>
<p>This was news to them both. “Uh…huh?”</p>
<p>“I was not strictly hired solely by her imperial majesty.” Ushijima’s voice lowered, making them both lean over the table to hear him. “Atsumu and Osamu hired me for other purposes. As soon as they heard Tobio was being sent summons, the twins put both me and Aone forward as trustworthy mercenaries. We were sent because you and them are fighting the same fight.”</p>
<p>“We are?” Daichi questioned. “And what fight is that?”</p>
<p>Ushijima’s expression gave nothing away as he took a long sip. As he set the cup down, he stared straight at Daichi. “Getting rid of the Tsukishimas, mainly Akiteru but his brother Kei is also a threat.”</p>
<p>Daichi and Akaashi exchanged a glance. They surely hadn’t heard that right?</p>
<p>“Kei Tsukishima.” Akaashi repeated carefully, watching Ushijima’s expression remain the same. He made no attempt to truly read the other’s intentions, not yet anyway.</p>
<p>Ushijima nodded. “The same one who betrayed both Tobio and Tooru, yes.”</p>
<p>Daichi pinched the bridge of his nose. This wasn’t right, this couldn’t be right. The guy they knew to be Kei was just a slightly unhinged mage who had this vendetta against both House Oikawa and House Kageyama. He wasn’t in the empire. He wasn’t <em>that</em> important.</p>
<p>“What?” Akaashi seemed just as disbelieving. “Kei. As in, freakish tattoo mage Kei?”</p>
<p>Ushijima blinked, thinking for a moment. “Yes, he has tattoos. Though he seldom shows them off.”</p>
<p>“I call bullshit.” Akaashi shook his head. “There’s no way—”</p>
<p>Ushijima seemed unfazed. “Very well, shall I wait for the twins to tell you the same thing or do you want to actually be told something <em>useful</em>?”</p>
<p>Daichi and Akaashi found themselves exchanging another glance, this one more troubled than the last. Akaashi didn’t like how this was being shoved on them, nor how blunt Ushijima was being, but if he was willing to talk then who were they to ignore him?</p>
<p>“Fine,” he met Ushijima’s gaze again, “start talking.”</p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Early Morning Headaches</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>XIII</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Early Morning Headaches</strong>
</p>
<p>Hinata awoke to the sound of gentle knocking at the door. A serving girl poked her head in to ask if they needed anything, to which he shook his head, still wrapped up in the covers. Once she was gone, he yawned loudly and pressed back against Tobio. The other had barely stirred at the interruption. His arm was wrapped around Hinata protectively, making it hard for him to roll over without disturbing him. The smell of wine was still on Tobio’s breath as he slept through Hinata’s movements, his arm tightening slightly as the other settled once more.</p>
<p>Warm breath tickled Hinata’s cheeks. They were closer than usual. Normally Hinata was the first to awake and he’d jump out of bed before any outlandish thoughts could occur, but that morning he felt more at peace laying next to the other. He hesitantly reached out and cupped Tobio’s face, barely letting himself put any pressure on the other. Tobio’s skin was soft, Hinata loosely wondered how his lips felt.</p>
<p>That thought was quickly shoved away. No. That wasn’t part of this act. Not at this time of the day when no-one else was around. He pulled back his hand and considered wrestling out of the bed but Tobio’s hold on him was strong for someone who was supposedly asleep. He tried to go back to sleep, but he was far too aware of the sounds of others in the manor now. It was quiet but not quiet enough for him to sleep through it. He started thinking back to the previous night, how carefree Tobio had seemed as they danced, how close they had once several times to kissing. He wondered if none of this had happened, if they had remained in Tobu Misaki-Mura, would they have gotten this close anyway?</p>
<p>He didn’t want to go back in time to find out. He laughed to himself at that thought. Somehow, that of all things woke Tobio up. It was clear the king was slightly groggy from the wine, but he lazily smiled as he pulled Hinata closer, burying his face in Hinata’s shoulder despite the squawk of protest.</p>
<p>“What?” He mumbled as Hinata froze. “What’s wrong?”</p>
<p>“Y-You. I mean, you’re being all…clingy and…stuff.”</p>
<p>Tobio snorted. “And? Does it make you feel ugh?”</p>
<p>Hinata pouted as he rolled over and Tobio’s smug smile greeted him. “No, but it’s all really confusing! One minute you’re all like, it’s an act and then the next you’re being all cuddly and it’s just—”</p>
<p>“Does it displease you?”</p>
<p>Hinata huffed. “N-No, but I want you to be honest with me, like…like I’ve always been with you.”</p>
<p>Tobio blinked slowly. “I see. Maybe this is what Tadashi was on about…”</p>
<p>“Huh?”</p>
<p>Tobio released him quickly, an air of panic about him. “It’s okay. I apologise.”</p>
<p>“Apologise for wha—”</p>
<p>“Being confusing.” Tobio sat up abruptly. Hinata found it very unfair how the blankets pooled around his waist and showed off his bare torso, he found it even more unfair how much he found himself blushing at the sight he’d seen hundreds of times before. “It’s not fair on you.”</p>
<p>“Well you could just come out and say it.”</p>
<p>“Say what?”</p>
<p>“If this is all an act or if…” the words died in Hinata’s mouth. Tobio raised an eyebrow as he waited for Hinata to finish his sentence. “If it’s more.”</p>
<p>“More?”</p>
<p>“Yeah.”</p>
<p>“Like, Tooru and Iwaizumi?”</p>
<p>Hinata chewed on his bottom lip. The fact they kept bringing up the other king’s relationship with his knight had to mean <em>something</em> when comparing themselves to them? “Yeah.”</p>
<p>There was a moment of thought from Tobio as he ran his hands through his hair. He looked so dishevelled yet so perfect in the morning light streaming through the shutters. Hinata swallowed as he took in the sight.</p>
<p>“It’s probably best not to complicate things until after our meeting with the empress.” Tobio replied eventually.</p>
<p>“Complicate?!” Hinata near exploded. “As if this,” he gestured to the fact they were very much still in bed together half-clothed, “wasn’t complicated enough?”</p>
<p>Tobio let out a small snort. “You’re the one reading into it Shoyo.”</p>
<p>It almost felt like how he’d imagine a rejection felt, this strange stomach-turning feeling in his gut as Tobio’s expression gave nothing else away. Was this all just something he had thought up? Was this just a sequence of misunderstood gestures? Did everyone else read too much into it too?</p>
<p>“So that’s it, it’s really just an act?”</p>
<p>“You say the word <em>‘just’</em> like it’s a bad thing.” Tobio frowned. “I mean it when I say that you’re important to me, that I’m willing to do whatever it takes to make sure you don’t get taken from me.”</p>
<p>Hinata swallowed the lump in his throat. “Why?” He uttered. “Why am I important to you? Put all of the Hēishān stuff aside, all of the magic and my dumb luck aside…” He held Tobio’s gaze. “<em>Why</em>?”</p>
<p>There was a stony silence from the king. And that was all Hinata needed to hear, or rather, <em>not</em> hear. He threw off the blankets and hurriedly put on extra clothes before storming out, completely ignoring the few calls from Tobio to wait.</p>
<p>Being left alone in the bedroom, Tobio groaned loudly. The silence had only lasted a few moments but evidently it had been too long for Hinata. He was irritated with himself for hesitating how he did. It wasn’t that is was an act, it was more to do with what would happen after all this was said and done. Questions would be asked once they returned, questions he wasn’t sure if he could stomach.</p>
<p>He wasn’t alone for more than a few moments before Asahi came in, worry was etched on his face as he saw Tobio still sat in bed.</p>
<p>“What’s wrong? I saw Hinata in the hallway—”</p>
<p>“I fucked up.” Tobio replied, gesturing for Asahi to close the door. Once they had some privacy Tobio recounted the conversation to the other and how he regretted not being more honest like Hinata had requested of him. Asahi nodded along, listening and wondering if Yamaguchi was a better person to deal with this.</p>
<p>“I see,” he hummed, folding his arms across his chest, “so to you it’s not entirely an act, but you don’t know what’s going to happen once we get home?”</p>
<p>“Exactly.” Tobio nodded, letting out a sigh of relief that <em>someone</em> understood. “But I don’t want to tell him that, because it’s clear he’s more invested in it than I am.”</p>
<p>Asahi quirked an eyebrow. “Well, honesty is the best policy Tobio.” He smiled. “I can’t tell you that he’ll necessarily understand, but if you don’t tell him, how else are you going to know?”</p>
<p>Tobio let out another groan as he fell back onto the bed and rubbed his eyes. “This is all so stupid.”</p>
<p>“No it’s not,” Asahi said, “you’re both just very…hm, like you’re aware of what’s riding on all of this and how one misunderstood remark could blow everything out of proportion.”</p>
<p>“And if I don’t argue his case well enough, he could be torn away from me.” Tobio’s voice was quiet, almost dripping with defeat, “and gods only know what’ll happen to him in her clutches.”</p>
<p>Asahi shrugged. “Then we make sure that doesn’t happen. We go to this meeting today and put on our brave faces, we deal with the cards fate had dealt us.”</p>
<p>“Fate must have a sadistic sense of humour then.”</p>
<p>Asahi chuckled, relaxing his posture and pacing around the bed to Tobio’s side. “Come on, you need to eat before we go.”</p>
<p>“It’s not that late surely.”</p>
<p>“No but laying around moping isn’t going to help. Or do you want me to tell Tadashi you’re slacking off?”</p>
<p>Tobio pouted. “I’m the king, I’m—”</p>
<p>“You have one of the most important appointments of your life this afternoon.” Asahi’s tone was still humorous but there was a side of sternness to it. “You have at least two lives resting on how you present yourself and their cases. This is not a day for idleness.”</p>
<p>Hearing his point loud and clear, Tobio nodded and resigned himself to trying to patch things up with Hinata later.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Akaashi and Daichi exchanged a glance as Ushijima sipped on his tea. Hearing that Tsukishima was actually involved in the politics of the empire wasn’t sitting well with them. Daichi shook his head as he regarded his empty cup.</p>
<p>“We knew he had influence, but does he really have that much?”</p>
<p>Ushijima set his empty cup down. “His family is one of high status, yes.”</p>
<p>“And how come no-one down south knew this?” Akaashi asked, drumming his fingers on the table.</p>
<p>Ushijima shrugged. “No-one down south had any reason to. None of your rulers seemed to care about imperial politics, only if your borders were being threatened. We had no reason to tell you anything.”</p>
<p>That was true, the empire was just this strange mess of former kingdoms in many people’s eyes. The threat it posed was often played down to merely a matter of how big the army was. Kingdoms that were absorbed into the mass were never seen in the same way away, their rulers deposed in a lot of cases, others bargained for their status. Tobio had every right to be cautious of how close the empire’s border got to his.</p>
<p> Akaashi drained his cup within a few moments. “Tobio needs to know this before he meets her.” He looked to Daichi. “He can’t walk in there without knowing Kei is involved.”</p>
<p>Daichi nodded. “And he should probably know that these twins are indeed allies.”</p>
<p>Ushijima looked between them. “You do realise that his brother is the more troublesome one, right?”</p>
<p>Akaashi stiffened a little. “Difference is we’ve met and dealt with Kei’s bullshit, so we know just as well as anyone else what he’s capable of.”</p>
<p>Daichi sighed heavily, looking to Akaashi. “You go back to the others, make sure Tobio knows Kei is involved, I’ll keep talking to Ushijima about this mess.”</p>
<p>“Understood.” Akaashi stood up immediately and left, leaving Daichi to continue the conversation without him.</p>
<p>Daichi met Ushijima’s gaze. “So, tell me about these brothers and their family.”</p>
<p>Ushijima didn’t seem to mind Daichi’s choice to stay. He glanced down at his empty cup. “In essence, the Tsukishima family has been at the right-hand side of the Imperial family for generations, mainly back in the east. Some have been more…obvious than others. They’ve been everything from imperial guards, to stewards, to advisers.”</p>
<p>“And what are they right now?”</p>
<p>“Advisers mainly.” He looked up at Daichi. “Akiteru is the current head of the family with Kei stepping in whenever the older goes away. They’re currently both in residence so Kei is probably dedicating time to his personal studies.”</p>
<p>“Huh, so brotherly bonds like the Blue Serpents.” Daichi hummed.</p>
<p>There was no reaction to the name, Ushijima either didn’t know much of them or didn’t care. “Except they’re both united in one thing; power.”</p>
<p>“Well Suguru and Takeshi were.”</p>
<p>“No,” Ushijima shook his head. “I’m not sure what their relationship is like, but I’ve not heard of Kei doing anything of his own volition. It’s always been an order from his brother. And Akiteru is always involved in everything that happens here. Between the two of them, their family has maintained their status. Atsumu thinks it’s their way of ensuring that should the Imperial family fall, they’ll be the next best qualified for the position of emperor.”</p>
<p>Daichi frowned. “How so? What could possibly ensure that?”</p>
<p>Ushijima poured himself another cup of tea before pouring Daichi another. “It hasn’t happened in centuries, but when there is a change in imperial families, usually it is their next in line of authority who takes over. This is usually the stewards, however, it has been known for nobles to be more favoured to take the position. Purity of blood and the like.” He shrugged. “Given that there are few contenders for the throne, there aren’t many who would object to this being the case here too.”</p>
<p>Daichi accepted the fresh cup of tea with a nod. “So if Yachi falls, it’ll be Akiteru who wants the throne. And he’ll get it if he’s as influential as you say.”</p>
<p>“I expect so,” Ushijima glanced around, the tea house was still quiet but there was a low hum of conversation around them, “however, it is not always a done deal. The noble families agree on who is most suited for the role and the Miya family are not the only ones who object to them.”</p>
<p>“So this is really a big deal, if Yachi doesn’t hold onto power?”</p>
<p>“Who says she even has to fall?” Ushijima took a long drink, Daichi followed suit. “It is…reasonable to assume to most that she is being advised heavily by the Tsukishima family. If you get what I mean.”</p>
<p>Daichi didn’t need to think hard. “Heavily being…taken advantage of?”</p>
<p>“She is young.” Ushijima stated. “Far too young. She wasn’t expected to inherit the throne so early, if at all.”</p>
<p>“I mean surely she’s had mentoring?”</p>
<p>“No. In fact her mother would’ve been the next in line. However,” he tilted his cup a little, peering at the herbal brew in thought, “there was apparently a writ. Her aunt specifically passed over her mother and ordered her to take the throne.”</p>
<p>“Why the fuck would she—”</p>
<p>Ushijima shrugged. “I don’t know, and those who do are quiet. All I know is that Yachi’s parents are in the Summer Vale, the coastal city far to the east. She was here alone to merely visit her aunt when it all got hectic and next thing she knew,” he took another long drink, “she’s being sworn in as empress.”</p>
<p>Daichi peered into his cup at the slightly tainted liquid. That was unexpected. They had all heard the rumours of an abdication and a young empress being crowned, but this sounded so much more tragic. He didn’t want to imagine what that must’ve felt like to Yachi, to be told one day that she was going to be on the throne of an empire she barely knew anything about. It felt incredibly unfair.</p>
<p>“So Akiteru knows she’s weak anyway, and so he’s targeting her?”</p>
<p>“That’s the popular theory, yes.”</p>
<p>“So what’ll they do? Can she be removed?”</p>
<p>Ushijima beckoned Daichi to lean over the table as he lowered his voice to a whisper. “It is likely that she’ll be killed eventually. Or driven to insanity. Perhaps a mixture of two.”</p>
<p>This alarmed Daichi, even if it didn’t surprise him. It sounded far too familiar in all the wrong ways. He wasn’t sure he liked the idea of Kei being part of a ruling family. Just by going what Daichi knew of him, he didn’t seem like a nice ruler and there was nothing to say his older brother wasn’t worse.</p>
<p>“So what…what do the Miya family want us to do?”</p>
<p>Ushijima smiled, it was the first time Daichi saw him portray an emotion beyond polite smiles in greeting. “That is for them to tell you, not me.”</p>
<p>“You’ve told me all this.”</p>
<p>“But I’m not here to dish out orders or requests, I’m here to get you into the right place with the right people,” he glanced over Daichi’s shoulder, “speaking of which, we should go.”</p>
<p>Daichi drained his cup and stood up as Ushijima followed suit. He only dared to look at whoever Ushijima had seen to understand; armed guards in the same purple tunics and iron-plated armour had entered the teahouse. They seemed to be on their break but who knew what would happen if they overheard Ushijima talking ill about the Tsukishima family.</p>
<p>“Back to the manor?”</p>
<p>Ushijima nodded. “Speak not a word of this unless you are sure you are truly alone.”</p>
<p>“Understood.”</p>
<p>“And don’t tell Tobio all of this, not yet. I cannot trust that he won’t use it at the wrong time. He will be told by the twins when they need him to know.”</p>
<p>“And when will that be?”</p>
<p>“After he makes his first impression on the empress, and she makes hers on him.”</p>
<p>It was a blunt statement, but it answered Daichi’s question. It would seem that a lot was going to ride on this meeting with Yachi that afternoon.</p>
<p>Whether it went smoothly or not was entirely up to chance it seemed, and Tobio’s ability to not fuck this up.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Yamaguchi had been on his way to seeing if Tobio was awake when he found Hinata slumped against the wall in near tears. He felt a mixture of dread at what could’ve happened and a strange sense of relief that <em>something</em> had happened. He approached quietly, not trying to spook Hinata but equally not trying to draw any attention to them. A gentle hand atop Hinata’s shoulder got him to look up at Yamaguchi with glassy eyes, his face flushed red, lips quivering as his breathing was unsteady and on the verge of descending into sobs.</p>
<p>“What’s wrong?” He whispered.</p>
<p>“T-Tobio.” Hinata sniffed loudly, shaking his head. “He’s- I-I didn’t…he doesn’t—”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi pitied him. He gently pulled Hinata into a hug, letting him bury his face in his shirt. Getting a straightforward answer out of the other wasn’t going to be easy but he would just have to have faith that Tobio hadn’t said anything too damaging. Today was not the day they could afford to fall apart.</p>
<p>“Come on,” Yamaguchi’s hand slipped into Hinata’s, “my room is empty.”</p>
<p>Hinata let Yamaguchi lead him into a room with two single beds. He sat down on one of them whilst Yamaguchi closed the door. As Yamaguchi sat on the opposite bed, a calm smile on his face, Hinata felt the pressure on his chest easing. He sniffed loudly and rubbed his damp eyes.</p>
<p>“So what happened?” Yamaguchi asked. “Last night you both seemed happy with one another, I’m pretty sure Asahi said you both fell asleep quickly after getting back.”</p>
<p>Hinata nodded. The end of the ball had come quickly once the empress left, it might’ve had something to do with how much wine the guests had drank and how some were getting rowdy. He and Tobio had left with the rest of House Kageyama’s staff, all five of them cramming into the carriage and getting back to the manor before most of the others. Tobio had done his fair share of drinking so he was already exhausted when he was finally able to drop his regal act and flop into bed. At the time Hinata hadn’t thought much of his almost bratty demand for Hinata to retire for the night with him.</p>
<p>“It was more…this morning.” Hinata mumbled, not really wanting to meet Yamaguchi’s gaze. Whilst he considered Yamaguchi a friendly person to talk to, he was still Tobio’s adviser and best friend. If it came down to it, Tobio was his priority over anything else.</p>
<p>“Did he say something dumb?” Yamaguchi sighed slightly, rolling his eyes as he kept his calm smile.</p>
<p>“It’s more…what he <em>didn</em><em>’t</em> say.”</p>
<p>“Oh?”</p>
<p>Looking at Hinata, Yamaguchi could see that this had shaken him a lot. Hinata was always this whirlwind of optimistic and determined energy, but right now he seemed deflated and beaten down as he kept his gaze on the floor and fidgeting hands in his lap.</p>
<p>“I asked him,” Hinata was forcing the words out even as his chest ached, his stomach twisting into knots. “I asked if this was really an act or something…more.”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi inhaled sharply. He had warned Tobio about this but he didn’t expect Hinata to confront him so soon. “And what did he say?”</p>
<p>“He asked if I meant more as in, like how Tooru and Iwaizumi are.” Hinata shrugged. “I said yeah, and he just…he said it was ‘best not to complicate things’…” His hands balled into fists. “Like it wasn’t complicated already?”</p>
<p>There was an unpleasant feeling in the air as Yamaguchi waited for Hinata to continue. He could see where Tobio was coming from, but the wording felt cruel, even for him.</p>
<p>“And he said how I’m still important to him regardless. So I asked him why.” Hinata raised his head to look Yamaguchi in the eye for the first time. Tears were spilling down his cheeks as his hands remained balled into fists. “I asked him to forget about all the magic and how I’m his family’s protector now, I asked him <em>why</em> I’m important to him and…h-he didn’t answer me.”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi’s first thought was, did Hinata actually give Tobio a chance to answer? He chose not to voice it as he moved to sit next to Hinata and pull him back into a hug. Hinata broke down into sobs as he clung to Yamaguchi.</p>
<p>“Okay.” Yamaguchi spoke softly, rubbing Hinata’s back. “It’s okay to be upset.”</p>
<p>He understood that this probably felt frustrating to no end for Hinata. Tobio was never good at voicing his feelings and thoughts, he had always gone it alone. Yamaguchi and Asahi knew this and worked around it, they had grown accustomed to Tobio’s lone-wolf attitude. Working with Tooru, Yamaguchi had seen Tobio’s potential as someone who could rely on others, who could work <em>with</em> people and not against them. Obviously, there were going to be days he reverted back to the lonely soul he had been since the death of his family. People don’t get over that overnight. But that didn’t give him a free pass to treat others like this, especially Hinata of all people.</p>
<p>“I hate to bring this up now,” Yamaguchi murmured, “but the summons arrived today from the empress.”</p>
<p>Hinata sniffed loudly, pulling back enough to be able to look Yamaguchi in the eye. “Ah…”</p>
<p>“Are you still okay with…the plan.” Yamaguchi asked carefully. “You can say no. If you don’t want to put yourself in that situation—”</p>
<p>“I’m okay with it.” Hinata replied. He inhaled a shaky breath. “I promised Tobio I would.” He forced a smile, Yamaguchi could see that it hurt but there was the determination that Hinata was renowned for. “And I’m the reason we’re in this mess so…”</p>
<p>“But you don’t have to pretend to be his—”</p>
<p>“But I <em>want</em> to.” Hinata’s tone was absolute as his gaze was unyielding. “It’s what we agreed.”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi wanted to physically shake some sense into Hinata. Just because they had agreed on it didn’t mean he had to go through it now. If anything, the way Tobio had spoken to him was more than enough reasoning to <em>not</em> go through with it. He sighed slightly.</p>
<p>“You’re too good to him.” Yamaguchi weakly smiled. “Well, some of the others are downstairs eating, you wanna join them?”</p>
<p>Hinata nodded, sniffing and rubbing at his eyes again. “Sure.” his smile was more genuine this time.</p>
<p>Yamaguchi returned the smile, he still felt uncomfortable about Hinata going through with this plan of theirs in light of all this. He needed to have a serious talk with Tobio.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. A Date With Fate</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Had a few technical issues which delayed me updating so apologies if you were left hanging yesterday 😔</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>XIV</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>A Date With Fate</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Tobio didn’t tend to regret many things. He was one of these people who figured life was too short and fleeting to regret things, he nearly died twice and although neither of those times were strictly his fault, people around him could consider their circumstances regrettable. This however, this was regrettable in his mind. He knew he should’ve been more open with Hinata about his feelings, but in truth he didn’t want to put more pressure onto the other in an already stressful situation. Feelings would complicate things further, and complication was not something they needed.</p>
<p>Except now he had gone and given Hinata the ludicrous idea that he didn’t at least have <em>some</em> feelings for him. He wasn’t sure what Hinata thought now, but he was certain he was misunderstanding the situation. After all, why else would he give the other his family ring? Why else would he go along with all this plan to pretend to be together for the empire’s enjoyment?</p>
<p>Either he wasn’t being obvious enough, or Hinata was really dumb. Or maybe given the power dynamic between them, Hinata was being cautious, rightfully so some would say. He sighed heavily as he finished adjusting the buttons on his formal jacket. He hadn’t seen Hinata since the other stormed out of his room. It didn’t bode well for this meeting they were due to attend within the next few hours.</p>
<p>He had confided in Yamaguchi when the other came to check on him after breakfast, Yamaguchi rightly told him he had been somewhat selfish to not consider Hinata’s feelings when handling the matter, but what was done was done.</p>
<p>“Suppose he hates me.” Tobio uttered to Yamaguchi. “What do I do then?”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi shook his head. “He doesn’t hate you.”</p>
<p>“How are you so sure?”</p>
<p>“Because I spoke to him.” Yamaguchi smiled slightly as he dusted down any stray hairs from Tobio’s jacket. “And even though he’s very upset and stressed out, he said he’s still going to go along with the original plan.”</p>
<p>Tobio’s brow furrowed in thought as he set his crown on his head. “Well, that’s good...”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi shrugged slightly as he stepped back. Gone was the soft reassuring smile and in its place a more pointed, almost irritated look. “Yeah, but you need to properly explain to him what the fuck is going on. You have to be honest with him Tobio, and yourself.”</p>
<p>“That can wait.” Tobio uttered, acutely aware of what was riding on today of all days.</p>
<p>“You can’t put it off forever.” Yamaguchi stated, already sensing this was going to be a case of who was more stubborn over this situation. “Anyway, let’s get through this meeting and we can figure this all out later.”</p>
<p>“Sure thing…”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi withheld any further comments. As he said, they could figure this out later.</p>
<p>As the manor got ready for Tobio to leave for this meeting with the empress, there was an air of anticipation and slight apprehension. Tobio entered the parlour in his full formal attire; black fitted jacket with bright brass buttons, leather pants to match and his silver crown had been polished until it shone in the light.</p>
<p>Inuoka was wearing his court regalia; his equally dark-toned fabrics had small shards of gemstones stitched into it so it looked like he was shimmering in the light. Rings adorned his fingers and he had a cloak fastened around his shoulders with similar embellishments on it. He had kept the circlet from the battle and added extra gems to it to make it seem more ‘pompous’ like Tobio asked.</p>
<p>They were just waiting on Hinata as both Asahi and Yamaguchi were making final adjustments to their attire. There was a no-weapons rule so they were going to be at the mercy of the imperial court with only words to protect themselves. Just when someone thought they’d have to go and fetch Hinata, he came down the stairs wearing his usual House Kageyama regalia complete with the circlet adorned with the pure stone. It glistened in the light, he showed no obvious sign that it was giving him discomfort like it had in the past.</p>
<p>He smiled slightly as he reached the bottom of the stairs and met Tobio’s gaze. His eyes were red like he had been crying but no-one addressed it as Tobio offered him his arm. Hesitantly, he took it. It felt awkward given everything that had happened that morning, but he said he was going to honour the agreement with Tobio regardless.</p>
<p> They left the manor like that, arm in arm, the carriage was waiting for the five of them, it would be a squeeze but there was space if they didn’t care too much about personal bubbles. The ride to the palace was quiet, no-one wanted to say anything that might cause distress to the others. Everything that needed to be said had been said anyway; it was important that this went well, they couldn’t afford to cause offence to the empress even if it was tempting.</p>
<p>Drawing up to the palace, Hinata swallowed. Whilst it may have been protocol for the king to leave the carriage first in most places, here it seemed the norm for their staff to effectively ‘get out of the way’ first. Which left him and Tobio sitting in the carriage alone for a few moments.</p>
<p>“Well, here we are.” Tobio murmured, catching Hinata’s eye. “You good?”</p>
<p>Hinata nodded, it may not have been entirely convincing but it wasn’t the time to argue. “I won’t say a word unless spoken to.”</p>
<p>Tobio smiled slightly. “We got this, together.”</p>
<p>The words felt optimistic even if a little hollow given their argument earlier. Hinata mirrored the smile as he stepped out of the carriage to the fanfare of guards lining the entrance. There was a small crowd of onlookers vying for a sight of the young king in the flesh and not in a masquerade ball setting. Hinata paused and waited for Tobio to step out of the carriage, taking an arm offered to him. The gesture didn’t go unnoticed by everyone. Hinata tried not to dwell too much on the way Tobio gazed at him. After all, it was an act. That didn’t stop it sending hushed murmurs and whispers through the onlookers as they walked together towards the large doors that were opening for them.</p>
<p>They didn’t end up in the ballroom they had been in the previous night. Instead they were met by an older man, greying hair giving away his age. He bowed and introduced himself as the head steward to the empress and insisted they follow him. With little other option, they did. A hallway led them to another large room, vaulted ceiling allowed impressive chandeliers to hang down over the open space. Large windows overlooked the palace district and the city beyond as they let light flood into the vast room. At the other end of the room was a set of steps leading up to a large throne. Behind the throne hung tapestries and banners depicting soaring eagles and palaces by the ocean.</p>
<p>In front of the throne was a space for those seeking an audience to stand, it was flanked by two sets of tiered seats, only three benches to each tier but it was crowded enough for it to make them feel like they were walking into a much more public gallery. There were a few dozen people gathered in the stands as they entered, many were older than them by several summers. They all appeared of upper class, their attire embellished with gems and fine stitching that only nobles and their associates could afford. Many wore emblems that reminded Hinata of the crypts below the Blue Palace in Tanishiti.</p>
<p>Tobio cast his glance over the spectators looking expectantly at them. He did not recognise these faces one bit, he could assume that they represented noble families who held power in the empire, though how far their influence reached beyond this city was a mystery to him. Given the news that had come from Akaashi earlier; some of them were linked to Tsukishima. He wasn’t sure how much they knew about <em>that</em> saga.</p>
<p>“Presenting to the Imperial Court; His majesty King Tobio Kageyama of the South Eastern Kingdom and his entourage.” The steward announced to the room. It didn’t go unnoticed to Tobio that they purposefully left off his more ceremonial title of Dragon of the East.</p>
<p>There was polite applause as they continued into the room, a polite gesture certainly not one of genuine respect. Hinata set his eyes upon the empress for the first time properly. Without the stress of the ball, it was easier to see that she was indeed noticeably young. She barely seemed to take up even half the seat in the throne, and that was without her dress being considered. Though puffy dresses were all the rage, she wasn’t following the trend; her attire was much more form fitting, though still long. And she wasn’t wearing garish colours like some of her court members were her dress was a deep blue colour with golden and silver embellishments. Blond hair was let down that afternoon though a dainty silver tiara studded with gemstones adorned her head, thin silver chains hung from it studded with tiny diamonds that caught the light as they weaved within loose strands of hair.</p>
<p>“Presenting her Imperial Majesty; Hitoka Yachi, Empress of the Summer Vale.”</p>
<p>Tobio halted where he felt it was appropriate, bowing more this time than the last. Hinata was quick to follow suit as were the others. As Tobio met her gaze again, he caught a glimpse of the slightly apprehensive girl beneath all the pageantry.</p>
<p>“Greetings, your Majesty.” She smiled as she nodded in greeting, gaze darting between Tobio and the others. “It’s a pleasure to have you with us today.”</p>
<p>Tobio mirrored the smile. “Thank you for granting my request, your Imperial Majesty.” He nodded in return. “I trust we do not need to dance around the subject?”</p>
<p>“Ah, of course.” She remarked quietly, glancing at the noblemen around her. “Well, as per the treaty’s instructions; your mages will be taken and questioned on their involvement in breaking the Treaty of the Eagle.”</p>
<p>Hinata stiffened, flashing a glance to Inuoka who seemed neither surprised nor happy about this. Tobio let out a loud hum, calm and collected even with this sudden spike in tension.</p>
<p>“Well, did no-one tell you?” He stated evenly. “One of my mages is actually rather dear to me, and I’m not sure how your people will react if they hear you’ve taken my consort from me.”</p>
<p>There were raised eyebrows all around, not least from the empress herself. “Consort?” She repeated delicately as she brought her hands together in her lap. It didn’t escape Hinata’s notice that she didn’t seem particularly emotional in her mannerisms. Like every action was well-rehearsed and chosen before they had even stepped into the room. “Do go on.”</p>
<p>Tobio swallowed, reaching out and taking Hinata’s hand and presenting it to her. “You may not be familiar with this, but this ring is significant to House Kageyama, it’s a statement of loyalty and devotion.” He kept hold of Hinata’s hand as he lowered it to his side, linking their fingers together.</p>
<p>Yachi pressed her lips together in thought for a few moments, her gaze flickering between them both. “And so you’re implying that this mage here is <em>actually</em> your consort?”</p>
<p>“Not implying,” Tobio stared her down, “I’m telling you, he is.”</p>
<p>There were whispers from amongst the court before Yachi raised a hand to silence them. “This is interesting, however, we must continue with what must be done.” Her voice was quiet, far from the loud, authoritative tone of most rulers. Tobio wasn’t sure how he felt about it.</p>
<p>“You say you need to take my mages away to question them,” Tobio continued, quickly switching tactics and not caring if it seemed he was interrupting. “But I say why bother prolonging the process? Just ask them what you need to ask them here and now.”</p>
<p>She shook her head. “I’m afraid I can’t allow that. The Empire has its ways and means of getting mages to talk and tell us the truth. And they don’t involve talking this publicly.”</p>
<p>Hinata thought of Shirabu’s stories from his time in the empire. He did not want to find out how truthful they were. Yet the way she spoke seemed off to him; whenever Tooru or Tobio spoke of their kingdoms, they always said ‘we’, or ‘us’, not ‘the kingdom’. She didn’t appear to want to align herself with the empire she was in charge of.</p>
<p>He raised his free hand, effectively asking permission to speak. The guards eyed him with suspicion, almost expecting something to burst forth from his hand. There were more whispers as Yachi took notice.</p>
<p>“Yes? You want to say something?”</p>
<p>He nodded, not dumb enough to start speaking until properly granted permission.</p>
<p>“Very well, and your name?”</p>
<p>“Sh-Shoyo Hinata.” He replied, lowering his hand. “And I uh, I wanted to ask like, why are you treating us like we did something wrong?”</p>
<p>She visibly swallowed, drumming her fingers on the armrests of her throne. “Well, because you broke the treaty.”</p>
<p>“A really <em>old</em> treaty.” Hinata continued, finding courage from somewhere. “Like, not trying to offend you, your majesty—”</p>
<p>“Imperial Majesty.” Tobio hissed.</p>
<p>“Ah, I mean <em>Imperial Majesty,</em><em>”</em> he corrected getting a small sympathetic smile from Yachi for the effort, “but like…you, the empire, weren’t involved?”</p>
<p>Yachi nodded. “Indeed, we were not. But you broke a treaty that was signed to keep the peace.”</p>
<p>“But it didn’t.” He replied abruptly. “I mean, the northern territories still came for us.”</p>
<p>There was a chuckle from some of the nobles, one that didn’t sit well with any of the visitors.</p>
<p>“According to our reports,” Yachi said, “it was Tooru of House Oikawa who declared war on them. You, House Kageyama, stood with him when they retaliated.”</p>
<p>Hinata swallowed. It was an unfortunate fact that yes, Tooru did declare war on Takeshi, but in another time, it was the other way around. In another time, Takeshi was a war monger who saw a sinking ship cause enough to declare war on them. In another time, he didn’t break the treaties and it led to pain and suffering he never wanted to see again.</p>
<p>“They had been spying on Tooru for months, Lady Suzuki was feeding information to—”</p>
<p>“The empire doesn’t care.” Yachi stated, though it felt like a lie. She straightened her posture, a frown etching onto her face. Hinata was no empath mage, but he could feel a shift in the air as she continued. “You and your mage friend broke the treaty. You disobeyed the laws of the land, flaunting your powers in the process. You brought a dead dragon back to life.”</p>
<p>Hinata bit on his tongue as Tobio cleared his throat in warning. The king gestured for Hinata to step back before meeting Yachi’s gaze again. “Clearly, there is much to discuss—”</p>
<p>“No.” Yachi’s voice trembled slightly, it didn’t go unnoticed by Hinata or Tobio. “Hand them over.”</p>
<p>“And if I refuse?” Tobio’s tone was dangerous as he glared at her, almost daring her to act. “And if I tell you that I don’t care about this treaty that was signed into order before any of us were alive?”</p>
<p>“Then why are you here?”</p>
<p>“Because who am I to believe that you wouldn’t have come down and taken them anyway?” He replied quickly, squeezing Hinata’s hand. “At least I gave you the honour of trying to discuss it maturely.”</p>
<p>The scything remark got many gasps and grumbles from the court. Yachi didn’t seem to know what to make of it as her fingers gripped the armrests of her throne. “You are very spirited Tobio.” She eventually replied, voice a little quieter and more reserved. “Perhaps I was wrong to assume you would be here to grovel, instead you seem intent on causing unnecessary tension between our nations.”</p>
<p>“I’m intent on one thing only, your Imperial Majesty,” Tobio wryly smiled. “And that is the safety of my friends. The fact that both this treaty and a certain other treaty were written centuries ago at this point is merely a side issue. May I ask, what has become of the Grand Council who drew up these contracts that our predecessors signed?”</p>
<p>Around the nobles gathered, there were whispers and scoffs at the question. Yachi inhaled slowly, almost like she was trying to cling to the past shred of patience or sanity remaining. “They’re dead.” She bluntly stated. “Died of old age, killed in ambushes, a few died of sickness…”</p>
<p>Tobio felt a small sense of victory. “So if there is no grand council to oversee these treaties, who is to say that your empire is not using them to bully us smaller kingdoms into line? What exactly is fair about that?”</p>
<p>There were a few moments of quiet as Yachi mulled over Tobio’s statement. More whispers and murmurs passed over the court. Tobio wasn’t sure if he should be prompting such thoughts but he couldn’t back down now, the second he gave any inch, Hinata and Inuoka would be gone.</p>
<p>“You raise a valid point, I suppose.” She stated, shocking even her own people with her reply. “Perhaps there is merit for a discussion surrounding the validity of such treaties as the Eagle and Swan. However—”</p>
<p>“If you’re about to say you still need to investigate my mages, then the answer is still no.”</p>
<p>She frowned momentarily but nodded. “I see you are stubborn.”</p>
<p>“Family trait.” Tobio nodded back, allowing a small smile to play on his lips. “We didn’t last this long without being conquered by being lucky.”</p>
<p>“Quite.” She glanced either side of her until she caught the eye of her steward. “I wish to talk to King Tobio alone. Entirely, alone.”</p>
<p>It was a good a command as any to empty the room. With only a few murmured protests, the nobles of the court agreed to her demand. Tobio glanced over his shoulder to Yamaguchi and nodded, letting go of Hinata’s hand with a final glance. Reluctantly, Hinata nodded and allowed himself to be shepherded out by Yamaguchi. The room emptied, leaving Tobio standing at the foot of the steps leading to the throne where the young empress sat. There was a single guard present at the door to the room, a necessary precaution.</p>
<p>He wasn’t sure what to make of it until she spoke.</p>
<p>“Tobio, I’ll level with you,” she spoke quietly, relaxing her posture immediately. “I don’t like these treaties.”</p>
<p>He tilted his head, narrowing his gaze in suspicion. “Oh yeah? Why are you upholding one then?”</p>
<p>“It’s more of a formality, no-one dissolved them so they stand.” She shrugged. “And there are many here who despise mages and only wish to see them eradicated.”</p>
<p>He scoffed. “So that’s it, you’re using <em>my</em> mages as a token gesture?”</p>
<p>“No.” She shook her head, hands gripping the armrests, he took notice of the rings adoring her fingers, several different coloured gems glittered int he light. “It’s what your mage <em>did</em> that is generating unwelcome attention.”</p>
<p>“Being on the battle—”</p>
<p>She cut him off. “Summoning a dead dragon, Tobio, that isn’t normal even by mage standards.” She sighed. “Look, as much as I’d love to forget about it all and let you go without so much as a disapproving look, there are a <em>lot</em> of people in my lands who are fearful of what mages like him mean for regular folk.”</p>
<p>“He’s harmless, really, a dumbass.” Tobio rolled his eyes. “I promise, he won’t do anything like that again.”</p>
<p>“I wasn’t talking about him specifically.” Her tone dropped. She beckoned him closer, bring her voice down to but a whisper as he walked up the steps to her throne. At this close proximity he could see the true youthfulness in her features but more importantly, the fear in her eyes. There was a strange sense of familiarity about it. “Tobio, as much as I’ve talked it up to be the reason you’re here, I actually require something slightly different from you.”</p>
<p>Now he was puzzled beyond reason. “What?”</p>
<p>“There are some in my own court who are capable of things on an equal scale to Hinata, just not on a physical front.”</p>
<p>He knew all too well who she was probably referring to, but he played along anyway. “The hell is that supposed to mean?”</p>
<p>She shook her head slightly. “You’ve met the Miya twins, correct?”</p>
<p>Tobio had to think back, he met one of them yes at least according to Akaashi’s reports about the masked individual he met. And also when Akaashi had returned that afternoon to tell him that there were ‘those who would be in touch’.</p>
<p>“I met one of them.” He replied. “Though he didn’t say—”</p>
<p>“He wouldn’t.” She cut in. “They won’t say anything in public, they’re too smart for that.” She smiled slightly. “Listen to me carefully, and do not repeat any of this to anyone, understand?”</p>
<p>He nodded, unsure where this was going. “I need you to fully cooperate with everything the Miya twins plan. If it sounds outlandish, it probably is, but they are experts at this game. They are the only ones who can hope to release me from this stranglehold that the Tsukishima family has on me in a manner that won’t cause a civil war.”</p>
<p>Tobio sharply inhaled. The word ‘stranglehold’ conjured a lot of unwelcome familiar feelings. “Anything else I should be aware of?” he wryly smiled. “Like, anyone gonna stab me?”</p>
<p>“I doubt that.” She replied, not really understanding it was a joke. “However, continue to be protective over your mages. As much as they are wanted by the <em>empire</em>, there are many individuals who may seek to steal them away for their own uses. Including the Tsukishima family.”</p>
<p>Tobio laughed slightly. “Yeah, because Kei is really gonna be able to take down Hinata…”</p>
<p>She blinked, evidently not expecting him to know the name. “You’ve met him?”</p>
<p>“Met him?!” Tobio let out a chuckle, a sarcastic one of course. “The fucker got inside my head and fucked me up.” He bluntly stated gesturing to his head. “And that was <em>after</em> he double crossed Tooru.”</p>
<p>“Oh.” She uttered. “Oh…I…okay.”</p>
<p>“You didn’t know?”</p>
<p>“Well, why would I know such things?” She shook her head, letting out a small frustrated sigh. “All I know about Kei is that he follows his brother’s instructions, that their family have been instrumental in getting my family to the position they are now. And that the southern kingdoms both respect and fear us.”</p>
<p>Tobio snorted. “Uh, more so the latter than the former.” He remarked. “But I can tell you all many stories about Kei, and I’m sure the king of my neighbouring kingdom would be <em>very</em> interested in hearing about all of this.”</p>
<p>“I can send a letter.”</p>
<p>“No, Tooru won’t believe you.” Tobio shook his head. “I’ll handle it, if I may.”</p>
<p>She smiled slightly, a more genuine smile than any he had seen thus far. “Very well. Until then, Tobio I shall leave you to discuss this further with the Miya family. And in regard to your mages, I will tell my court that we will be having several more closed talks regarding this matter. It should keep them from hassling us both for the time being.”</p>
<p>Tobio let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you, your imperial—”</p>
<p>“Yachi is fine.” Her smile grew a little as she sighed in relief. Tobio didn’t want to think about how much this all was weighing on her mind. Being king was hard enough, let alone being empress and dealing with Tsukishima’s bullshit. “In any case, you are dismissed for now. I shall send Ushijima along when the time is right, until then, good luck.”</p>
<p>“One more thing,”</p>
<p>“Mhm?”</p>
<p>“Kei, what is his exact title?”</p>
<p>She paused for a moment, holding his gaze with her honey eyes. “He is known as Second head of the Tsukishima family. His brother, Akiteru, is the first. Though Kei is rarely in court these days with his brother around.”</p>
<p>Tobio nodded, that’s all he needed to know for now. He offered her a smile before excusing himself from the throne room. He had a lot to process, a lot to explain to Yamaguchi and the others. He wasn’t sure how much he <em>could</em> explain, but he knew what the next step was; he had to talk to these twins properly.</p>
<p>And quickly.</p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Apologies and Epiphanies</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>XV</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong> Apologies and Epiphanies</strong>
</p>
<p>The entire meeting had only taken half an hour, which in itself said a lot, but Tobio refused to divulge what had been said between him and Yachi. He reassured Yamaguchi that both Inuoka and Hinata were safe for now, that he was going to talk to the empress further in closed talks. Once back at the manor, Akaashi and Daichi were eager to talk to him alone, it seemed that a lot of closed talks were going to be held during their time in Hinode.</p>
<p>“Run that by me again,” Tobio murmured in the relative privacy of his chambers, Asahi was posted outside with strict instructions to keep everyone else away from eavesdropping, “So, Kei and his brother are trying to usurp the empress?”</p>
<p>“Sort of, at least that’s what the twins say.” Daichi replied.</p>
<p>Tobio nodded slowly. If Yachi’s fears about being in a stranglehold were to be believed, then this was already starting to stack up. “I see. Do we have any signs of contact from these two? A letter? Courier?”</p>
<p>“Ushijima just said they’ll contact you when the time is right.”</p>
<p>Akaashi huffed slightly, folding his arms across his chest. “So what are you going to do now? You’re gonna talk to her again in private about these treaties?”</p>
<p>“Yes, she thinks we’ll get more done without an audience.” He rubbed his chin in thought. It sounded like she had even more interfering nobles than Tooru which was impressive.</p>
<p>The other two exchanged glances. “And so what do you want us to do?”</p>
<p>Tobio hummed. Until he heard from these twins, there wasn’t much <em>to</em> do. “Protect Shoyo and Sou,” he eventually replied, “and do whatever these Miya twins ask of us.”</p>
<p>“Are you sure?” Akaashi stated. “Like, we don’t really know their intentions—”</p>
<p>“I trust them more than I trust Kei.” Tobio uttered. “And if Yachi wants me to side with them…then it just might give me enough favour with her stupid court to rewrite this treaty.”</p>
<p>As crummy as it was, there was sound logic to his thoughts. If the empress wanted him to do something, who was he to say no? Of course, doing it would no doubt cause some ruffled feathers but also prove he was willing to sit at the table and have his voice heard. He needed to show he had guts and confidence in equal measure.</p>
<p>“So when do you think these twins will contact you?” Akaashi asked.</p>
<p>“Any time now.” Tobio shrugged. “And I shall listen to them as I have listened to Yachi. Then I’ll form my opinion of what this situation is…” he trailed off for a moment, “I need to inform Tooru of some matters.”</p>
<p>Daichi and Akaashi nodded, the latter already turning to leave when Daichi spoke up. “And you’ll talk to Hinata now, right?”</p>
<p>Tobio inhaled sharply, stiffening where he sat. “Yes. Once I have written my letter to Tooru.”</p>
<p>That was enough for Daichi, he followed Akaashi out of the chambers and into the hallway, leaving the king to his writings. Within a few moments, Akaashi gave him a curious expression, prompting him to explain.</p>
<p>“There was a minor…disagreement this morning apparently.” Daichi told him in a hushed tone. “Hinata didn’t handle it well.”</p>
<p>“Ah.” Akaashi nodded. “I see, and I expect he won’t handle it well until Tobio fesses up?”</p>
<p>“If ‘fessing up’ means properly laying out if there’s genuine feelings involved, then yes.” Daichi shrugged. “Whether or not they go public, I couldn’t care less, but right now we need to all be open with each other and not draw daggers on one another. No matter how illogical things might seem, we are playing a <em>very</em> different game right now.” He gave Akaashi a serious look. “This is far beyond anything we’ve been involved with before and we need to have each other’s backs now more than ever.”</p>
<p>The words didn’t fall on deaf ears, Akaashi figured Daichi had heard about his own disagreement with Hinata. He nodded in understanding before excusing himself. Finding Hinata was easy given the circumstances; he was with Kenma and Inuoka in their designated room, he smiled slightly as he saw Hinata laying his head in Kenma’s lap and allowing the other to stroke his hair. It meant they had at least made some sort of peace with each other. Inuoka looked on, lost in his thoughts until the sound of the door closing drew his attention.</p>
<p>“So?” He asked Akaashi. “What’s Tobio saying?”</p>
<p>“We wait for the Miya twins, and you’re under the Brotherhood’s protection now.”</p>
<p>“Yay?” Inuoka wrinkled his nose.</p>
<p>“It could be worse,” Kenma remarked, “at least the three of us can stay together now.” He looked up at Akaashi. “Anything else?”</p>
<p>Akaashi nodded. “Tobio had this closed meeting with Yachi, and he’s not telling us what was said, however he’s penning a letter to Tooru as we speak. So clearly, something important was spoken about.”</p>
<p>“Anything do to with Kei?” Kenma asked.</p>
<p>“Possibly.” Akaashi shrugged. “But uh, actually I need to speak to Hinata, if that’s…okay.”</p>
<p>At his name being mentioned, Hinata slowly sat up. He hadn’t dared meet Akaashi’s gaze since their argument in the parlour two days ago. He hadn’t even spoken to the other in any capacity since then either. As he followed Akaashi out into the hallway, he felt nerves rising within him. They stood alone in the hallway, the light from other rooms pouring in from doors left ajar.</p>
<p>“I just wanted to apologise for what I said.” Akaashi cut straight to the point. “About you abandoning your family, and us.”</p>
<p>Hinata’s eyes widened, not quite expecting him to be so blunt. “Eh?”</p>
<p>“It was out of line.” Akaashi didn’t show any sign of humour, his eyes were serious as he regarded Hinata. “And it wasn’t called for when you have so many things to be paranoid and fearful of.”</p>
<p>“Thanks for reminding me…”</p>
<p>He shrugged. “Suga chewed me out about it, saying I sounded like Kuroo used to.” He sighed slightly. “And yeah, I kinda did. So I’m sorry for it.”</p>
<p>Hinata nodded along, he understood everyone was tense and that apologising was a good way to go about restoring trust. The situation up here was a lot more volatile than they were used to, a lot was riding on how much they could trust one another. He smiled, albeit a little forced. “I’m sorry for freaking out. I…I don’t like my mind being read like that.”</p>
<p>Akaashi gave him a small smile. “Not many do.” He relaxed his posture a little, the apprehension fading. “If it’s any consolation, I didn’t mean to. You were just freaked out and the barrier was thin.”</p>
<p>It made sense, didn’t make him feel that much better about what Akaashi might’ve seen had he not gotten control of himself, but it made sense. “Alright, well, I’m gonna go back to Kenma.”</p>
<p>“Not Tobio?” Akaashi had to admit, it was a bit of an asshole move to bring it up but at the same time; Hinata was liable to sit there over-thinking everything until Tobio could get around to broaching the subject.</p>
<p>He noted Hinata stiffen, his smile faded. “No. Not…not right now.”</p>
<p>“Something wrong?”</p>
<p>Hinata swallowed. Out of everyone in the guild, maybe Akaashi would know better than most how he felt right now. He met Akaashi’s gaze again, worrying his bottom lip for a moment as he thought.</p>
<p>“Actually, can I…can I ask you for your thoughts on something?”</p>
<p>Akaashi nodded. “Sure, let’s get out of here though, I feel like we could both use some fresh air.”</p>
<p>Not seeing anything wrong with that, Hinata agreed. He had only seen the city in passing since they arrived, so walking out of the manor with Akaashi felt exciting. The idea of exploring a new place helped ease his worries about asking the other for such personal advice after everything.</p>
<p>The central circle was bustling that afternoon, market stalls stocked to the brim with wares of all sorts; meats fresh from the hunt, swords fresh from the forges of blacksmiths, clothing lovingly stitched by working women. They lingered for a while in the busy area, taking in the sights and sounds that felt more familiar to them than the rest of their surroundings. Soon Akaashi seemed to grow bored of the market and gestured for Hinata to follow him. They walked down a slightly less busy street, one still lined with trading stalls but less hectic than the central circle. It was here that Hinata caught a glimpse of what Kunimi and Kiyoko had found to be ‘old district’. The burnt-out shells of formers homes and businesses could be seen in fleeting glances down side streets that split off from the main one.</p>
<p>“What’s that area?” Hinata pointed.</p>
<p>Akaashi followed his gaze, he had loosely been told about the other’s experience with the ‘crazy woman’ and her apparent hatred for mages. “Nowhere we’re welcome.” He uttered, nodding down the straight street in front of them. “Let’s continue.”</p>
<p>It puzzled Hinata but he didn’t press the matter. They continued without any further conversation until they reached the city wall, a large iron gate had been lifted to allow traders and residents to come and go as they pleased. The guards seemed unfazed by their presence, comforting in way to Hinata as they passed by without incident.</p>
<p>Outside the city wall, they could rolling fields of farmland to their right, to their left was a grassy embankment before the ravine dropped off. Akaashi gestured for them to approach the ravine, several wooden benches had been put in place to overlook the steep drop down to the river below. There was a dull roar as the fast-flowing wild water carved through the ravine untamed. Sitting down finally, Hinata let out a small sigh.</p>
<p>“So, what is it you want to ask?” Akaashi asked, keeping his gaze on the horizon where distant mountains could be seen.</p>
<p>Hinata paused for thought. He could dance around the subject, but really all the dancing with Tobio - both figuratively and literally - had left him tired of games. He just wanted straight answers now. “Well, when you and Kuroo were like…a thing but not a thing, how did you know he was being serious?”</p>
<p>Akaashi smiled, a faint dusting of blush gracing his cheeks that Hinata hadn’t seen often. “Ah, I see.”</p>
<p>“See what?”</p>
<p>He shook his head, the smile still remaining. “Well, Tetsurou wasn’t exactly good at hiding his fondness for me. He would always make excuses to be around me, to be ‘looking out’ for me, to check I was okay after every job and kill.” He recalled many slightly awkward conversations as he thought back. “I think we all pretty much knew he had a thing for me, it was just whether he’d come out and say it.”</p>
<p>Hinata hummed in thought. “Ah, hmm…”</p>
<p>“And well, after that ritual, where I ‘nearly died’, though I’d say I came off pretty well all things considered, he wasn’t able to keep his mouth shut any longer.” Akaashi’s gaze moved to his hand where the other’s commitment ring adorned his finger. “So yeah, I knew for a while that he was serious, but this sealed the deal really.”</p>
<p>He looked to Hinata who was now looking down at his own ring, the silver band with the dragon engraved in it. For a moment Akaashi felt like he was looking in a piece of mirrored glass.</p>
<p>“You are unsure if Tobio is serious?” He concluded.</p>
<p>“What? I mean, yeah but—”</p>
<p>He reached out and ruffled Hinata’s hair. “I understand. It can be hard to be the one waiting on another.”</p>
<p>“I’m not, well…” Hinata’s cheeks flushed red. “M-Maybe.”</p>
<p>“Maybe?”</p>
<p>“Maybe I’m waiting on him, but it’s more like, he’s the king y’know? I can’t just…”</p>
<p>“Why not?”</p>
<p>“Because he’s…the <em>king</em>, he has so many other things to be worrying about.”</p>
<p>Akaashi had to admire Hinata’s selfless thought process. Yet at the same time, it was obvious to most of them that Tobio wasn’t factoring his nobility into it. After all, Tobio was alone in his kingdom, no nobles or rivals left to challenge his choices. At the most, he would have to answer to Yamaguchi and maybe Tooru by extension if things really went south, but the way Akaashi saw it; there was little stopping Tobio actually taking Hinata as his consort.</p>
<p>Little except, you know, actually admitting he had those kinds of feelings for Hinata.</p>
<p>“And that’s why he needs you.” Akaashi replied. “He’s got the weight of the world on his shoulders in some ways, his entire kingdom’s reputation, his family’s legacy, his <em>own</em> legacy.” he gestured to the ring. “He didn’t give you that just because you’re, so say, ‘pretending’ to be his consort.”</p>
<p>“Everyone keeps saying that but he…”, he fidgeted a little, “he said it was for <em>that</em>.”</p>
<p>Akaashi snorted, shaking his head. “Shoyo, can you really not see that he values you so highly?”</p>
<p>“But that’s the thing!” Hinata gestured wildly, eyes wide as he met Akaashi’s gaze. “This morning I called him out on it, I asked him that—that without all the magic and Hēishān stuff why <em>me</em>. Why he thinks I’m so important and you know what? He didn’t reply!”</p>
<p>Such a loaded question would’ve caught Tobio off guard on the best of days, let alone that morning. “Okay but did you really give him a chance to reply? Or did you storm out before he uttered a word?”</p>
<p>“I…” Hinata stopped himself. Okay maybe he had been a little too quick to assume the worst of Tobio. Maybe he had been too quick to think the worst-case scenario was happening. Maybe he was that fearful of his feelings not being reciprocated. He pouted slightly at his own stupidity. “…no.”</p>
<p>“And have you spoken to him since about it?”</p>
<p>“No…”</p>
<p>Akaashi let out a small sigh. “And you went with him to see the empress, you stood there and said what? You argued with her from what I heard?”</p>
<p>Hinata had gone back to fidgeting. “I just…I didn’t want him to have to do all the talking.”</p>
<p>Akaashi found it a wonder Hinata hadn’t been arrested then and there for the simple fact of being rude to the imperial throne. Then again, if Yachi had bigger problem than Hinata’s sassy remarks, then the bigger problem must be <em>very</em> troubling. Putting that aside though, he wanted to try and help get to the bottom of this once and for all, for Hinata’s sake as well as everyone else’s in the long run.</p>
<p>“Answer me this, if he did turn around and tell you he had those sorts of feelings for you, what would you do?”</p>
<p>Confronted with the possibility that such a thing could happen, Hinata felt his throat go dry. His chest felt all kinds of weird with surges of odd power and feelings. “I don’t…know?”</p>
<p>Akaashi had expected that lack of an answer. He found it endearing how innocent Hinata’s mind was sometimes. He was one of the most powerful mages of an era and here he was stumbling over words to describe perfectly normal feelings he had for another.</p>
<p>“Well, would you be happy about it?” Akaashi asked. “Or would you dread it?”</p>
<p>Hinata worried his lip between his teeth. “Both.”</p>
<p>That had been an answer he wasn’t expecting. “Both? Why?”</p>
<p>His cheeks were reddening as he mulled it over, twisting the ring around his finger. “I’d be happy…but like…what Tobio has to deal with, what responsibilities he has…it’s a lot to take on.”</p>
<p>Akaashi nodded. “Yeah, but if you’re that committed to him, then you’ll take on those things <em>with</em> him, not <em>for</em> him.”</p>
<p>“Just like you did with Kuroo and the Serpents?” Hinata murmured.</p>
<p>Akaashi wasn’t going to bring himself into it, but he nodded again. “Yeah. Like I did with the Serpents. I didn’t exactly know what Tetsurou had gotten himself into, and I could’ve walked away at any point during any number of tense moments and poor choices made. But I didn’t.”</p>
<p>“What kept you around?”</p>
<p>He glanced at the horizon, the Southern Kingdom wasn’t in sight but he could envisage it; the lush green fields of the regions that would be a heck of a lot warmer than this one. “What kept me around was knowing that it was fixable, that Tetsurou wanted to put it right. And things may not be perfect now, but I’d say he’s a great deal more at peace now than a few weeks ago.”</p>
<p>“Fixable.” Hinata repeated the word.</p>
<p>In essence, everything Tobio faced now was fixable; the treaties could be torn up, the kingdom could be restored to glory, lives could be put back together. The era of uncertainty and battles over borders could be put behind them. The wounds from the war could heal, both across the lands and in the hearts of the people. He could do it alone sure, but no-one should have to be alone, not even great kings. And really, Tobio wasn’t alone, not anymore at least.</p>
<p>“So yeah, if you think that you care for him enough to be able to stick around and take on whatever trials he faces—”</p>
<p>“I am.” Hinata stated. “I mean, I’m his protector now but…” he looked up at the same horizon before meeting Akaashi’s gaze. “Like Tobio says, when I’m with him, he’s invincible…but it goes both ways.”</p>
<p>“Does it really?”</p>
<p>Hinata smiled to himself. If it weren’t for Tobio, he wouldn’t have had half the courage to do what he did. Sure, he did it all to really save Kuroo and Iwaizumi, and by extension the Brotherhood and southern kingdoms. But it was Hēishān who gave him the ways and means to do so, and Hēishān only did that because he promised to protect Tobio. Because Tobio was the last of his lineage; a lonely king who needed a band of lunatics to burst into his castle one day and turn his world back the right way up.</p>
<p>So really, it did work both ways. It was just a little frustrating that Tobio seemed reluctant to acknowledge how deep it went. He wasn’t doing this because he felt obligated to. It went past deals with ancient spirits, past prophecies and great deeds in battle. Strip all of that away, Hinata would still want to be by his side. He felt complete with Tobio in a way he hadn’t felt before.</p>
<p>“Thanks Akaashi.” He smiled up at the other. “This, this helped a lot!”</p>
<p>Akaashi smiled back. “Glad to hear it, so should we head back or is there anything you want to do?”</p>
<p>Hinata shook his head. “I should probably talk to Tobio about…all of this.”</p>
<p>Akaashi understood. He stood up first and waited for Hinata before they began their walk back towards the manor. It was a pleasant day, nothing felt amiss as they walked along the long road towards the central circle. Hinata was caught up in his own thoughts as they walked, weaving in and out of crowds as Akaashi took more notice of what was going on around them.</p>
<p>He abruptly reached out and took Hinata by the shoulders, gently moving him to walk on his other side as they neared a particularly boisterous crowd gathered around a man stood on a wooden crate. There was an odd feeling in the air as he surveyed the situation; the people were all paying close attention to whatever the older man had to say, his tone was curt, his expression set in a frown as he spoke loudly to them.</p>
<p>“Stay quiet.” Akaashi murmured as he pulled Hinata into the opening of an alleyway.</p>
<p>Hinata wasn’t sure why Akaashi was so interested in the crowd but he nodded, letting the other listen to the man.</p>
<p>“And what does she do? She invites this boy, this sorry excuse for a leader into her palace with his two heretics, bastard children of whores, and she <em>entertains them</em> like they are nobles?!”</p>
<p>Akaashi inwardly sighed. This wasn’t good. So much for them keeping a low profile. He had heard the anti-mage rhetoric was strong, but this was a little much.</p>
<p>“First it was the fire in this very city, now these foul creatures spit on the laws of the land! And she invites them into her palace as guests? They should be hung for their crimes against humanity!”</p>
<p>“Is he…” Hinata breathed.</p>
<p>“I think he is,” Akaashi whispered, “he’s calling for your death.”</p>
<p>Hinata swallowed, queasiness rising up quickly. “I can’t.”</p>
<p>Akaashi kept hold of him. His gaze firmly on the man riling up the crowd in front of him.</p>
<p>“You all know what happened when we allowed mages to walk amongst us before, you remember the destruction that carved a scar on our beloved city. How many of them escaped? How many of them are walking freely not being held accountable for their atrocities? For murdering innocent babes in their beds?”</p>
<p>Akaashi had heard enough. This wasn’t going to do either of them any good. He tore his gaze away and let out a sigh, placing a hand to Hinata’s forehead and trying to ease his nerves. They remained in the shadows for a few moments as Hinata’s breathing slowed to a normal rate.</p>
<p>He took Hinata’s hand. “Let’s go, and don’t say anything to anyone.”</p>
<p>He led the other out and into the central circle. He knew this was risky but he didn’t know this city well enough to sneak Hinata through back streets. As he feared, they didn’t get very far.</p>
<p>“There he is the bastard!”</p>
<p>Akaashi put himself in front of Hinata as he fixed his gaze on the one who had called out to them. The crowd were focused on them now as he weighed up his options. By all accounts, they were guests in the city, but that immunity didn’t seem to mean a thing to the likes of this crowd as they regarded them with loathsome looks. He could feel Hinata’s fear even without looking at him.</p>
<p>“Well then, he has the nerve to walk our streets whilst he’s a wanted man.” Another remarked.</p>
<p>“Fucking privileged asshole.”</p>
<p>Akaashi counted at least two dozen people, none of them armed, at least obviously anyway. He could easily start running but equally, that wouldn’t solve anything. In the eyes of the south, Hinata was a hero, not a criminal. In the eyes of the north, he was a rogue mage.</p>
<p>Though something else was at play here, a deep hatred beyond their knowledge. Something had happened in the city to give these people cause to hate those like him and Hinata. Not that knowing what that event was would help them in that moment of course. Asking what they wanted would get him nowhere. He elected to say nothing even as one of them approached him. He was a much older, stockier man than Akaashi; eyes alight with hatred as he cracked his knuckles as a show of strength.</p>
<p>“Best you move along quickly lad, don’t want to end up getting given a Hinode welcome.”</p>
<p>Akaashi snorted, apparently that was the wrong response as the other glared at him.</p>
<p>“What? Can’t understand common? I said <em>move along</em>.”</p>
<p>“I heard you.” Akaashi replied. “Not that you’d care either way.”</p>
<p>“Don’t fucking sass me, mage sympathiser.”</p>
<p>Akaashi smirked, reaching for his concealed dagger. “Sympathiser, big word for someone like you.”</p>
<p>“You fucking what?”</p>
<p>Akaashi anticipated the swing, ducking with speed and pushing Hinata back. There were murmurs from the crowd as the man swung again and nearly landed his punch. Akaashi wasn’t sure if he was handling this properly but he didn’t have any other ideas.</p>
<p>“Hey gentlemen, come now,” An unknown voice interrupted. Glancing up, Akaashi saw a tall male with blond hair approaching, behind him was another who looked identical save for having darker hair parted differently. He felt a pang of recognition as an easy-going smile greeted him. “Isn’t there a law about public brawls? Something about bets having to be placed?”</p>
<p>He glanced behind him at his sibling who nodded. “Rules dictated all bets must be placed before the first punch.”</p>
<p>The aggressor scowled at them. “What’s it to you two smug assholes?”</p>
<p>Akaashi raised an eyebrow as Atsumu chuckled. “Well I wanted to place a bet I’ll have you know.” He pouted. “But oh well, I guess I’ll have to tell the guards you’re practising illegal fighting—”</p>
<p>“No!” The stocky man curtly replied, huffing loudly and glaring at Akaashi. “He’s not worth it.”</p>
<p>He stomped off, leaving Akaashi to let out a sigh before turning to the twins he felt he owed a huge favour. There was still a crowd watching on, but Atsumu seemed to care little about it.</p>
<p>“This was not really a wise move, but I can’t blame you.” Atsumu remarked, nodding his head slightly and prompting Osamu to move to Hinata’s side. “We’ll get you back to the manor, we were on our way there anyway.”</p>
<p>Akaashi didn’t notice an entourage or even guards. “Alone?”</p>
<p>“Well, yeah.” Atsumu shrugged. “Not everyone in the empire feels the need to have fifty people accompany them everywhere.”</p>
<p>Akaashi felt a little suspicious but he allowed the twins to take them back to the manor. The word spread quickly as soon as the head housekeeper recognised them and a fanfare was created around the two noblemen visiting. Tobio was just finishing penning a letter to Tooru when Yamaguchi burst in declaring the twins were here to visit and Hinata nearly died.</p>
<p>Okay maybe someone had made the entire ordeal sound a little ludicrous, but that happened when messages were passed through four people before it got to the king. Safe to say, Tobio sealed his letter and quickly made his way downstairs to find Hinata shaken but not hurt. He flatly ignored the twins as he knelt in front of Hinata sat on one of the benches and took his hands. He was trembling. Eyes were wide as he met Tobio’s gaze.</p>
<p>“They…they want me dead.” He uttered as Tobio waited for him to speak. “They call…they called me a heretic.”</p>
<p>Tobio looked up to Akaashi who had been fielding his own questions from Kuroo over the incident. “Who’s ‘they’?”</p>
<p>Atsumu cleared his throat. “Hi, yes, hello,” he grinned, “so ‘they’ are the general populace of Hinode.” He explained. “And well, it should be known to you by now that they don’t really like mages.”</p>
<p>“I can see that.” Tobio gestured to Hinata.</p>
<p>“Well, that’s why we’re here, not strictly <em>that</em>, but it’s all linked.” Atsumu gave Tobio a more serious look. “Perhaps this conversation could take place over tea?”</p>
<p>Tobio wasn’t really in the mood for entertaining more nobles, but he nodded. Servants were rallied to work as he turned his attention back to Hinata. He squeezed Hinata’s hands, searching his gaze for some shred of comfort. “I’ll fix this Shoyo.” He murmured.</p>
<p>The simple statement prompted Hinata to squeeze his hands in return. It was enough for Tobio as he stood up and resigned himself to talking to these twins now. Most of the others were dismissed, he requested that Daichi and Kuroo remain along with Yamaguchi to witness these talks and offer counsel should the need arise.</p>
<p>Hinata was led upstairs by Akaashi, still shaken at the ordeal and everything he had heard. As soon as Kenma and Inuoka heard about the incident, they were rightfully concerned. Nishinoya was thankfully unaware for now as he had been spending most of his time with Tanaka and Bokuto trying to forget the severity of the situation. They didn’t really need Nishinoya’s brash way of dealing with things right now.</p>
<p>“You’re okay.” Kenma murmured as Hinata curled into his hold. “You’re okay.” He repeated as Inuoka flashed Akaashi an uncertain glance.</p>
<p>“They want…they want us dead.” Hinata murmured.</p>
<p>“Well they won’t get what they want.” Kenma replied, stroking Hinata’s head. “Because we’re too stubborn to die.”</p>
<p>There was a weak laugh from Hinata, he was far from convinced. Akaashi was about to leave when he remembered something Hinata said. He gently pulled the other back to look him in the eye, tearful eyes met his.</p>
<p>“Hey,” He murmured, “Shoyo, what did you tell me not more than an hour ago?”</p>
<p>Hinata sniffed loudly. “I don’t know.”</p>
<p>“You told me that Tobio said he feels invincible when you’re around, and then you said that it goes both ways.”</p>
<p>Hinata sniffed again, wiping his face with the back of his hand. “I guess.”</p>
<p>“No, no guessing,” Akaashi firmly said, his tone softening as he continued. “Shoyo, you told me this and you wholeheartedly believe it, right? So don’t let those idiots out there tell you otherwise.”</p>
<p>Hinata nodded. “Yeah…yeah.”</p>
<p>“You care for Tobio and he cares for you, he won’t let anything happen to you on his watch.”</p>
<p>As comforting as Akaashi’s words were, it didn’t completely negate the fear that still gripped him. He had begun thinking of what could’ve happened had Atsumu and Osamu not appeared. The fact that these people seemed ready and willing to kill him there and then to make a point. He couldn’t afford to get caught out there alone, not now.</p>
<p>He curled back into Kenma’s hold, wishing, hoping that this would all be over soon.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. The Twins</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>XVI</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>The Twins</strong>
</p>
<p>Tobio sat at the table with the twins. He wasn’t sure what to make of Atsumu, he seemed a little too cocky for his liking, but he was trying to not cast judgement on character until he had heard the other out. Besides, Yachi had told him to do whatever they wanted, and given the recent incident in the city, he was prepared to do whatever he could to protect Hinata now more than ever.</p>
<p>“So, you met Yachi today.” Atsumu leaned his elbows on the table with an easy-going smile as freshly poured cups of tea sat between them. “What do you think?”</p>
<p>Tobio raised an eyebrow at how quickly the questions were starting. “She’s young, but then again so am I.” He shrugged. “And she has a lot more on her shoulders than I do.”</p>
<p>Atsumu nodded. “Sensible outlook, but I was wonder more what you think about her proposition?”</p>
<p>“To root out the Tsukishima family?”</p>
<p>“Mhm.”</p>
<p>Tobio lifted his cup and blew across the surface of the fragrant drink. “Well, it’s kinda funny.” He stated as he took a sip, gaze fixed on Atsumu’s intrigued expression. “We’ve encountered one of them before, and it wasn’t a pleasant time.”</p>
<p>Atsumu raised his eyebrows, he didn’t seem particularly surprised. “Oh? What happened?”</p>
<p>Tobio set his cup down, clasping his hands together on the table. “In short, Kei Tsukishima is a wanted man in two kingdoms for his actions of treason and varying degrees of assault.”</p>
<p>The statement was blunt enough to give both twins the idea that Tobio wasn’t going along with this just because Yachi asked him to, that he had his own bone to pick with Kei. He stared down the older of the two, waiting for Atsumu to react to this new information.</p>
<p>“Ah,” He mirrored Tobio’s pose, “we were…somewhat aware of this, though not the true extent.”</p>
<p>“I had him locked in my dungeon six months ago.” Tobio stated in a lower tone. “Fucker escaped and we haven’t seen him since.” He inhaled sharply. “So yeah, I’ll gladly root him out and give him what he deserves. If it benefits Yachi and you, then that’s just a bonus in my eyes.”</p>
<p>There was a smile from Atsumu. “Nice to see we are aligned in targets at least.” He glanced to Osamu before back at Tobio. “We’ve got a few ideas already.”</p>
<p>“I see, Yachi didn’t say <em>how</em> you intended to get rid of them.”</p>
<p>Atsumu nodded, glancing to Daichi and Kuroo. “You have an assassins guild in your pocket. Do the math Tobio.”</p>
<p>“Woah now,” Kuroo stated, interrupting, “like, okay we hate Kei too and we’re all for making him pay, but that was before we found out he’s a fucking noble.”</p>
<p>“Agreed.” Daichi stated. “This is far beyond anything we’ve attempted before. Don’t get us wrong, we’ve not suddenly gained a conscience, but there are consequences to killing nobles. We’re dealing with enough of those as it is.”</p>
<p>Atsumu sighed, glancing to Osamu as he picked up his own cup of tea. The quieter of the twins nodded as he cleared his throat. “Assassinating him may not actually help all that much. For there are two of them, and Kei isn’t the head of the family anyway. Akiteru is. Killing Kei would, if anything, prompt Akiteru to resort to drastic measures.”</p>
<p>“And why exactly do <em>you</em> hate them?” Kuroo asked as Tobio took a long drink instead of voicing any opinion. “Kei fucked with us in both being a general asshole and using his powers, but what did they do to you?”</p>
<p>Osamu held Kuroo’s gaze. “You imply they haven’t tried to fuck with our minds.” He uttered, turning his gaze back to Tobio. “Yachi told you didn’t she, about how there are powerful mages in our midst and the public feeling isn’t helping root them out.”</p>
<p>Tobio set his cup down, drumming his fingers in the tabletop. He could see why such mages were in hiding. If Hinata’s experience was anything to go by, he didn’t fucking blame them. Though it didn’t seem like the city guard were actively trying to stop such acts. “So, public perception of mages is bad, yet there are mages in the nobility? That makes very little sense.”</p>
<p>“Yes.” Osamu answered bluntly. “The Tsukishima family are more prolific. There are others though.”</p>
<p>“Both of them?”</p>
<p>“Yes, with extended family in other reaches of the empire.”</p>
<p>Kuroo groaned loudly, rubbing his face with both hands. This wasn’t a reality he wanted to deal with. One pain in the ass mage was enough, now there was a second? “So Kei is an empath, what’s Akiteru?”</p>
<p>“The same.” Atsumu replied as he set his now empty cup down. “They’re both particularly potent ones. More powerful than your Keiji.”</p>
<p>Kuroo narrowed his gaze at them. “How do you know?”</p>
<p>“That he’s yours, or that he’s an empath? Or that he’s not as strong?”</p>
<p>“All three.” Kuroo uttered, glaring slightly at the twins.</p>
<p>Atsumu shrugged. “Word travels, when Kei returned, he was very vocal in the first court appearance he made about a certain tyrannical king and his group of lunatics. He seemed obsessed with you.”</p>
<p>“Well that can’t be good.” Daichi remarked, glancing between Tobio and Atsumu. “So what do you want us to do about this?”</p>
<p>The twins exchanged a glance, a wordless exchange felt like it took place as Atsumu turned his attention back to them. “Well, you’re particularly gifted in numbers and skills of digging up information that many bury.” He remarked. “So, we propose that you dig around the city a little, try to find out what you can. We don’t know all the motivations and reasonings behind their little game. We can only speculate.”</p>
<p>Tobio nodded in thought. His conversation with Yachi didn’t leave him many avenues of speculation. She seemed set on the idea of getting rid of them before they tried anything. Likewise Daichi was remembering what Ushijima said, how Yachi could very well end up dead if the Tsukishima brothers wanted it so.</p>
<p>“Tell me, how easy would it be for them to seize power?” Daichi asked the twins.</p>
<p>“Depends,” Osamu replied, “violently or non-violently.”</p>
<p>“The latter?” Kuroo sighed. “Please?”</p>
<p>Osamu thought for a few moments. “Well, they’d need to prove that she is incapable of leading, that the public have no faith in her, that there is no way she can keep the empire’s legacy alive. Then it would be a case of getting her to forfeit her blood-right, and the other noble families do have <em>some</em> say in it but things are divisive right now as it is.”</p>
<p>“And the violent way?” Yamaguchi dared to ask.</p>
<p>“Well,” Osamu’s tone got quieter, “she could die under mysterious circumstances. Whilst her parents <em>could</em> take up the throne, it would be unlikely given the balance of power right now. The throne would fall vacant and nobility would put forth cases to become the next imperial family, however that hasn’t happened in centuries so who really knows how that would all play out.”</p>
<p>“I have to ask,” Tobio abruptly stated, meeting Atsumu’s gaze, “What do you gain from us helping you? Is this some plot to get the throne for yourselves? Are you merely playing us the same way.?”</p>
<p>He expected Atsumu to be offended at the accusation, to wonder what he did wrong to deserve that assumption. Instead the other shook his head.</p>
<p>“The Miya family wants no such thing.” He stated. “Our father is the head of the family, he resides in our home out eastward. He sent us here because he doesn’t want the likes of Akiteru on the throne unchallenged. Besides,” he reached out and took his brother’s hand on the table. “We work better as a team. And in the empire, there is only one leader on that throne.”</p>
<p>It was a slightly cryptic answer, but one Tobio could get behind for now. It told him what he needed to know; that the Miya twins had some other reason for wanting the Tsukishimas gone and they were prepared to leave Yachi on the throne for whatever good that did.</p>
<p>Tobio straightened his posture on his seat. “I see. So, you have the Brotherhood digging up the secrets of the empire. What of me and my associates?”</p>
<p>Osamu replied quickly almost as if anticipating the question, “You shall play your part in the imperial palace more. Talking with Yachi, lending her your support. Your mages will be safe under our banner.”</p>
<p>“Your banner.” Tobio scoffed. “They’re safe enough under mine.”</p>
<p>“Not up here they’re not.” Atsumu’s tone was more serious. “You cannot protect them here Tobio, let us extend our help to you. They can reside here, but please, do not let them walk amongst the people without Ushijima or Aone beside them.”</p>
<p>“Otherwise you might not see them again.” Osamu finished. “There are many agents working against us and they will not hesitate to resort to dirty tactics.”</p>
<p>“Kidnapping.” Atsumu supplied. “Kidnapping and torture.”</p>
<p>The warning was loud and clear. Tobio hummed in thought, twisting his family ring around his finger. “Fine. But tell me one more thing before you leave.”</p>
<p>“Yes?”</p>
<p>“How did <em>you</em> know about the Brotherhood?”</p>
<p>Atsumu smiled. “A friend from your neighbouring kingdom, we helped him once and he requested our help again after your battle with the north. We could see the writing on the wall with what Kei had been spreading around and so we put our own plans in motion.” He explained. “When the idea of summoning you to answer for Hinata’s crimes came up, we seized the opportunity. We told Yachi that you were the only person capable of taking on this challenge, not Tooru, not this…House Kyoutani, but you.”</p>
<p>Tobio blinked, not quite believing this. “Why me?”</p>
<p>Atsumu leaned forward again. “Because you know what it’s like to lose your kingdom to false truths and treachery. You know how to claw your way back from the brink of fading into irrelevancy. Your family is the reason this treaty exists.”</p>
<p>Tobio understood. The Battle of the Black Mountain had been the catalyst to all of this. Yukio summoning Hēishān had embarrassed the empire and no doubt sown the first seeds of discontent against mages. It was no coincidence that the two nations hadn’t spoken since. Though the burnt-out old city was not his fault. That was someone else.</p>
<p>“So what, I waltz in and fix it?”</p>
<p>Atsumu smiled. “No, you just need to keep reminding the people that the Tsukishima way of things will only lead to more destruction and discontent. You need to be the example of what can happen when a good leader has an even greater mage by his side…in whatever capacity that may be.”</p>
<p>The wording made Tobio narrow his eyes. “Capacity?”</p>
<p>“Consort.” Osamu supplied. “It did not go unnoticed. The fact many of the public don’t know about it yet is merely a shining example of the class divide. But the nobles know, the nobles are <em>very</em> interested in how your bond with Shoyo works. How it came to be. What it cost you.”</p>
<p>“Cost me?” Tobio wrinkled his nose. “It didn’t <em>cost</em> me anything, if anything he makes my life worth living.”</p>
<p>There were quirked eyebrows from both of them. Atsumu hummed in interest. “Oh really? Now that <em>is</em> tasty gossip.”</p>
<p>Tobio rolled his eyes. He wasn’t about to get into this conversation with them of all people. “In any case. Are we done for today? I need to make sure a letter reaches Tooru.”</p>
<p>“Tooru? Oh, that will be interesting.” Atsumu hummed. “Tell him he’s more than welcome to join us in our little game.”</p>
<p>Tobio wasn’t sure he was going to, but he nodded anyway as the duo rose from their seats. “How will I reach you if I need your help?”</p>
<p>Osamu smiled slightly. “Ushijima and Aone know the way. Trust in them, they are men of their word.”</p>
<p>With that, the twins excused themselves. Tobio had far too much to think about, he sighed. This day was already wearing him down a little too much for his liking. His head still hurt a little from last night’s alcohol and now he had more headaches to deal with.</p>
<p>Yamaguchi reached out and took his hand on the table. “Talk to us.” He murmured, flashing a glance to Daichi and Kuroo who seemed equally exhausted by this twist in events.</p>
<p>“If I knew things were this complicated…” he shook his head. “No, whatever, we’re here now.” He met Daichi’s gaze. “What do you think?”</p>
<p>“Of what?”</p>
<p>“Everything. Your task, my task, the mages…”</p>
<p>Daichi drummed his fingers on the table. “Well, the Brotherhood is good at what we do, though this is a scale unlike any we’ve attempted, like I said before.” He paused, mulling some thoughts over before continuing; “But we’ll figure it out, we have people who can talk up a storm, others who can sneak into supposedly secure buildings, great minds that can be put together to piece all of the secrets together.” He smiled at Kuroo before meeting Tobio’s gaze again. “And you forget that Shoyo is one of our own, and that both Nishinoya and Kenma are technically war criminals too by the empire’s logic.”</p>
<p>It was a small relief to Tobio that he had someone as steadfast as Daichi. He nodded quickly, glancing to Kuroo. “Can I trust you both to tell your guild what they need to know and handle all of that?”</p>
<p>“Of course.” Kuroo nodded. “You have our word.”</p>
<p>“Good, thank you.”</p>
<p>The duo gave him confident smiles, even if they were slightly forced for the sake of the king’s sanity. They excused themselves to begin their work, leaving Tobio alone with Yamaguchi. The silence did not last very long as Tobio squeezed Yamaguchi’s hand.</p>
<p>“Fucking hell what have we landed ourselves in?”</p>
<p>“A political battle that could be more deadly than the Battle of the Dynasty.” Yamaguchi hummed, not sugar-coating it at all. “But we’re not alone.”</p>
<p>“I know, but we’re hardly the ones in danger, are we?” Tobio sighed, rubbing his forehead as he thought about how downright terrified Hinata must be. “We have to make this work, I’m not even sure what ‘this’ is, but we have to Tadashi,” he looked to the other, “I can’t lose them.”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi knew he was referring to both of his mages, but he also knew there was a deeper connection to one more than the other. “Of course, and we won’t lose them.”</p>
<p>“I need to tell Tooru.” He reaffirmed, rising from his seat. “And I want to know who this ‘friend’ of ours is. They’re clearly more knowledgeable about this kind of thing than us and I need them here.”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi watched Tobio leave, wrapped up in his thoughts about letters to Tooru and this current plight. He had to admit, he admired how determined Tobio was to get this right, to leave nothing up to chance and keep his mages safe. It was hard to believe he was the same Tobio that he had grown up with who was reluctant to even be called ‘prince’.</p>
<p>Never in all these years did Yamaguchi believe that Tobio would march up to the empire to say ‘fuck you and your treaties’. Then again, he wouldn’t have believed Tobio would do all of that because he cared so deeply for another without <em>admitting </em>it.</p>
<p>It was only a matter of time before he couldn’t hide away from it any longer.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Daichi was quick to call a guild meeting, even Hinata who was still recovering from the earlier incident was summoned to the large table in the dining hall. The guild leader politely requested that none of the manor’s serving staff interrupt them and even convinced Asahi to stand guard outside the main door into the room.</p>
<p>He was blunt as he laid out the situation that had presented itself to them; that the empire was more troubled than they thought, that Kei Tsukishima was pulling some strings and his family name carried a great deal of weight. There were many who would seek to manipulate the discontent in the court over Tobio showing up with two wanted mages. He didn’t hold back as he reiterated to them that no mage should leave the manor alone, and even then to not wander away from heavily populated areas.</p>
<p>“Which brings us to the main point;” he glanced around at them, “the Miya twins want us to try and dig up solid information on what the Tsukishima brothers are really planning. They have some ideas to speculate, but they can’t act on anything without hard evidence of a plot against Yachi.”</p>
<p>“Huh, so we’re going back to that way of life.” Yaku snorted. “Sounds simple enough.”</p>
<p>“How are we going to get information like that? Kei knows who we are.” Tanaka frowned.</p>
<p>Daichi smiled slightly, glancing to Semi, “not all of us.”</p>
<p>Semi felt like he was being volunteered for something he wasn’t going to like. “What?”</p>
<p>“You said Kei spoke to the Serpents a lot, that he fed information.” Daichi went on. “Do you think he’d believe you to be a friend rather than foe?”</p>
<p>Semi scowled. “Doubt it. I barely spoke to him.”</p>
<p>“But he doesn’t know you’d come to us after everything.” Akaashi reasoned. “If anything, he’d be under the impression we’d kill you where you stood.”</p>
<p>“He was nearly right.” Kuroo uttered, getting a harsh dig in the side from Akaashi. “I changed my mind now!” He squawked in defence.</p>
<p>Semi huffed. “I mean, if I’m really the only one he <em>might</em> trust,” he sighed, “I guess I can try?”</p>
<p>“And the rest of us?” Kiyoko asked, quickly moving on from one point to another. “Are we to try and distance ourselves from House Kageyama?”</p>
<p>Daichi nodded. “You and Suga have already made waves in the nobles with the banquet last night, I’m sure you can figure something out.”</p>
<p>Kiyoko didn’t verbally reply, the subtle rise of blush on her cheeks saying it all as Suga chuckled slightly.</p>
<p>“And everyone else, I’d say spread out within the city, try to mix with the locals and figure out what this discontent regarding mages is about.” Daichi instructed. “Do whatever you have to, everything is on the table with this one.”</p>
<p>Nishinoya raised a hand. “And the mages?”</p>
<p>There was an awkward silence until Kuroo cleared his throat. “Leaving the manor alone is out of the question, and even if you go with someone, there’s no guarantee that you’ll be unnoticed.” He stated. “It’s probably best you remain here and lay low.”</p>
<p>Nishinoya groaned. “I’m so <em>bored</em> though.”</p>
<p>“It can’t be helped.” Daichi shrugged. “Perhaps you and Kenma can get away with slipping by but…” he glanced to Hinata. “We’ll bring back what information we gather and you can be in charge of piecing it together.”</p>
<p>It was a small consolation. Nishinoya huffed as he resigned himself to being housebound for the next few days.</p>
<p>“Hopefully Tobio will be able to make progress with the treaty, and if it gets dissolved, you’ll legally be okay to walk around freely.”</p>
<p>“Legally.” Nishinoya repeated with a sour expression. “But still highly dangerous.”</p>
<p>There were sombre glances exchanged. Like it or not, this was the reality in the empire, the people distrusted mages and weren’t afraid to make it known. Whatever had happened to cause such a rift would only be revealed over time, through conversations with the locals by those utterly in the dark.</p>
<p>“Alright, does anyone have any further questions?” Daichi asked.</p>
<p>There were small shakes of the head and murmured replies confirming there was nothing more they wanted to say, not in front of everyone at least. Hinata had merely confirmed what he already feared, though at least he wasn’t alone - not that <em>that</em> gave him much comfort either.</p>
<p>He lost interest in the conversation as the others began suggesting places and methods of finding out this information in. He excused himself from the conversation, sensing that there was little reason for him to hang around. He sought out Inuoka, the other mage had been quiet since they arrived, a far cry from his usual joyful self. Hinata didn’t expect him to be all smiles and laughter in this situation, but equally it felt so wrong.</p>
<p>Inuoka was sat alone in one of the many bedrooms, conjuring specks of snow as he lay on one of the beds. He glanced up as Hinata entered but said nothing to him until the door was closed.</p>
<p>“So, Brotherhood are gonna try their little sneak and eavesdrop act huh, meanwhile we’re stuck here waiting on Tobio to argue our innocence?”</p>
<p>“Yeah.” Hinata mumbled, sitting on the edge of the bed and began conjuring small flames in thought. “We’re supposed to wait until we have information to piece together apparently…”</p>
<p>Inuoka snorted. “I guess even in a new place, our old habits die hard; solving mysteries and piecing together fragments of history.”</p>
<p>Hinata glanced at him and offered a small smile, remembering the chaotic few days in Hokubujōsai when they were trying to figure out who the heir to Queen Wakana’s family was, what Yukio’s tablet did, how any of it made any sense and could be relevant to the battle.</p>
<p>“Hey,” He spoke quietly, attracting Inuoka’s attention, “I just, I just wanna say I’m sorry. Sorry for dragging you into this.” He snapped his fingers and the flames vanished. “You didn’t wanna get involved and I forced your hand.”</p>
<p>Inuoka sighed heavily. “I mean, you had a point; Tobio is my king and I wasn’t doing my duty of protecting him. But still,” he met Hinata’s gaze. “I accept your apology.”</p>
<p>It was oddly formal, but the relief that came from hearing those words made Hinata smile. “Good, I mean thanks…”</p>
<p>“Think nothing of it, what’s done is done.” Inuoka’s attention went back to his fingers conjuring snow in the air. “Now we just gotta not die here.”</p>
<p>Hinata didn’t say anything to that. It would be easy to repeat the same redundant phrasing of ‘Tobio won’t let that happen’ and so on, but they both knew that there wasn’t anything more that could be done. So he changed gears.</p>
<p>“Why do you think the empire hates mages?”</p>
<p>Inuoka hummed, flexing his fingers and prompting the snow to begin swirling in a vortex. “I dunno, Yukio’s stunt might’ve had something to do with it but…eh I dunno. It could also be because of something really fucking dumb.”</p>
<p>Hinata nodded. “They spoke about mages as if we did something wrong, well, we being…some other mages. Like there was a war crime or something.”</p>
<p>“I don’t know anything about Hinode’s past. It’s probably better you ask those twins.” Inuoka’s swirling vortex began to chill the air in the room. “I intend to stay out of this as much as possible,” he flashed Hinata a glance, “and I <em>mean</em> it this time. No crazy plans, no spur of the moment ideas. I’m staying out of it.”</p>
<p>Hinata heard that loud and clear. “Okay, yeah, fair enough.”</p>
<p>“I’m not—I don’t want to sound cold, ironic coming from me I know,” he snapped his fingers and the snow stopped swirling and fell onto the woollen blankets of the bed, “but I <em>really</em> don’t want to get arrested.”</p>
<p>“No no, I get it.” Hinata quickly assured him. “I won’t…<em>I</em><em>’m</em> not intending on doing anything crazy.”</p>
<p>Inuoka laughed slightly. “I don’t think you ever intended to do half the stuff you did, but hey ho.”</p>
<p>They shared a laugh. As dire as the situation had been, being able to laugh at it helped Hinata cope a little with the sheer enormity of what happened. Now he just had to hope that there weren’t going to be any reasons to pull any similar level stunts in the future.</p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. An Abrupt Homecoming</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>XVII</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>An Abrupt Homecoming</strong>
</p><p>Candles flickered in the dark hallways of the large house. He almost couldn’t believe he was all the way back here. As soon as he heard about Tobio demanding an audience with the empress, he knew he had to return. It had been so many years since he left, well only four but in the empire even just being away for one year could mean you miss out on a lot. He was greeted at the front door by a nod of recognition by the guard and shown through to the more familiar residence of those who helped him escape in the first place.</p><p>As he knocked on the door, he wondered if they had changed much since he left, were they the same people? Had they been poisoned by the politics? The door opened and Atsumu stood there, he seemed puzzled for a moment before smiling warmly.</p><p>“Ah, I was wondering if you’d come back.”</p><p>He smiled in return. “What can I say, Tobio can’t have all the fun.”</p><p>“Does he know you’re here?”</p><p>“Who?”</p><p>“Tooru.”</p><p>“Not really. I told him I had family business to attend to.”</p><p>Atsumu’s smile grew. “Well then, welcome back Kenjirou.” He stood aside to let Shirabu into the warm parlour. A roaring fire was welcoming after the few days of riding and staying in airy taverns. Benches padded with blankets and pillows were even more welcoming as he took off his travelling cloak and draped it over the back of one of them. Atsumu returned to his brother’s side, both of them looking at Shirabu expectantly.</p><p>“So what brings you home?” Osamu asked. “You swore you would never return.”</p><p>Shirabu hadn’t quite expected the other to be so quick to interrogate but with the way things were currently, he couldn’t blame Osamu for being curious. “It’s the mage thing, Hinata to be more specific.”</p><p>“Ah, so just telling us about him made you realise you wanted to help too hm?” Atsumu remarked. “You <em>do</em> have a heart.”</p><p>“Oh shut up.” Shirabu weakly scoffed. “It’s more that I warned him about this; challenging treaties and stuff and he still went through with his batshit crazy plan. But I also promised I’d help him if I could. And so here I am, a man of my word.”</p><p>“How cute.” Atsumu accepted a glass of wine from a serving girl. “So, what do you intend to do?”</p><p>Shirabu declined the offer of alcohol. “Tell me, what’s changed?”</p><p>Atsumu drank, expecting Osamu to fill in the other. “After you left, the district was basically abandoned. People moved out, the buildings have suffered as a result.”</p><p>“Huh. Anyone been held responsible?”</p><p>Atsumu shook his head. “A guard unit was sent in shortly after the fire, but all anyone says is that there was an explosion and blue fire engulfed the district.”</p><p>Shirabu nodded. “So it’s just been left? No-one attempted to rebuild?”</p><p>“Nope.” Atsumu shrugged. “Some reckon the place is cursed. The academy is still standing and most think that’s suspicious given everything else. So yeah, it’s the old city district that only a handful of people have dared walk into.”</p><p>“And everyone is just accepting that?”</p><p>The twins exchanged a glance. “Well, there are rumours, theories,” Atsumu swirled his wine glass around, “the guards came up empty-handed, at least that’s what the court was told.”</p><p>Shirabu pinched the bridge of his nose, this was ridiculous. “And Yachi?”</p><p>“She’s still in power, for now.” Atsumu shrugged again. “Dunno how long she’ll last if Tobio doesn’t do something. He’s got the Brotherhood digging up information now whilst he continues to ‘negotiate treaties’ behind closed doors.”</p><p>“Huh, smart man.”</p><p>The twins exchanged a glance. “Say,” Atsumu leaned forward a little, “do you reckon, if told, Tooru would march up here and demand to be involved?”</p><p>“No.” Shirabu flatly stated. “He wants nothing to do with this, he declined Tobio’s request already.”</p><p>“Ah, but that was <em>before</em> Tobio knew Kei was up here.”</p><p>Shirabu inhaled sharply. “Kei. Kei Tsukishima?”</p><p>“The same.” Osamu answered. “Younger brother of Akiteru, both from the family who have basically made being a mage the most difficult thing in the empire aside from being empress.”</p><p>Shirabu found it incredibly rich that they were behind some of this discontent. “I suppose it’s kind of a thing where they want to be the only mages hm?”</p><p>“We don’t know, that’s what the Brotherhood will find out.”</p><p>“You <em>do</em> realise the Brotherhood know Kei, he travelled with them?”</p><p>Atsumu shrugged. “There’s one or two he doesn’t know, that former serpent Semi for one.”</p><p>Shirabu was glad he hadn’t been drinking when the other casually dropped that nugget of information. “Semi Eita?! Since when was—”</p><p>“Since he showed up at their fort a few days before we sent Ushijima.” Atsumu smiled. “We were surprised too.”</p><p>Shirabu shook his head. He wished he had been told about that but he couldn’t really be offended. They had bigger problems right now. He mulled over this new information for a few moments as Atsumu accepted more wine.</p><p>“So what’s your next move?”</p><p>Osamu replied. “We hope to get an audience with Yachi and Tobio within a few days. They both know we’re on their side, but officially speaking, we are not involved in this Tobio business right now.”</p><p>“And we’re keeping it that way.” Atsumu added. “You however, feel free to make your presence known to Hinata. I’m sure he’ll appreciate a friendlier face than the mobs on the streets.”</p><p>Shirabu considered it. He figured the first thing he was gonna do when he found Hinata was shake some sense into him and resist the urge to say ‘I told you so’. “And when you get that audience?”</p><p>“We’re going to push for the treaties to be re-evaluated.” Atsumu declared. “The Grand Council are all dead, as Tobio helpfully got Yachi to admit publicly for the first time. Therefore, it’s more than fitting that the present-day court looks them over and come to a new stance if needs be.” Atsumu paused. “Of course, there will be fierce opposition to keep them.”</p><p>“And that’s where the Brotherhood comes in, I guess.”</p><p>“Precisely.” Atsumu grinned. “We want to know what exactly is causing this discontent amongst the nobles concerning mages, I know the common people seem to despise them but…that was an accident, we think.”</p><p>“You think.” Shirabu snorted. “You just said no-one’s looked into it, so are you saying someone <em>has</em>?”</p><p>“Not since the initial look-in.” Osamu scoffed. “It happened in the heart of the old city district and anyone who ventures in there is greeted by thugs in the first few streets. Even if the guards are sent, they don’t get anywhere near that old tavern before feeling like it’s a waste of time and effort.”</p><p>Shirabu wrinkled his nose. “And the bodies of the dead?”</p><p>“Most of them were collected up, at least the ones laying in the streets to stop the smell.” Atsumu nonchalantly remarked. “Not sure how deep the clean up went as everyone thinks the place is cursed.”</p><p>“Perfect, good job I specialise in dealing with death.” Shirabu wryly remarked. “I’ll take a look.”</p><p>The twins gave him wide-eyed expressions. “I…wouldn’t.” Atsumu uttered. “Kenjirou, if they find out you’re—”</p><p>“So what?” Shirabu sighed. “I can’t exactly ask Hinata to go down there can I?”</p><p>“But still, don’t go <em>alone</em>.”</p><p>He huffed. “Fine, I guess I’ll go to the dumbass lunatics in the Brotherhood and get them to come with me.”</p><p>Osamu shook his head slightly but ultimately it seemed Shirabu had already decided his course of action. Even if he had nearly died in the city when he was last there, Shirabu was done sitting around waiting for problems to solve themselves. He thought back to how forthright Tooru had been about fixing things with Tobio, how quickly he had moved to settle old scores. He had doubted his king then, yet now he found himself doing a similar feat.</p><p>He had his doubts that it was merely an accident, all the signs pointed to a magical cause. So if a mage started it, then by all means he reckoned a mage should put the unanswered questions to rest. He had a few ideas of what would cause blue flames, but really he needed to drag a few extra heads in to solve this mystery. Even if it was more to make sure he didn’t get kidnapped himself.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>Hinata was exhausted. Since waking up that morning he had been on a continuous journey through several emotions and not all of them had made him thankful to be alive. As the night had drawn in, he considered asking Kenma if he could sleep in his bed that night. He almost didn’t want to face Tobio after all the things said that morning, yet he wanted to see the other, he wanted to feel Tobio’s comforting hands take his.</p><p>Most of the others were asleep by now, a few remained up like Kunimi and Yaku, old habits dying hard as they kept watch out of the street-facing windows. But the rest were already asleep, they had various tasks laid out for the next day and he got the feeling he wouldn’t see some of them until evening. He left Kenma to his late-night reading, knowing the other was likely to fall asleep and Yaku would end up carrying him to bed later, and made his way up to Tobio’s room.</p><p>He hesitated at the closed door, wondering what he’d even say to the other at this point. He then decided Tobio should be the one to worry about such things, he was the one who was being difficult about all this after all. The room was lit by a lone candle on the table beside the bed, shadows danced on the walls as Tobio sat amongst the blankets with a leather journal in hand.</p><p>Hinata hadn’t seen this journal before, his curiosity was piqued.</p><p>“Evening.” Tobio greeted without looking up from his quill scratching against bound parchment. Hinata closed the door behind him and grunted in response, not sure what to say. He slowly stripped down to some loose pants to sleep in, wincing a little at the still sore wounds on his chest. He glanced over to watch Tobio’s steady writing, neat words covered the page as the tip of the quill continued to move quickly.</p><p>“What’s that for?” He asked eventually.</p><p>“I’m keeping a record of what’s going on.” Tobio replied, still not looking up. “For the future, when generations after us ask what happened when House Kageyama visited the empire.”</p><p>Hinata smiled slightly at the idea. “If only more people kept records with that in mind and not just to boast about old battles and rivalries.”</p><p>“Yeah, if only.” Tobio snorted. Silence fell again as Hinata shuffled to sit cross-legged on the bed. Tobio seemed calm that evening, even considering the busy day. He smiled softly as he wrote, relaxed posture indicated he had been at it a while but still wasn’t feeling tired yet. It wasn’t what Hinata had expected to walk in on, but he was content to let this moment last a while.</p><p>He was starting to feel sleepy when Tobio let out a small sigh and set the quill down on the bedside table. His eyes moved over the still drying words for a moment before glancing up for the first time since Hinata got there. Deep blue eyes regarded him with a calm feeling. He found himself smiling, partly out of drowsiness and partly at how content he felt.</p><p>“I owe you an apology.” Tobio murmured, not breaking eye contact. “For this morning.”</p><p>Hinata swallowed. “No, I mean…I don’t think you do.” He lied. Tobio did owe him one, but he didn’t want to ruin this nice atmosphere by arguing about it. “I don’t want you to—”</p><p>“I’m sorry.” Tobio continued almost as if Hinata hadn’t said anything. “For being so conflicting about all this, you deserve better.”</p><p>“What? No, I mean, don’t say that.”</p><p>“You deserve a king who won’t let his emotions get the better of him in important situations.”</p><p><em>Oh,</em> that’s what this was about? Tobio was apologising because he felt he failed Hinata as his king? Seriously? Was he that oblivious? Hinata gave him a puzzled look.</p><p>“We’re all…stressed.” Hinata chose his words carefully. “And you’re, well you, so I’ve come to expect it…and besides, if you didn’t get emotional from time to time…then you wouldn’t be human, would you?”</p><p>He wasn’t sure where <em>that</em> came from. But it seemed to make sense to Tobio, bring relief even as he leaned his head back against the wall and smiled softly.</p><p>“You’re full of it aren’t you?”</p><p>“F-Full of what?”</p><p>“Odd sayings, weird bits of wisdom.”</p><p>Hinata laughed nervously, unsure how to feel about this conversation. “Maybe having Hēishān’s guidance all that time rubbed off on me?”</p><p>“Maybe so…” Tobio hummed, glancing down at the journal and deciding the ink had dried enough to set it aside.</p><p>“What’s the plan for tomorrow?”</p><p>Tobio hummed in thought as he rubbed his eyes and stifled a yawn. “Uhm, like, I guess the Brotherhood are gonna start their little investigation…I have no solid plans. I might send Ushijima to see if I can talk to Yachi at some point.”</p><p>To Hinata, it sounded like there was no reason to get up absurdly early, which was good. “Ah, well, I guess I’ll just be…here?” He shrugged.</p><p>Tobio didn’t reply at first, merely meeting his gaze before his eyes flicked down to Hinata’s bare chest. His brow furrowed slightly. “Are those wounds still not healing?”</p><p>Hinata glanced down and saw the deep cuts from the shattering runestones were indeed still not showing signs of healing. The redness had faded a little but in their place, shades of purple and dark blue were spreading out along the cuts. He hadn’t thought much of it, the itching beneath his shirt during the day was a little irritating but there were much more concerning things occupying his mind. Now he thought about it, yeah it was a little odd.</p><p>“I mean, maybe I’ll get Kenma to look at them?” He offered. “It’s not been <em>that</em> long.”</p><p>Tobio seemed unconvinced but the suggestion of having Kenma look at them was enough for Hinata to dodge further questions about it. As Hinata yawned again, he shuffled under the blankets, deciding that he was going to at least get comfortable if they were going to discuss anything of more importance. Tobio remained sat up, sleep beckoned him but he felt like there was more to say as Hinata yawned again, louder.</p><p>“How are you after what happened earlier?”</p><p>Hinata let out a long sigh. “Honestly, not great, but hey this is the new normal.”</p><p>“Indeed, but hopefully for not much longer.”</p><p>He shrugged. “Even if you tear up that treaty, the people here hate mages.”</p><p>“True, but House Oikawa once hated me, and now look where we are after what…a few months?” There was a confident smile from Tobio as he glanced at Hinata. “People will change their minds over time, trust me.”</p><p>As doubtful as it might sound, Hinata was prepared to do just that; trust Tobio. It wasn’t like he could do anything at the moment anyway.</p><p>“Alright, well, I’m tired.” Hinata yawned again. “So, sleep?”</p><p>Tobio nodded, leaning over and blowing out the candle before shuffling further under the covers. There were a few moments of quiet before Hinata heard him sigh in content. Whilst he was tired, he almost felt more awake now in the darkness. He wasn’t sure what made him say it, but the words came tumbling out before he could stop them.</p><p>“Have you had any more nightmares?”</p><p>“Not really.” Tobio replied quietly. “The ones I had were just weird…”</p><p>“Weird how?”</p><p>He heard Tobio snort. “Just flashes of the throne room again, not as bad as they used to be…but it reminded me of when Kei…” he trailed off, letting out a ragged breath. “The Miya twins said they want Kei dead.”</p><p>“Oh?”</p><p>“Yeah, they really don’t want him or his brother on the throne.”</p><p>“I…sense a but?”</p><p>Tobio snorted again. “I don’t…it feels wrong.”</p><p>“What do you mean? He’s screwed with you and plenty of others?”</p><p>The darkness hid Tobio’s facial expression from him, but Hinata could almost sense the frown in concentration. “True, but at the same time…what would killing him achieve?”</p><p>Hinata hummed, he understood the reluctance. Killing wasn’t in Tobio’s blood just as it wasn’t in his. “Do you think he’d want to make amends?”</p><p>“No, probably not.”</p><p>“Well then I guess killing him is the only way? I don’t know, the empire’s way of doing things is all weird and…I don’t like it.”</p><p>“Me neither.”</p><p>The shared opinion on the empire gave Hinata a little hope that the Tobio he knew was still present and hadn’t been swallowed by his new responsibilities. In the darkness, he reached out across the gap between them without thinking, his hand brushing against Tobio’s. They both froze, unsure how this was meant to be playing out. It almost felt like they were back to square one; nervous to act on any desires for fear it was being misunderstood. It frustrated him a little but in the darkness he couldn’t read Tobio’s expression. He hesitantly covered Tobio’s hand with his own, waiting for the other to pull away.</p><p>When Tobio didn’t pull away, he smiled to himself. They fell asleep like that, it wasn’t the most intimate they had found themselves being in the past, but it felt more natural this time, less like an act and more like they wanted it for the right reasons.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>“Alright, you know the plan?” Suga asked.</p><p>Kiyoko smiled knowingly, taking his hand in hers. “We’re curious at the idea of moving to Hinode and want to know who’s who and what’s what.” She recalled. “Oh, and we’re <em>filthy rich</em> of course.”</p><p>“That’s my girl.” He chuckled. They had left soon after breakfast on the first of many quests for knowledge. Given their unique reputation amongst the nobles now after their display at the banquet, they had dressed appropriately for a casual walk to the uptown district to see if they could dig up some tasty court gossip. Of course, it also happened to give them a reason to spend time together, alone, away from the others.</p><p>Though their job was at the forefront of their minds, there was a nervous excitement about them as they walked hand in hand. Whilst at the ball they had donned masks, they weren’t exactly <em>locals</em>, so they were betting on the nobles being smart enough to put two and two together. Sure enough, as they walked between the more permanent shop fronts of the uptown district, they felt the familiar sensation of eyes upon them.</p><p>It didn’t take long for them to be approached by a sharply dressed gentleman. He wore tailored clothes, whilst the colours weren’t garish like formal clothing of a banquet, the bold blues and reds were nothing to be sniffed at. He sported a neatly trimmed moustache that quivered as he spoke, his tone and dialect screamed nobility but not necessarily one of Yachi’s court, a rich merchant maybe. They didn’t immediately recognise him, so assumed he was merely curious at who they were.</p><p>“Ah, we’re from the southern kingdom.” Suga nodded politely in reply to his question. “We happened to be visiting at the same time as King Tobio and decided to take a better look around.”</p><p>Kiyoko nodded enthusiastically, quickly picking up the conversation. “We were actually wondering how easy it would be to move here, it’s <em>so</em> much more majestic than our current dwellings.”</p><p>The gentleman seemed surprised but eager to indulge them. He talked their ears off about the grand history of the Imperial family in Hinode for the past few decades before he gave them anything remotely useful. “But of course, there have been a few uh, unfortunate incidents in recent years. But I shouldn’t trouble yourselves with that, this district is untouchable by the masses.” He remarked with an easy-going smile.</p><p>“Oh? Unfortunate how?” Kiyoko played along, now moving to cling to Suga’s arm and rest her head on his shoulder. “Sickness?”</p><p>“Oh gosh no, no,” he scoffed, glancing around before leaning a little closer, “there were…strange things going on in the old city. Magic, they said. The rowdy folk over there used to use it all the time and one night,” he shuddered, moustache bristling, “it all just exploded in fire and lightning—” he took a moment to calm himself, clearing his throat. “Anyway, the imperial family didn’t really take it seriously,” he frowned, “they were far too lenient.”</p><p>“Lenient?” Suga asked. “What happened to those responsible? Were they not thrown onto a pyre?”</p><p>The man nodded in approval before scoffing again. “No, no the mages were just told to get out of the city or face trial on the count of treason - which <em>would</em><em>’ve</em> gotten them executed. But they all fled of course!”</p><p>Suga shook his head, feigning disgust. “Disgraceful.”</p><p>Kiyoko squeezed his hand. “So they got away with it?”</p><p>“Unfortunately, but the people of Hinode don’t forget.” The man remarked coldly. “Any mage who enters the city is told they’re not welcome here.”</p><p>Suga and Kiyoko both nodded, the conversation had taken a darker turn but it was something new. They could conclude that this hatred towards mages had at least been made worse by this incident in the older city, that there had already been some ill-will directed towards them and the ‘explosion’ had been more than a metaphorical one. Though the imperial family being lenient raised a few questions; why didn’t they just execute those they felt were responsible? Why had they not rebuilt the district? What was the reasoning behind continuing to allow discontent amongst the masses?</p><p>These were questions they weren’t going to ask this nobleman, that’s for sure.</p><p>“So, about this district,” Suga changed the topic back with an easy-going smile, “who lives here?”</p><p>The man chuckled. “Well, everyone who’s anyone. We got the imperial family’s residences, though the actual family is slimmed down a lot or back home on the eastern coast.” He gestured around to the lavish-looking manor houses that all stood isolated from each other, thick walls or hedgerows separated them and gave privacy to their occupants. “The main noble families live here, both the Miya and Tsukishima families have residences here too.”</p><p>“Tsukishima? Miya?” Kiyoko repeated. “Do they carry much weight?”</p><p>The nobleman chuckled again. “Just a little.” He remarked. “The Miya family are a family who stick to their values and won’t budge, but they’re also one of the more…” he gestured to the air as he thought, “they don’t involve themselves in many public matters.”</p><p>“And the Tsukishimas?”</p><p>He sighed heavily. “One of the oldest families but that doesn’t mean they’re…popular.” He leaned closer to lower his voice. “Some think they’re trying to oust the imperial family.”</p><p>“Oust them?” Suga repeated. “Is that, is that possible?”</p><p>“Yeah, but it’s not done ‘accidentally’, if you catch my drift.” The man shook his head. “It’s early days, but some of us believe it’s only a matter of time.”</p><p>“And if they do?”</p><p>“Let’s not think about that.” He sighed, righting his posture once more. “Anyway, where are my manners? Come, let me show you around; there’s this teashop nearby that serves some of the best in the city!”</p><p>Suga and Kiyoko shared a small smile before allowing themselves to be shepherded away. They’d have to report back to the others much later.</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Scattered Pieces</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>XVIII</strong>
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<p>
  <strong>Scattered Pieces</strong>
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<p>It was easy to slip into the common crowd within Hinode. Kuroo found it almost too easy. They were used to big towns sure, Tanishiti and Kōshi were daunting to new people in their own ways, but there was a heightened sense of paranoia that came with Hinode. Maybe it was because they knew they weren’t really welcome there, or maybe it was down to not knowing the rat ways and escape routes. As he walked through the crowded streets with Bokuto and Daichi, he wondered if they felt it too.</p>
<p>“You think Semi is gonna have much luck?” Bokuto asked him as they took a moment to pretend to be canvasing the makeshift trading stalls.</p>
<p>“Maybe, possibly.” Kuroo shrugged. “Depends how badly he wants to succeed.”</p>
<p>Bokuto gave Kuroo a slightly doubtful expression. “You still don’t fully trust him, do you?”</p>
<p>Kuroo shrugged again. “Would you if you were in my position?”</p>
<p>“Fair point,” Bokuto’s gaze moved over the wares for sale, trying not to judge the craftsmanship of some slightly sub-par daggers, “but he’s one of us now.”</p>
<p>“Doesn’t mean I have to whole-heartedly trust him.” Kuroo remarked. “Especially right now.”</p>
<p>Their conversation was cut short by Daichi coming up behind them and clapping them both on the shoulder. “So, I had a thought.”</p>
<p>“Oh boy, Daichi having thoughts,” Bokuto remarked with a sly smile, “yeah?”</p>
<p>Daichi snorted, pretending to be offended. “Let’s go to a tavern.”</p>
<p>“A tavern.” Kuroo repeated. “It’s barely noon.”</p>
<p>“Exactly. Which means the barkeep will be bored out of their minds.”</p>
<p>Bokuto and Kuroo exchanged a glance. That seemed to make sense, the people in Hinode didn’t seem like the types to get drunk early in the day like in Kōshi. Considering their other options included a lot of walking and pretending to be interested in cuts of expensive fabric, they nodded.</p>
<p>Besides, who turns down a trip to the tavern when the guild leader is willing to pay for their drinks? Not these two, that’s for sure.</p>
<p>Where they ended up wasn’t exactly what they were used to, for a ‘tavern’ it felt remarkably upmarket. They were used to the southern kingdom’s dark and dingy wooden halls that stank of ale and roasting meat. This place had more than two windows that had wide-open shutters letting the daylight pour in. A large fire was roaring in a fire pit in the centre of the room but there were no roasting joints of meat to speak of, instead it seemed all the food was prepared in an entirely different room.</p>
<p>The bar itself was well kept; bottles lined the shelf behind it, large candlesticks sat at either end of the bar to provide more light in the evenings. The entire room smelt of lavender due to the large bushels of it hanging around the room beside paintings and vases filled to the brim with the striking purple flower.</p>
<p>At the sound of the door opening, the barkeep glanced up from wiping down the bar with an almost puzzled look on his face. He was older than them, but he still had a youthful presence about him. His hair wasn’t greying as an elder’s would, but his frame stood towering over the bar, broad shoulders and work-scarred hands spoke of his working life.</p>
<p>“Huh, you must be visitors.” He remarked with a small smile. “What can I get ya?”</p>
<p>Daichi smiled warmly as they stepped up to the bar, there was no-one else in the tavern aside from them so he didn’t bother trying to put up much of a front. “Ah we are,” he replied, “and we’ll take three of your finest…ales.”</p>
<p>“Ale?” The barkeep chuckled. “The wine of the empire not to your taste?”</p>
<p>Bokuto shuddered. “Oof, no, far too sweet for us southerners.”</p>
<p>There was a shared laugh as the barkeep nodded. “I hear that,” he set out three tankards before beginning to pour them their drinks, “been down south myself, you guys know how to brew some odd flavours.”</p>
<p>Bokuto shrugged. “We make do with what we have.”</p>
<p>“I can respect that, so what brings you to Hinode?”</p>
<p>Kuroo wasn’t going to reply until he had a drink in hand so Daichi took to replying. “Just felt like a lads adventure really.” He remarked. “Get out and see the world y’know?”</p>
<p>The barkeep nodded, pushing the now full tankards towards them and getting three silver pieces in return. “Ah, youth.”</p>
<p>Bokuto snorted. “You don’t look much older than us sir.” He gestured to the other’s still vibrant coloured hair and his strong frame.</p>
<p>“Haha!” The barkeep shook his head. “You’re funny guys, I am only in my twenty-seventh year. But when you have a tavern to look after, the world becomes a little smaller.”</p>
<p>“Huh, so you haven’t been out much since?” Kuroo asked, sipping his drink. “How come?”</p>
<p>There was a pause as the barkeep sighed heavily, he seemed reluctant to say as he went about wiping down the bar again. The trio exchanged glances, wondering if maybe that was a bad question.</p>
<p>“It happened about four summers ago now,” he murmured, “I’m sure you’ve noticed the part of the city no-one goes to; the old city district they call it.” He glanced up at the door as if to check they weren’t about to be interrupted. “Well, it’s part of the original city, the Hinode before the imperial family arrived. The Hinode that <em>liked</em> mages.”</p>
<p>“There was such a thing?” Bokuto asked sincerely, the barkeep nodded.</p>
<p>“Yeah, hard to believe right? Well over the decades of the imperial family being here, attitudes started to shift. Some old grudge against mages started spreading to the common people. And well, once the people were poisoned by that idea, there was no turning back.” He sighed heavily. “Four summers ago, the old city exploded in fire and lightning during the night. Us regular…” He stopped himself, “those of us who aren’t gifted had no idea what was going on. All we knew was that fire isn’t meant to be <em>blue</em>.”</p>
<p>“Blue?” Daichi repeated.</p>
<p>“No-one can explain it. And as the forgotten district burned many people died that night, their deaths sent ripples through the city and beyond. The empress at the time didn’t show much emotion on the matter, she declared any mage found responsible would be executed.”</p>
<p>“Quick to accuse mages.” Bokuto remarked.</p>
<p>“Yep.” The barkeep inhaled sharply. “You’re seeing the common theme here.”</p>
<p>“Aye.”</p>
<p>“And well, most mages abandoned the city after that. Which of course didn’t help their case; many thought they had a guilty conscience but some of us…some of us think they saw no other option. If they stayed, who was to say they wouldn’t get executed?” He shrugged. “But yeah.”</p>
<p>“So…” Kuroo murmured. “How does that explain you getting this tavern?”</p>
<p>“Ah, yes, well, my older sister was in charge of this place back then. The Lavender Hall she christened it.” He smiled. “And as for how I got it…” he swallowed. “She died that night. Caught up in the chaos.”</p>
<p>A moment of awkward realisation fell over them. Daichi cleared his throat first. “Sorry to hear that.”</p>
<p>“I’m mostly over her death,” he gestured around at the lavender decorating the place, “I honour her memory by keeping the place smelling just how she liked it; as if you walk through a field of lavender.”</p>
<p>“That’s nice.” Bokuto smiled. “I bet she’d be proud of you.”</p>
<p>“Ya think?” The barkeep smiled warmly, eyes slightly misty.</p>
<p>“Heck yeah! I have two brothers and if either of the little shits honoured my memory with half as much effort as you, I’d be proud of them.” He grinned. Kuroo and Daichi shared a smile as Bokuto raised his tankard. “To the Lavender Hall, may it continue to serve great ale and smell like a fresh field of flowers.”</p>
<p>Daichi and Kuroo raised their tankards in a toast, the barkeep nodded and bowed in thanks. “Well, how about another on the house then?”</p>
<p>“Gladly.” Bokuto replied.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Tobio set out that morning to see Yachi. He wasn’t nearly as nervous as he was last time, even if he wasn’t certain of her intentions, he had at least gotten this far without Hinata and Inuoka being arrested. Yamaguchi and Asahi accompanied him, even if it was just to wait outside for him. The palace was open to him, guards stood at attention and nodded in greeting as he was passed from one steward to another. After a few minutes of walking down long hallways and waiting for doors to be opened, he found himself stood outside a much smaller, humbler door.</p>
<p>“She is expecting you.” The guardsman nodded, gesturing to the door.</p>
<p>Tobio raised an eyebrow as he pushed the door open. He expected a grand chamber covered in regal decor, instead he found a cosy study. He didn’t feel like he was meeting the empress as he walked into the room; large bookcases lined one wall stuffed to the brim with leather-bound journals and old texts, the opposing wall saw a stone fireplace taking up most of it, a roaring fire already taking hold. A few chairs were situated all looking towards the fire, within one of them sat the young empress.</p>
<p>“Ah Tobio.” She remarked as the door closed behind him with a quiet thud. “Good day.”</p>
<p>He glanced around a little more at the decor; a few simple paintings hung either side of the door he had walked through, bright flashes of colour in an otherwise bland room. His gaze eventually settled on the young empress in less extravagant attire than before, though she still looked like a noble in the tailored fabrics of soft lilac and pale pink colour.</p>
<p>“Yeah,” he nodded, “it’s been alright.”</p>
<p>She turned the page of a journal that was laying in her lap. “Do take a seat.”</p>
<p>He did as he was told, taking the seat across from hers, the fire warming the left of him. As he looked to her, he could really see her youthful face; wide eyes that hadn’t been darkened by war and death like many before her had, her blond hair wasn’t pinned back today as her gaze flickered between him and the journal she had been reading.</p>
<p>“So, what’s the order of business?” Tobio asked.</p>
<p>She smiled, closing the journal. “I thought we could talk about lighter things to begin with, we have plenty of time to debate darker matters.”</p>
<p>He wasn’t sure what classed as ‘light’, but he nodded, relaxing a little in the seat. “Alright, you first.”</p>
<p>She met his gaze with the same warm smile. “Well, tell me about yourself. You’re clearly well-loved in your kingdom if the fanfare after the Battle of the Dynasty was anything to go by.”</p>
<p>Tobio drummed his fingers on the armrest of the chair. “I’m the sole surviving heir of House Kageyama, I have to uphold my family’s legacy.” He paused for a moment. “I do right by my people, I try to do everything I can to ensure they can live freely within my borders.”</p>
<p>“A noble sentiment.” She remarked. “I try to do the same but…well, having six kingdoms rolled into one brings its own challenges.”</p>
<p>“I imagine it would,” he remarked, “but I have allies I can call upon, House Oikawa and House Kyoutani, the Brotherhood.”</p>
<p>“Brotherhood?” Yachi repeated. “Who are they?”</p>
<p>“You haven’t heard of the infamous Brotherhood?” He smirked slightly. He found it incredibly doubtful she hadn’t heard <em>anything</em>, especially if Kei Tsukishima was involved. “They’re a band of mercenaries who have…unique skills, skills that have been proven to be of great help.”</p>
<p>“Oh really,” Yachi seemed to ponder for a moment, “I wonder if the Miya family have heard of them.”</p>
<p>“I expect so.” Tobio wasn’t going to let that slip just yet. He watched for her reaction as he continued; “are you close to the Miya family?”</p>
<p>She nodded, no trace of trying to deceive him. “We share similar values, me and them, but I do have to consider other opinions. After all, I’m not just leading one kingdom but a mixture of several, some of them came into the fold willingly and many years before our time, others not so much and more recently. So recent that the wounds haven't’ healed yet. The voices at the table often bicker amongst themselves.”</p>
<p>“Huh, yeah I don’t have the headache of nobility.” Tobio shrugged. “Tooru does but that’s just how House Oikawa’s kingdom works.”</p>
<p>“Huh, kindred spirit maybe.” Yachi remarked. “So your kingdom is just, you? No others?”</p>
<p>Tobio considered how he was to answer, he could easily spin the story that he and Hinata were a thing but it felt odd to do so after everything. He nodded. “Yeah, just me. No siblings, no nobles, just me. I have my staff and…Hinata, but I’m the only ruler.”</p>
<p>She gave him a pensive look before fixing her gaze on the fire. “You must get lonely.”</p>
<p>Tobio almost felt offended, he wrinkled his nose in slight disgust before remembering to try and be a bit more understanding. After all, she didn’t know him which was precisely why they were having this conversation.</p>
<p>“Not really, I have quite a few friends around me.” He shrugged, gazing at the fire himself. “People I trust and people I can rely on.”</p>
<p>She weakly smiled. “That’s good.”</p>
<p>She wasn’t really giving him much to go on, so he decided to start asking questions himself. If he was the only one pouring out his soul here, they were going to have a problem. He needed to know what she wanted from him, what him rooting out Kei and Akiteru’s intentions would mean for her.</p>
<p>“What about you? Anyone else?”</p>
<p>She shook her head. “I am the last.”</p>
<p>“The last in the line or the last alive? Cause those are two different things.”</p>
<p>“The last in the line, my aunt decided to leave the entire empire to me rather than my mother.” Her voice was quiet as she kept her gaze on the fire. “I didn’t want it, but rarely do our kind get what we want, right?”</p>
<p>Tobio smiled slightly, he could relate a little. “And you can’t really tell them to fuck off.”</p>
<p>“Nope, because that has a lot of bad consequences.”</p>
<p>“Like letting others on the throne, others who would tear the place apart?”</p>
<p>She met his gaze, curiosity along with a strange sense of understanding held within her eyes. “I guess the Miya twins have spoken to you.”</p>
<p>“They have.” Tobio nodded. “I know of the Tsukishima family, had personal dealings with them myself.”</p>
<p>Her gaze on him was steady, not quite relieved at his revelation but neither surprised. “You mentioned before, right?”</p>
<p>“Kei, specifically,” he clarified, “asshole pretended to be my friend before trying to get Tooru to wipe out my kingdom.” His hand clenched the armrest. “He…” he stopped short, he wasn’t sure if he should be as open with Yachi as he wanted to be, she knew Kei was a mage but did she know what he could do?</p>
<p>He figured there was no time like the present.</p>
<p>“He got inside my head and brought up memories that should’ve stayed buried in the ashes of my throne room.”</p>
<p>She held his gaze, she didn’t seem surprised at the accusation, and that in itself worried him a little. “Sounds like Atsumu was right to be suspicious when he came back to us.”</p>
<p>Tobio leaned forward in the seat, resting his elbows on his knees as he regarded her with a serious expression. “What do you know about Kei? Like, do you know why he was down south for so long fucking with me?”</p>
<p>She shook her head. “I do not. I’m sorry.” She apologetically smiled. “Kei is very reclusive at court, Akiteru is the one I’ve had more dealings with.”</p>
<p>“And what of him? What does he push for? What does he want?”</p>
<p>She shook her head again. “He’s…I can’t really tell you. He just dictates how I should reign. But even I can tell that he’s being selfish and trying to…” She trailed off, her hands fidgeted in her lap. “That’s why I’ve turned to you, Tobio. I need someone to upset the balance here just enough to jostle him into revealing his cards.”</p>
<p>He considered it, the idea of causing an upset in court didn’t particularly feel like a terrible idea, however there was also this unwelcome feeling that even with Yachi’s support, his mages could still be in danger.</p>
<p>“First, answer me this;” he said, “this treaty that my mages broke, will you dissolve it if I agree to help you?”</p>
<p>She gave him a pained smile. “I would if I could.”</p>
<p>“What’s <em>that</em> supposed to mean?”</p>
<p>“Well,” she huffed slightly, “the grand council are the ones who put it into place but they’re all dead now. So it would fall to the imperial court to decide if the treaty is worth upholding. Said court is made up of the former rulers of each individual kingdom and city-state along with rich noble families. And as I’m sure you can appreciate, there are many in that mix who are in favour of executing your mages on the spot. Even if <em>I</em> wanted to dissolve them it would cause an uproar and even a rebellion.” She leaned forward, setting the journal in her lap aside. “Tobio, this is bigger than two mages, this is a feud that’s been present for years and has no sign of shifting unless something drastic happens.”</p>
<p>“Drastic as in…” Tobio wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do about a feud spanning several years.</p>
<p>“Someone figures out how the old city district got destroyed in one night. That was the final arrow that struck the beast that is Hinode. Things were tense before it happened and the disaster brought it all to a boiling point.”</p>
<p>Tobio got the idea that this wasn’t going to be a simple mystery to solve. “Okay, tell me what you know.”</p>
<p>She looked back to the fire. “It happened before I became empress, but here’s what I was told by Atsumu.”</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Shirabu found it easy to locate the Brotherhood. Aside from the fact the Miya twins had visited them, he knew that due to how important Tobio was, he’d be placed in the uptown district. Finding the manor was simple and he had a written pass from Atsumu permitting him to enter the manor to ‘talk business’. As soon as he saw Hinata in the parlour, he was ready to let his feelings on all of this be known, however he got waylaid by Inuoka.</p>
<p>“What the fuck are you doing here?”</p>
<p>Shirabu pretended to be offended, though he was almost legitimately offended. “Well, if you must know, I need to ask the lunatics for a favour.”</p>
<p>Inuoka didn’t seem impressed. “Tooru need them to do more of his dirty work?”</p>
<p>Shirabu snorted. “No, Tooru doesn’t even know I’m <em>here</em>.” He scoffed. “I’m actually here somewhat on behalf of the twins.”</p>
<p>“The twins.”</p>
<p>“Yes, the twins.”</p>
<p>Inuoka rolled his eyes and sighed. “Go talk to Hinata, he’s the freakin’ chosen one after all.”</p>
<p>Shirabu noted the dampened spirit of the previously bouncy ice mage. It was almost like his specialist element was catching up with him. Not wanting to delay himself any further, Shirabu proceeded into the parlour and thus into Hinata’s line of sight. Kenma and Nishinoya were sat with him around the fire, none of them seemed in nearly a poor a mood as Inuoka, for that he was thankful.</p>
<p>“Shirabu?” Kenma wrinkled his nose in confusion. “What are—”</p>
<p>“I’ll explain if you give me like five seconds.” He remarked, taking a seat next to the trio. “So, you know I actually used to <em>live</em> up here, right? And well <em>maybe</em> I had a few contacts from that time. And well <em>maybe</em> once I heard of Tobio’s batshit crazy plan to come up here and <em>challenge the fucking empress</em>, I put in a word or two.”</p>
<p>Kenma considered the new information, quickly coming to the logical conclusion. “You’re the one who told the twins, aren’t you?”</p>
<p>Shirabu sheepishly smiled. “I knew they held sway in the court, so I told him about you a little and asked if they could help Hinata and Inuoka out.”</p>
<p>“Huh.” Nishinoya poked the fire with an iron poker. “So, you told the twins about us, and now you’re here, why?”</p>
<p>“They sent me a letter back stating they had a use for you, but they also told me other things…things that don’t sit well with me.”</p>
<p>“Kei.” Kenma supplied.</p>
<p>“Yep.” Shirabu sighed. “And of course, Tooru still wants his head so…two birds one stone.”</p>
<p>“So why are you <em>here</em>.” Nishinoya continued.</p>
<p>“Well I have a bit more of a personal…thing.” Shirabu murmured. “I’m sure you’ve heard of this old city district being destroyed?”</p>
<p>Hinata nodded, the angry mob from the previous day were still fresh in his mind. “They said a mage did it?”</p>
<p>Shirabu shrugged. “I’m going to find out who or what actually did it.” He stated. “And the twins made me promise I wouldn’t do it alone.”</p>
<p>“So what, you want us to put ourselves in danger to find out?” Nishinoya scoffed. “No thanks. We’re already risking enough as it is.”</p>
<p>Shirabu pouted slightly, narrowing his eyes at Hinata. “And you?”</p>
<p>“Me?”</p>
<p>“You never know when to quit, are you willing to help?”</p>
<p>Hinata’s gut instinct was to say no, that he had already narrowly escaped being beaten in the street for being a mage. He nervously shrugged. “No…”</p>
<p>Shirabu was a little put-out, but he knew there were many more in the Brotherhood, some of whom would be more than willing to get their hands dirty. “Fine, then I’ll wait here for the others I guess.”</p>
<p>Kenma nodded, not budging on the matter. Shirabu seemed annoyed at them but none of them were prepared to put themselves out on a line like that again. It was simply far too risky for them. If they had been less public in their arrival, maybe they would’ve been more open to the dangerous mission.</p>
<p>“So out of the others, who do you think will be down?” Shirabu asked them.</p>
<p>Kenma and Nishinoya exchanged a glance. “Well,” Nishinoya thought for a moment. “I guess any of them, but if you’re looking for those who wouldn’t be assholes about it…probably like Tanaka, Kindaichi? Moniwa might be quite good at figuring shit out?”</p>
<p>Shirabu nodded. “Hmm yes, I need not so sassy people.” He remarked. “As much as I <em>love</em> Kuroo and Bokuto’s antics, they’re just gonna be fucking annoying.”</p>
<p>There was a shared chuckle. As much as the more active members of the guild could be interested in helping him investigate, Shirabu was determined to take those less likely to cause a scene, even if it meant waiting around a little.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. The First Look Into Hell</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>XIX</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong> The first look into Hell</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“So you’re a scholar, right?” Shirabu asked Moniwa as they made their way towards the old city district.</p>
<p>Moniwa smiled. “I mean, I keep a lot of books, yes, but I wouldn’t go as far as to say I’m a scholar.” He sheepishly replied.</p>
<p>Shirabu shrugged. “You keep a lot of books and are well-read, sounds like a scholar to me.”</p>
<p>They were joined by Tanaka, a concession made by Shirabu once he ran the idea by the more senior members of the Brotherhood. They didn’t know half of what the Miya twins knew about the city, but even they were alarmed at his idea to go nearly alone to such a notoriously bad part of the city. So Shirabu had accepted Tanaka’s accompaniment as long as the other didn’t behave like a hooligan.</p>
<p>Tanaka had been slightly offended at the comment but shrugged it off as he understood that this was a tense topic for Shirabu. He figured it would be a simple walk around the old district and maybe an interesting conversation here and there with the locals. He still wasn’t entirely sure why Shirabu was even in the empire again after successfully escaping once before. It seemed somewhat counter-productive to staying alive, but who was he to judge?</p>
<p>As Shirabu directed them to walk down the quiet main street of the formerly bustling district, Tanaka understood what Kunimi had meant by ‘eerie’. Many of the buildings were in varying states of disrepair; windows were smashed, doors hung off hinges, some had even started listing to the side. Timber and stone lay scattered in the street, some of the timber was visibly charred yet felt like it had been lying in the street for months.</p>
<p>“Huh, pretty...quiet.” Tanaka remarked as they paused for a moment. Shirabu was looking around and appeared deep in thought as Moniwa nodded in agreement.</p>
<p>“No-one lives here anymore?” Moniwa asked Shirabu who shrugged.</p>
<p>“Not officially, though you’ll have your squatters of course.” He glanced down a narrow side street. “We shouldn’t stay put for too long.”</p>
<p>They walked a little further into the district, the hustle and bustle of the central circle fading gradually behind them. As they found themselves surrounded by derelict buildings, it felt both eerie and peaceful in the midday sunlight. Though the charred remains of what seemed to be trading stalls littered the small square plaza, making the entire area feel empty of life.</p>
<p>“So, what actually happened?” Tanaka asked.</p>
<p>“Well there was a fire.” Shirabu told him. “But as to how that fire began, no-one really knows.”</p>
<p>“What do people say happened?”</p>
<p>Shirabu shrugged, glancing around the empty buildings. He only remembered vague flashes from that night, most of it long forgotten between what happened immediately afterwards and the time that had passed since.</p>
<p>“One thing that all the rumours and whispers have in common is the presence of blue fire.” He murmured. “Which obviously makes you think of a certain kind of person.”</p>
<p>“Mages.” Moniwa stated. “But you’re not convinced?”</p>
<p>“Blue fire isn’t always an indicator of <em>mages</em>, though it is magical so I don’t exactly blame anyone…”</p>
<p>“But you think there’s another cause?”</p>
<p>Shirabu shrugged. “I don’t think mages would burn down their own district.”</p>
<p>Tanaka had been pacing around loosely inspecting the remains of the trader’s stalls. Most of them we burnt beyond recognition, the banners and signs indicating what they were selling long gone. Any leftover produce had been burnt or rotted away; the bones left behind by the joints of meat were piled up neatly as if someone had attempted to clean the area up.</p>
<p>“So who would?” Moniwa asked.</p>
<p>“That’s the question, who would gain anything from doing this amount of destruction?” Shirabu gestured to the ruined buildings. “You tell me.”</p>
<p>Moniwa didn’t really need to think too much into it given what he had heard from the other’s experiences. Clearly there was a divide between the people in Hinode and it had deep roots. But something on this scale was more than overkill. Even if it was a political stunt, crippling a large section of the city was counter-productive if they didn’t do anything with the area afterwards.</p>
<p>“So then the question becomes, how?” Moniwa hummed. “How did an entire district get ruined to this degree? Did no-one try to stop the fire? Did the city guard <em>let</em> it happen?”</p>
<p>Tanaka had been listening to the conversation but his attention was firmly elsewhere. As he poked around in the ruined timbers of the trading hub, he kept finding bones, except these weren’t exactly the bones of livestock. These felt a bit <em>too</em> human for his liking. He called the others over to get their take on the small pile of bones he had stumbled upon. Moniwa’s eyes widened as he processed what was in front of him. Curved, thin bones were attached to a thick spine. He counted twelve in total, the exact number a human would have.</p>
<p>“I’m guessing no-one comes here very much.” Tanaka remarked, the sight of a body not creepy in itself, the circumstances however, he was a little less used to.</p>
<p>Shirabu shook his head. “Most in the city view this place as cursed, to walk this far into the district is unheard of.” He looked down at the pile of bones. There was something a little disconcerting about the lack of a skull. “Even I don’t know what remains.”</p>
<p>Tanaka folded his arms across his chest as he gave Shirabu a thoughtful look. “So let me get this straight, you used to live here up until around the time that this,” he gestured to the ruined district, “all happened? Then what? You pop up in House Oikawa’s court?”</p>
<p>Moniwa waited for Shirabu to get offended at the thinly veiled accusation. The other merely held Tanaka’s gaze with an unreadable expression. There was an uncomfortable silence for a few moments before Shirabu deigned to answer.</p>
<p>“If you must know, then yes, I did live in Hinode whilst this district was a thriving community.” He slowly replied, his voice low despite the lack of obvious eavesdroppers. “But on the night that all this chaos erupted, I was not here. Though I did pay the price for accusations just like yours.”</p>
<p>“I didn’t mean—”</p>
<p>“I know.” Shirabu’s tone didn’t change. “If I were in your position, I’d be suspicious too, but no, I do not know what happened here beyond what the rumour mill turned up and what the guards let slip to me between rounds of interrogation.”</p>
<p>“Interrogation?” Tanaka asked.</p>
<p>“Yes.” Shirabu curtly replied. “Because when an entire district goes up in blue flames, you blame any and all mages. So they rounded us up and interrogated a lot of us.”</p>
<p>Tanaka rubbed the back of his neck. “Uh, shit…I didn’t—”</p>
<p>“Consider yourself, ‘in the know’ now.” Shirabu huffed, shaking his head. “Sorry, it’s…a sore subject.”</p>
<p>Moniwa gave him an understanding smile, deciding that maybe they should try and steer clear of thorny subjects. “It’s okay, let’s focus on what we can tell from the remains.” He crouched down next to the pile of bones. He hummed in thought as he mulled over what he knew about anatomy from the journals of healers. “These bones have been charred like everything else, so that suggests they were not planted here.”</p>
<p>Shirabu nodded. “It was a chaotic mess, fire took hold quickly in these buildings due to the timber frames.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, I would expect that.” Moniwa reached out and moved a few of them around. He could see this was definitely a <em>pile</em> and not just where the unfortunate person died. “Next question, who takes the time to pile up bones <em>and</em> take the head?”</p>
<p>Tanaka shrugged. “Beats me.”</p>
<p>Moniwa glanced up at Shirabu. “Are there any rituals or customs that would explain this?”</p>
<p>“Not especially.” Shirabu replied, glancing around the deserted plaza. “It’s odd that only the head was taken.”</p>
<p>“Would someone be able to make contact with the spirit with only the head?”</p>
<p>Shirabu snorted. “You can contact any spirit if you have the name and date of death. It’s more about the word choice and purpose.”</p>
<p>“As in, why you’re summoning the spirit?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, like when I called Hayato’s spirit forth, it was to ask for guidance so that’s what I stated when I called him forth. Queen Wakana was a bit different but eh, they can tell if your intentions are good.”</p>
<p>Moniwa nodded, mulling over what the next line of thinking could be. They had some remains but no head and no identity to put to it. They needed some way to untangle this mystery. The obvious way would be to drag someone like Akaashi into it, but at the same time they shouldn’t <em>need</em> to.</p>
<p>“Okay, I propose we keep searching. Maybe try to find where it started?”</p>
<p>Shirabu gave him a doubtful look. “I mean, sure but this happened four summers ago now. Evidence is gonna be ruined by weather.”</p>
<p>“But if no-one has really come this far in, then there might be something.” Moniwa pointed out, getting a nod from Tanaka.</p>
<p>“Yeah, like can’t hurt to look?”</p>
<p>So the trio set off again, walking through the ruined streets of the district. They passed many old businesses that would’ve been thriving in their heyday. Shirabu offered small snippets of history on certain more iconic buildings and some more sentimental ones. As they turned off into a narrow alleyway, they found themselves moving between old homes. Furniture lay abandoned in the burnt buildings, what remained of chairs and tables stood silently in the gloom, often the only thing still identifiable were the stone hearths and firepits.</p>
<p>Turning down another wider street, they came across more severely burnt buildings, many more were collapsed in on themselves here than elsewhere. Shirabu paused as he caught sight of a larger shell of a building; whatever it used to be was unidentifiable as the entire front of the building had gone and the roof caved in onto it.</p>
<p>Within the rubble was a sign, words had been worn away over the months of rain and neglect but Shirabu remembered what it used to say.</p>
<p>“Ah, the tavern.” He murmured.</p>
<p>“That mean something?” Tanaka asked.</p>
<p>“Most of the rumours point fingers at the tavern being the point where the fire began, though <em>how</em> is beyond me.”</p>
<p>Moniwa stepped up to the ruins of the old drinking hole. It certainly felt like those rumours could hold some truth, given the sheer amount of destruction evident, the tavern looked like the epicentre of the fire. Around them the district was quiet, wind rustled in the rafters of the empty shells of buildings, wood creaked as rats and other critters scurried around. As Moniwa surveyed the ruins, he was convinced that this was at least where the fire started, though it may not be where the conflict began.</p>
<p>“Shirabu, how were things before the fire?” He asked.</p>
<p>“Shit.” Shirabu replied bluntly. “Like, mages were kinda looked down upon by the nobility and various factions of non-mages.” He shrugged. “But that’s true everywhere.”</p>
<p>Moniwa glanced to Tanaka. “What do you think?”</p>
<p>“Me?” Tanaka wrinkled his nose. “Like…it’s weird, as Shirabu said, why would mages want to destroy their own home?”</p>
<p>Moniwa nodded in agreement as he turned his gaze back to the ruined tavern, “I have a thought, not really based on any hard experience but it’s a thought nonetheless, perhaps there were some who were sick of being treated poorly, mages who knew they were powerful and wanted to live a normal life? Perhaps they wanted to show what they were capable of and it got out of hand?”</p>
<p>Tanaka nodded. “So an accident?”</p>
<p>Shirabu scoffed. “No, that doesn’t sit right with me.”</p>
<p>“How so?”</p>
<p>He worried his lip between his teeth before stepping up beside Moniwa. “Mages wouldn’t put their own kind and their allies in danger for that kind of reason.” He gestured to the tavern. “This was a popular place for us, a safe place to drink and forget our worries amongst our own kind and those who accepted us.” He met Moniwa’s gaze. “No-one in their right mind would want to blow it up for the sake of ‘proving’ themselves.”</p>
<p>“In their right mind.” Moniwa repeated more to himself. The trio seemed to all come to the same conclusion as Tanaka strode up to stand beside them.</p>
<p>“You don’t think a mage was forced to do it?” He asked quietly.</p>
<p>“It’s a possibility.” Moniwa murmured, glancing to Shirabu once more. “How easy would it be to strong-arm a mage into this?”</p>
<p>The other gave him a frown. “Strong-arm? Why do that when you can take control of their minds.”</p>
<p>“As in—”</p>
<p>“An empath mage.”</p>
<p>Tanaka inhaled sharply. “Okay, that’s a theory, sure. But before you both go racing off to tell the empress, think it through a second,” he gestured to the tavern, “if they’re capable of this, what else are they capable of? How can we be <em>sure</em> that they’re not planning something…bigger?”</p>
<p>“If we’re talking about the son of a bitch I think we are,” Shirabu stated, “then the entire empire as we know it could be able to crumble.”</p>
<p>Moniwa hummed in thought. “Except we may have the who, but not <em>why</em>.”</p>
<p>“Well we can ask him as Kuroo threatens to castrate him.” Shirabu shrugged.</p>
<p>“No.” Moniwa was stern as he shook his head. “No we can’t jump on this, we need evidence.” He stated. “We need to get Akaashi and Kenma here.”</p>
<p>“Why them?” Shirabu wrinkled his nose.</p>
<p>“Because Akaashi is an empath mage, and Kenma is the smartest person I know.”</p>
<p>“That’s high praise from a scholar.” Shirabu wryly smiled. “Fine, I’ll hold off on telling the twins what we think.”</p>
<p>“Sure thing.” Moniwa nodded. “I’ll convince the two others to come down here later or maybe tomorrow.”</p>
<p>Tanaka snorted. “Can’t wait to see you try to convince Kenma to leave the manor.”</p>
<p>Moniwa ignored Tanaka’s remark.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Tobio sat back in the chair, Yachi’s gaze was on the fire once more as the story of the night of the old city fire sunk in. Tobio pressed his fingertips together as he mulled over this information, by all accounts it made perfect sense for the people to be hostile towards mages, but at the same time it was utterly ridiculous to still be harbouring that grudge. Mind you, he was one to talk.</p>
<p>“So your aunt never put the rumours to bed? She never investigated?”</p>
<p>Yachi shook her head. “The records show she sent a single patrol to the district the morning after but their findings are nowhere to be found in the archives. I fear there was a cover-up of sorts.”</p>
<p>“So you turned to the Miya twins?”</p>
<p>“I figured if anyone could look into it, it would be them. The eyes of the court are not on them as much as they are on me. So if they did find anything, they would report to me and I could officially close down the rumours.”</p>
<p>“But they’re not saying anything?”</p>
<p>“I fear that four summers is too long.” She sighed. “I want to make this city better, to heal old wounds. I may not consider this place my home, but the Imperial family does, and so I want to make sure Hinode is the great city my ancestors wanted her to be.”</p>
<p>“I can relate.” Tobio smiled slightly. “It’s a heavy weight on your shoulders; carrying the legacy of those before you whilst trying to forge your own.”</p>
<p>She shared his smile. “Indeed. Well, I shan't keep you any longer Tobio. I think we’re done for the day.”</p>
<p>Tobio nodded, he had a lot to tell Yamaguchi and Hinata. As he went to stand up, the door opened abruptly. A tall man entered, short dusty blond hair was familiar yet not as he glanced between Yachi and Tobio. He was smartly dressed; buttoned-up dress jacket with embellishments in the fabric. He was definitely a noble.</p>
<p>“Ah, I didn’t realise you had company.” He murmured, casting a glance to Tobio but not smiling. Tobio felt an uneasy presence as their gazes met. He knew this feeling and he didn’t like it.</p>
<p>“It’s fine.” Yachi replied, flashing Tobio an uncertain glance. “We were just finishing up anyway, weren’t we Tobio?”</p>
<p>The other seemed taken back by Tobio’s name being uttered. “Oh, <em>you</em><em>’re</em> Tobio Kageyama.”</p>
<p>Tobio didn’t like the tone of the other. “Yes, and you?”</p>
<p>The man smiled slightly. “You don’t need to worry, your business is with the empress, not me and my family.”</p>
<p>Tobio didn’t like the vagueness but he allowed it as the other bowed respectfully. “I see, well I’ll be on my way,” he looked back to Yachi and nodded in parting, “thank-you for your time, your imperial majesty.”</p>
<p>She smiled, it was forced he could tell but he didn’t question it as she nodded. “Pleasure is mine.”</p>
<p>Tobio took his cue to leave, giving the stranger another glance before stepping out of the room. He was met by Ushijima who gestured for him to start walking immediately along with Yamaguchi and Asahi. Once far enough away, Tobio hazarded a question.</p>
<p>“Who was that?”</p>
<p>Ushijima stiffened slightly but kept his composure. “Akiteru Tsukishima.”</p>
<p>Tobio spluttered. “What?!”</p>
<p>“Tobio, please do not react like that in the palace.” Ushijima nodded to the guards as they passed. A carriage was waiting outside and it was only once in this carriage did he entertain Tobio’s reactions.</p>
<p>“He refused to introduce himself to me, now I guess I know why.”</p>
<p>Ushijima nodded. “He is a crafty one.”</p>
<p>“He knows that I got fucked over by his brother.”</p>
<p>“He does.”</p>
<p>“So he knows introducing himself would’ve set me off and Yachi didn’t know anything about Kei’s dealings with us.”</p>
<p>Ushijima tilted his head slightly. “She wasn’t aware?”</p>
<p>“No. I told her what he did to me and Tooru, loosely, how he weaved in and out of our courts and played us both.”</p>
<p>Ushijima hummed. “Perhaps that was wise of you to tell her, I don’t doubt that she is already suspicious of them but exposing Kei for the person he is will help the Miya family in their goal.”</p>
<p>“Screw the twins, this is about me and Tooru getting the justice we deserve.”</p>
<p>Ushijima snorted slightly. “If you say so Tobio, but the empire won’t see it that way.”</p>
<p>Tobio scowled, the rest of the carriage ride was silent as he tried to keep himself calm before exploding into the manor and no doubt sending everyone into varying meltdowns. He needed to keep his composure, he needed to lead like a true king. He needed to hear back from Tooru and get some sort of plan in motion. If he was going to destabilise the empire, he needed to know his ally was going to have his back when it all crumbles down around them.</p>
<p>As they pulled up to the manor, he was calm again, which would last all about ten seconds no doubt once he explained all of this to the others. He was already anticipating Kuroo being ready to throw hands. As he walked into the parlour, he was caught off guard by Semi dressed up in formal clothes and frowning at the frilly fabric.</p>
<p>“Where are you off to?” He asked as Semi scoffed at how restricted he felt.</p>
<p>“To talk to Kei apparently.” He uttered. “Managed to pull a few strings.”</p>
<p>“Do I want to know—”</p>
<p>“Not really.” Semi gave Tobio a stern look. “Don’t pull on threads, you don’t know how much will unravel when you do and you might not like what you find.”</p>
<p>Tobio wasn’t sure if Semi was strictly talking about himself anymore. He nodded slowly as the other decided he was done preparing, striding past him towards the waiting carriage.</p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Chasing Leads</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>XX</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Chasing Leads</strong>
</p>
<p>Semi didn’t exactly know why he was going along with this stupid plan. He wasn’t the one the empire wanted arrested. Likewise he didn’t particularly care about those who were. He hadn’t really known Hinata that long but apparently, he was a big deal to not only the Brotherhood but also Kei. He had never understood why Kei seemed obsessed with this one mage, especially given how he could use his own powers to his advantage. But all Semi had ever heard from Kei, or rather from those who spoke to the delusional mage, was how the southern kingdoms were ‘so close’ to collapsing until <em>Hinata</em> got involved. It was all <em>Hinata</em><em>’s</em> fault. And until Semi realised Kei was from the empire, he thought it had been all just a small-scale argument that got blown out of proportion.</p>
<p>But then he stumbled upon the letters. Letters from the leader of the Flame Roses - the clan who spoke most to the empire out of the Northern Territories - and they were not exactly subtle. He had known Kei wasn’t one of <em>them</em>, but he never thought Kei was <em>from</em> the empire. Not that it was unusual, but because he hadn’t heard of a mage being loyal to a place that wanted most of them dead not long ago.</p>
<p>As he rode alone in the carriage, he tried to figure out what exactly his stance was going to be. He could pretend he’s not with the Brotherhood, but he found it unlikely that Kei wouldn’t have heard the rumours. He could say he was going to try and succeed where Suguru failed, that was slightly more believable but he wasn’t sure how convincing he could be.</p>
<p>He wasn’t even sure if Kei knew who he was. He had expected to be taken to the palace, instead he found the carriage halting outside a manor house not all dissimilar from the one Tobio as staying in. He wasn’t sure what protocol was, the Tsukishimas weren’t royalty but they weren’t lowly nobles either.</p>
<p>A well-dressed gentleman opened the carriage door for him, gesturing for him to step out onto the cobblestone pathway that led to the double doors of the house. He waited for there to be some introduction but all he got was a nod to head to the doors. He shifted uncomfortably in the tight jacket and did just that, approaching the doors and lifting the large brass knocker. No sooner had he let it fall against the hard oak, the door opened.</p>
<p>Another well-dressed gentleman stood there with a raised eyebrow. “A visitor? State your business.”</p>
<p>“Uh,” Semi somewhat wished he had actually planned this ahead, “I’m here to talk to Kei.”</p>
<p>“The young master.” The gentleman replied. “On what matter?”</p>
<p>“Personal.” Semi curtly replied. “I’m a former contact of his.”</p>
<p>There were a few moments where the gentleman didn’t seem in a hurry to believe Semi but he slowly nodded. “Very well. Come in and I shall see if he can spare a moment.”</p>
<p>Somewhat astounded that had worked, Semi allowed himself to be shepherded into the parlour. Unlike the manor Tobio had been granted stay in, this one felt much more lived in. There was a roaring fire giving off warmth, around the relatively cosy room were potted plants of various colours; green leaves were a common theme but there were many vibrant coloured flowers offering a breath of cheer in the largely wooden furnishings. Two wooden benches framed the fireplace, a low table between them with yet another potted plant in the centre of it. Candles were lit despite the large windows allowing natural light in. Semi cautiously took a seat on one of these benches as it was heavily implied he’d be waiting a while.</p>
<p>As he took in his surroundings a bit more, he noted the bookcase stuffed to the brim with colourful volumes and the occasional thick tome. He faintly wondered what kind of knowledge was held within them when a serving girl approached and asked if he wanted any tea whilst he waited. He accepted the offer, watching her leave through a separate door.</p>
<p>It occurred to him he hadn’t told the man who greeted him his name, so Kei was going to be in for a surprise, and that was if he <em>did</em> recognise him.</p>
<p>His tea arrived a short while later and he allowed himself to relax a little. Kei would be able to sniff out any trace of nervousness in him without even trying, in fact Kei could probably read his intentions without much effort, <em>if</em> he met the other’s gaze that was. After what felt like a while, the door opened again and the same gentleman from before greeted him.</p>
<p>“The young master will see you now, he apologises for the wait.”</p>
<p>Semi forced a smile. “It’s completely understandable.” He set his now empty cup down. “I did show up unannounced.”</p>
<p>The gentleman nodded, Semi didn’t know if he was agreeing to the latter statement or not, before gesturing for him to follow. He tried not to get too caught up in the lavish furnishings as they walked through the manor. Potted plants seemed to be a common theme, as were rather abstract looking paintings that hung around every corner in every hallway they walked down. As they came to a firmly closed door, the gentleman cleared his throat and knocked. He didn’t wait for a response as he slid the door open and gestured for Semi to talk in ahead of him.</p>
<p>As he stepped into the room, he found it was a study of sorts. Bookcases spanned from floor to ceiling, equally as full as the one in the parlour, a large desk took up most of the width of the room in front of two windows that overlooked a patch of garden beyond the manor. Behind the wooden desk littered in papers and candles, sat a young man, his blond hair was easily recognisable, as were his eyeglasses.</p>
<p>He glanced up as Semi entered, an unreadable expression on his face. “Ah, so you’re the visitor.” He stated, voice calm and almost soothing.</p>
<p>“Indeed I am.” Semi replied, hearing the door slide close behind him. He paced over to stand in front of the desk to get a good look at the one who had apparently been plaguing the south for years now. Kei didn’t look like someone who could cripple two kingdoms with just a few well-placed words and omitted details, but that’s what made him so dangerous.</p>
<p>“I thought the Blue Serpents were gone.” Kei remarked, indicating he knew exactly who Semi was. “Slaughtered on the battlefield?”</p>
<p>Semi snorted, indeed there had been many casualties, but there were some who survived. He had been fortunate enough to not meet his end himself.</p>
<p>“Most of them. Takeshi and Suguru were highly sought after, as you can imagine.” He sighed heavily. “It’s been tough, but some of us survived…mainly myself and Chikara.”</p>
<p>Kei leaned forward in his seat, elbows resting on the desk. His expression was still unreadable as he regarded Semi silently for a few moments. “So, why are you here?”</p>
<p>This was the question Semi didn’t have an answer for. “Well, answers.” He folded his arms across his chest. “I wanna know what you wanted with the Northern Territories, and why you pushed Takeshi so far down this path that he ended up dead.”</p>
<p>Kei smiled slightly. “Takeshi was a warmonger.” He shrugged. “I had very little part to play in that.”</p>
<p>“I doubt that, I saw the letters, I heard the rumours.”</p>
<p>“Oh yeah?”</p>
<p>Semi inhaled sharply. In the aftermath of the battle it had been him who went through Suguru’s things back in Aoya. He read up on how Kei had been present in many supposedly closed discussions with chieftains and battle-masters. He had been instrumental in their plan of attack, offering information on the opposition as well as giving their mages neat little tricks.</p>
<p>Kei could pretend he had nothing to do with that battle on the day, but he had laid foundations for it.</p>
<p>“Yes.” He stated. “And I want answers.”</p>
<p>Kei quirked an eyebrow. “Answers to what questions?”</p>
<p>“Well, <em>why</em> would be a good start.”</p>
<p>“Why? Why what?”</p>
<p>“Quit playing dumb, it doesn’t suit you.”</p>
<p>Kei slowly sat back in his seat, bringing his hands together in front of him and pressing his fingertips together. “You want to know why I deigned to travel to your little tribe and encourage bloodshed?”</p>
<p>“That would be—”</p>
<p>“It’s because that’s all the Northern Territories are good for; prompting bloodshed.”</p>
<p>“Against the southern kingdoms? What do you gain from that?”</p>
<p>Kei let out a sarcastic laugh. “Eita, you expect me to believe that you’re dumb enough to not see? Conflict exposes weaknesses, weaknesses that can be used for the benefit of others. A little fish with an injured fin can’t expect to survive in a big pond.”</p>
<p>Semi narrowed his eyes at the other, trying to read past the analogy. “You saying, you used <em>my</em> people against the south to expose <em>weaknesses</em> that you, the empire could exploit?”</p>
<p>Kei gave him a slow clap. “Well done, you’re not as dumb as you seem.”</p>
<p>Dangerously close to losing what little composure he had, Semi clenched his hands into fists. “Alright. So it was all some ploy to gain more land.” He uttered. “So riddle me this, why did you spend so much time in the south?”</p>
<p>To his credit, Kei didn’t seem surprised or even put out by these questions from effectively a nobody. He seemed willing to entertain Semi’s questions as he kept the small smile on his face. “I had to sow the seeds of destruction.” He shrugged.</p>
<p>“You played House Oikawa and Kageyama against one another?”</p>
<p>“They played <em>themselves</em>.” Kei curtly replied. “I just exposed it.”</p>
<p>Semi wasn’t sure how accurate that was. He didn’t really know much about what happened in the south, just that Kei seemed to have this vendetta against Hinata because of it. Kiyoko and Daichi had told him a loose tale about secrets being kept and Kei double-crossing both kings but the real meat of the story had been withheld. At the time he didn’t care to know more.</p>
<p>“And was that part of your ‘gain more land’ plan?”</p>
<p>Kei shrugged. “What’s it to you?”</p>
<p>“I’m just trying to rationalise why two of my friends had to die for this.”</p>
<p>“They died because they weren’t good enough with a sword, that’s not my doing or my concern.” Kei stood up, clasping his hands behind his back as he turned to gaze out of the window. “Now you answer me a question,”</p>
<p>“…sure.”</p>
<p>“Suguru wanted Kuroo dead, he didn’t succeed.” Kei glanced over his shoulder, the light silhouetting him, “are you going to carry on that mission in his memory?”</p>
<p>Semi wasn’t sure what he <em>should</em> say. The obvious answer was no, but there was a question hanging in the air, one not as obvious. “Depends, why are you interested?”</p>
<p>“If you were, I would have a proposition for you. If you took me up on my offer, I’d reward you for it.”</p>
<p>Curious, Semi took the bait. “What offer would that be?”</p>
<p>Kei’s gaze went back to the view beyond the glass pane. “I need someone in the Brotherhood killed. He undid my work once before and derailed a plan that had been carefully put in motion.”</p>
<p>“And who would that be?” Semi expected it to be Hinata, then again Hinata was by all accounts already doomed.</p>
<p>“Akaashi.”</p>
<p>Again Semi wasn’t sure what the deal was, but he saw sense not to ask for details. “And what reward would you be bestowing?”</p>
<p>Kei smiled to himself. “You could find yourself climbing social ranks here, you could also be given enough gold to start a new life, depends what you’d want.”</p>
<p>“So, I kill this Akaashi dude, maybe kill Kuroo at the same time for the sake of cleaning up old messes…and then I get to live a lavish lifestyle?”</p>
<p>“Exactly.” Kei nodded, turning around to meet Semi’s gaze. “I won’t even put a time limit on this, just get it done.”</p>
<p>If Semi declined, it would throw up more questions. He could argue he was done killing people, but that would also mean Kei would slip from their grasp and it would be down to Tobio to fix all of this. All his time in the Blue Serpents had taught him that when an opportunity to keep your foe in your sight arose, you took it.</p>
<p>“Sure.” He shrugged. “I’m sure I can kill <em>one</em> extra person…pretty sure I almost succeeded once before actually.” He remarked, fingers reaching up to his cheek and ghosting over the faint scar from that time. “I’ll get it done.”</p>
<p>Kei smiled a little more as he nodded again. “Very well. My door is open should you need anything to get it done; gold, contacts, weapons, poison…anything.”</p>
<p>He brushed aside how alarmed he felt at the determination implied in all that Kei just offered. “Noted.”</p>
<p>He didn’t hang around to be grilled any further, he excused himself and found the same gentleman from before waiting outside the room. He was escorted out of the manor to the waiting carriage. On the ride back to their temporary home, he hoped that Kuroo wasn’t going to take this personally.</p>
<p>As easy as it would be to double-cross the Brotherhood, he had been telling the truth when he said he wanted to know why two of his friends were now dead. Granted, Tendou wasn’t exactly the most careful of killers and Suguru barely treated him with respect most days, but they had still been his friends. He may not be entirely set on seeking revenge on Kei, but he was far from willing to roll over and become another lapdog.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>After Tobio had finished telling Yamaguchi what he had heard from Yachi, the other hummed in thought. From what the empress had said, this was a much larger issue than two mages breaking a treaty. Now they didn’t just have to negotiate said treaty, they had to figure out what had happened to get the public’s opinion of mages so low in the first place.</p>
<p>“So this old district fire,” Yamaguchi murmured, “she wants us to try and work out what happened?”</p>
<p>“If we can, she doesn’t seem optimistic to be honest.” Tobio huffed as he stared out the small window of his room. “Four years is a long time for this kind of thing.”</p>
<p>“But it’s not impossible, with magic and such—”</p>
<p>“Kei is the only one I’ve known to have the powers of looking into the past.”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi nodded. “True, but Kei isn’t an aura mage, is he?”</p>
<p>Tobio understood what the other was implying. “I don’t know if I can ask Shoyo to do anything that dangerous. He was shaken up as it was after that incident yesterday.”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi shrugged. It was unfortunate yes, but Hinata was the most powerful mage they knew and they didn’t even know what he was truly capable of.</p>
<p>“At least consider asking him.” He offered. “And if he doesn’t wish to help, then that’s fine. We’ll just have to focus on working out how to get Kei and his brother away from Yachi.”</p>
<p>Tobio hummed in thought. In truth he couldn’t see an obvious way to do just that without solving this mystery. Though he also knew that the Brotherhood were conducting their own investigations, including Semi who was currently talking to Kei himself. Maybe one of them would figure something out, and then there were the Miya twins of course.</p>
<p>He wasn’t facing this entirely alone.</p>
<p>“Oh by the way,” Yamaguchi broke the silence, “Tooru replied.”</p>
<p>“That was fast.”</p>
<p>There was a small chuckle. “Well when you tell him things like ‘that snake Kei is here’, he tends to reply quickly.”</p>
<p>“And what does he say?”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi pulled a folded piece of parchment out of his jacket pocket. “Something akin to, ‘I’ll march up there myself, give me a week’.”</p>
<p>“Oh so <em>now</em> he wants in on this.” Tobio scoffed, chuckling slightly. “Typical Tooru.”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi wasn’t sure if he was sincerely laughing or not.</p>
<p>“Tell him that if he wants a seat at the negotiating table, he better hurry the fuck up.”</p>
<p>It was Yamaguchi’s turn to laugh. “Will do, and what will you do in the meantime?”</p>
<p>Tobio rubbed the back of his neck before smiling slightly. “I’m going to take a walk around the city.”</p>
<p>“Alone?”</p>
<p>“No, I’ll take Asahi with me.”</p>
<p>If Yamaguchi had any objections, he didn’t voice them. Tobio didn’t take long to leave, having barely gotten back long beforehand. Asahi didn’t ask why Tobio wanted to wander the city now of all times, simply following the other anyway.</p>
<p>Hinode was bustling in the early afternoon, the market most of all. Tobio didn’t necessarily care if people recognised him - or rather the silver crown on his head - he wanted to see what this city felt like for himself. He had heard about the old city district of course and the mob of rowdy citizens that seemed to hate mages, but he was curious of what else lurked around the corners.</p>
<p>Asahi didn’t say much as they weaved in and out of the crowds, merely keeping an eye out for any suspicious individuals. Most of the populace seemed to give them a wide berth as they walked, some eyed them with suspicion whilst others eyed them with awe. Either way, Asahi had to keep his wits about him in this foreign environment. Tobio wasn’t bothered by this, he was used to being gawked at by now. Though he didn’t look anyone in the eye for more than a split second as they moved through the market, idly looking at the wares for sale as they did so. Getting some fresh air felt good, getting a few odd looks was a price he was willing to pay, the whispers were just an added bonus.</p>
<p>
  <em>“That’s him isn’t it? This young king we’ve heard so much about?” </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Yeah but he’s of that kingdom, y’know the one on the other side of the mountains.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“You mean the one who had a dragon?”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“But I heard that dragon died? So surely he’s not that dangerous?</em>
</p>
<p>Tobio snorted, paying more attention to the trinkets on sale, silver and gold items of jewellery glinted in the sunlight. The chains were thicker, less dainty and spoke more of their weight and worth. Different gemstones glittered within the pendants and rings laid out on the blue cuts of cloth. Still the whispers continued.</p>
<p>
  <em>“I hear he’s bonded to a mage.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Bonded? Are you sure? That’s a very archaic thing.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“People have seen them together! No-one’s seen a queen or lady with him since he got here.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Maybe she’s back home? Or maybe…maybe he intends to woo the empress?”</em>
</p>
<p>Tobio tried to focus on the next stall he came to, cuts of cloth and impressive furs were layered atop one another. He was trying to ignore the gossip but it was proving harder than he thought. It seemed that it wasn’t just the nobles who were leeches for personal details.</p>
<p>
  <em>“I hear he’s fearful of the empire, that he thinks he’s next on the chopping block.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Yeah? What good would come of conquering his kingdom? It’s a barren wasteland in the shadow of a volcano.”</em>
</p>
<p>Tobio inhaled sharply, flashing a glance to Asahi. The whispers stopped as he addressed his guard and friend; “Do you think it would be possible to eat elsewhere this evening? I’d like to try the tavern.”</p>
<p>Asahi blinked slowly, trying to work out what the fuck was making Tobio think that was possibly a good idea. “I mean, I’m sure Ushijima can find somewhere, yes?”</p>
<p>“Good.” Tobio smiled, already noting the exchanged glances between those around them. “I wish to take Shoyo out away from the others, the fewer that join us the better.”</p>
<p>Asahi nodded, that was some more understandable reasoning. “I’ll run it by Tadashi when we return.”</p>
<p>With another smile and a nod, Tobio returned to looking over the next stall. He took in the vast array of gemstones, these were not simply red, blue and yellow, but vibrant purples and greens were littered all over the table. An older lady sat behind the stall watching Tobio’s gaze rake over the precious gems. As he met her gaze, he smiled.</p>
<p>“I’ve not seen such a selection since I was in House Oikawa’s lands.” He remarked.</p>
<p>She returned the smile, even if her eyes still regarded him with an air of caution. “The hills to the east offer many tunnels that go deep.” She replied. “They may not be as…obvious as the mines of Kitamine but they are bountiful.”</p>
<p>“Mind if I handle them?” He asked, reaching out to run fingertips over the stones.</p>
<p>“Only if you’re willing to buy some.” She remarked with a knowing smile.</p>
<p>He chuckled. “Fair bargain.” He nodded to Asahi who produced a leather pouch that jingled slightly with the coins inside. She gave Tobio a nod. As he ran fingertips over the stones, he wondered how Hinata picked out the ones he liked, did he feel a connection to them? Did they speak to him? Was it all just based on how they shined in the sunlight?</p>
<p>A large purple one felt heavy in his hand, mists seemed to swirl within it as he rotated it in his grasp. He hadn’t seen Hinata wearing a purple one before, only the other five colours that matched his elements. He nodded slightly, reaching out his other hand to run fingertips over the rest of the stones on the table. He couldn’t feel any of them speaking to him necessarily like he imagined they spoke to Hinata and he knew he was being watched. His eyes fell on a squarely cut orange stone. It wasn’t <em>entirely</em> orange, it seemed as if someone had taken several drops of orange dye and frozen them in water: the colour spreading out like ink in a cup of water.</p>
<p>As he picked it up and held it to the light, orange streaks of light seemed to explode from it. With a smile, he nodded to the merchant, holding both of them out to her.</p>
<p>“Name your price.”</p>
<p>Her smile was wider as she took them both from him. She hummed and murmured to herself as she turned them over before glancing up to meet his gaze.</p>
<p>“Five hundred gold for both.”</p>
<p>Tobio raised an eyebrow. That was steep pricing, then again these were large stones and he was known to be a king. He had expected the bartering to be non-existent, he let out a low hum and pretended to mull it over.</p>
<p>“Very well. Five hundred.” He looked to Asahi who immediately handed over the first pouch before bringing out a second. Within each was two hundred and fifty gold pieces. He waited as the woman seemed surprised he wasn’t going to try and barter with her. She quickly wrapped up each stone in its own cut of leather and tied them off with string.</p>
<p>“Thank-you sir.” She nodded. “Good day.”</p>
<p>“And to you.” Tobio nodded in return as Asahi took charge of the new purchases. He was quick to move on, wilfully ignoring the onlookers as he fell into step with Asahi. It didn’t take long for Asahi to ask the question that Tobio had been anticipating.</p>
<p>“Are these for Shoyo?” Asahi asked quietly.</p>
<p>“Yeah,” Tobio replied with a small smile. “But I’m not giving them to him just yet.”</p>
<p>“Oh?”</p>
<p>“I want them set in a headpiece for him, like the circlet he already has, but more…personal.”</p>
<p>Asahi returned the smile. “I can try to find a blacksmith or craftsman.”</p>
<p>“I’d appreciate it. But for now, I think it’s time to return to the manor and find out what the others have been up to all day.”</p>
<p>Nodding in agreement, Asahi let Tobio take the lead as they began to make their way back. By chance, they bumped into Kuroo and Bokuto returning from somewhere, each of them were carrying small packets of what looked like fresh meat. Tobio decided it was best not to ask what they were up to, but he did enjoy the company. Making it back to the manor without being distracted by any further whispers from the citizens of the city, Bokuto loudly announced that he and Kuroo had ‘struck gold’ at the food market.</p>
<p>As it seemed most of the others were back, Suga ushered them towards the kitchens where the manor’s poor staff would have to deal with whatever surprises the two had bagged. Tobio allowed a small laugh as Daichi rolled his eyes at their antics. The manor seemed in high spirits as light conversation was made between the members of the Brotherhood and the serving staff.</p>
<p>Head housekeeper Nakazawa was a little put out by how boisterous the Brotherhood seemed to be, but she took it in her stride as she shooed Lev out of the main parlour again. She seemed to dislike the lion greatly, much to everyone else’s amusement. Tobio noted how there was no sign of Semi yet, and as the door opened, he expected the other to walk in but he got a very different person.</p>
<p>“Shirabu?”</p>
<p>The court mage of House Oikawa seemed alarmed at Tobio’s tone but he nodded. “Uh, yes, hi.” He was followed by Tanaka and Moniwa and Tobio wasn’t sure he wanted to know why or how Shirabu was here.</p>
<p>“Did Tooru send you?”</p>
<p>“No.” He replied. “The Miya Twins asked for me.”</p>
<p>“And…how—”</p>
<p>“I’ll explain over dinner or something.” He waved off the other. “I need to talk to Akaashi.”</p>
<p>Tobio pouted slightly at the other’s audacity to speak to him like that but before he could argue, Shirabu was already prompted to go upstairs to find the one he sought. Asahi had already spoken to Ushijima about the matter Tobio asked of him previously, and the latter had agreed to it, already setting off to ‘find somewhere appropriate’.</p>
<p>“Alright,” Daichi called for some sense of order, “we should exchange notes on what we’ve all found today.”</p>
<p>Everyone who had heard him began to gather in the parlour, some squeezing onto the wooden benches, others standing and some of them sitting on the floor. The only notable absences being Hinata, Kenma and Nishinoya but Akaashi assured everyone they would be caught up to speed on everything in due course. Tobio found it quite endearing actually how everyone was eager to share their information after the day of being on their own separate missions.</p>
<p>The guild leader himself started; detailing how he, Kuroo and Bokuto found a tavern called the Lavender Hall and spoke to the barkeep about the city in general, including the story of how his sister was caught up in this ‘night of chaos’.</p>
<p>Then it passed to Suga and Kiyoko to shared what the nobleman in the uptown district had said about the mages and the divide between the ‘regular folk’ and the magical. There were a few scoffs from those gathered but it was quickly forgotten as Tobio saw it fit to elaborate on this night of chaos that Daichi had referred to. He told them what Yachi had told him; that unrest in the city between mages and non-mages boiled over one night and ‘an accident’ occurred that rendered the entire old city district in ruins.</p>
<p>There were even louder scoffs as he finished by saying that Yachi’s aunt hadn’t wanted to deal with the fallout of such an event and abdicated as soon as she could.</p>
<p>“I thought the whole point of being a supreme leader was to deal with bullshit like this?” Kunimi scoffed. “Like I’m fairly sure Tooru didn’t wanna deal with half of what he’s had thrown his way but he dealt with it! As have you.”</p>
<p>Tobio shrugged. “Regardless, Yachi is the one dealing with it now, and she’s got both Tsukishima brothers trying to fuck it all up.”</p>
<p>Suga caught his eye. “You said you saw Akiteru?”</p>
<p>“Yes, he walked in as I left, I didn’t even know it was <em>him</em> until Ushijima said afterwards.”</p>
<p>“Did he know you?”</p>
<p>“Hard to say, he didn’t say anything that would make me think he knew more than rumours.”</p>
<p>There were a few moments of silence as everyone mulled over what Tobio had said. Footsteps on the stairs preceded Shirabu and Akaashi arriving, sensing this was a moment of reporting in, Shirabu figured he might as well explain his allegiance with the Miya family.</p>
<p>“So it isn’t a happy story, but the short version is after this fiery fuckery, I got arrested. After several weeks of ‘interrogation’, someone decided to try and set the jail-house I was in on fire.” He explained in a very blasé manner. “And so the guards seemed content to let us all burn, y’know corruption and all, but then there were these other…I wouldn’t call them guards but they busted the locks on some doors and escorted us out - me and a few others.”</p>
<p>“And they let you go?” Daichi clarified.</p>
<p>“Not straight away. They took us to this manor house tucked away in the market district, never seen it before, but we were let inside so I was thinking ‘great they’re gonna kill us’ but nope, instead we were given food and water and enough supplies to get out of the empire.” He chuckled slightly at the memory. “The people they worked for? The Miya family.”</p>
<p>“Oh really?” Kuroo hummed. “The twins?”</p>
<p>“Their father at the time was the head. I didn’t really understand what was going on in the middle of the night when fearing for my life. But yeah, it was the same Miya family we now know to be headed up by the twins.” He shrugged. “I was the last to leave so I actually met them briefly on the evening I left.”</p>
<p>“So, there were others—”</p>
<p>“They’re all dead.” Shirabu stated. “The idiots left in the daylight and quickly got picked off by either city guards or by rude as fuck civilians wanting revenge for some dumb shit we weren’t responsible for.”</p>
<p>They were trying to process Shirabu’s wild story as he continued to detail how he roughed it out walking across the northern territories and nearly dying multiple times. He was very calm in how he told the story to the group, not really intent on deceiving them.</p>
<p>“So then I wind up travelling with this merchant dude, helping load carts and minding stalls on market day. In my spare time I’m practising my magic, offering to heal superficial wounds of travellers. My skills were honed quickly and word began to spread of my talents in healing. And then like something straight out of a fucking bard song, I get asked to be the court mage for the new king of House Oikawa.”</p>
<p>Something could be said for how Tooru would’ve had to have asked specifically for a mage proficient in <em>healing</em> magic of all things to get someone like Shirabu instead of the many number of alchemists or elemental mages.</p>
<p>“So yeah, I sent a letter or two to the Miya family once I got instated as the court mage, thanking them for their generosity and offering any help they needed in the future and well here we are.” He gestured to Tobio. “As soon as I heard you had basically spat on the treaty’s conditions, I knew I’d need to haul ass up here and try to give you <em>some</em> sort of help.”</p>
<p>Tobio wasn’t sure if he should be offended or not, going with the latter as he snorted. “Well, thanks?”</p>
<p>“Think nothing of it,” Shirabu shrugged, “anyway, so the twins asked me to look into this fire as well, I had only heard snippets of what happened because I wasn’t actually there. I was in my family home far away from the tavern that exploded.” He took a moment to sigh. “Which is what led me to drag Moniwa and Tanaka there today, because I needed to actually <em>see</em> the place for myself.”</p>
<p>Moniwa cleared his throat. “And so now we have a different potential way forward.”</p>
<p>Akaashi nodded slightly. “I’m going to see if I can sense anything. I may not be as good as Kei in reading an area, but I can try my best.”</p>
<p>Kuroo raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure? Do you want any of us to come along?”</p>
<p>The other smiled. “If you would be so kind, I would like you there Tetsu, just in case…”</p>
<p>“Say no more.” Kuroo stood up. “When are we going?”</p>
<p>Shirabu put out a hand to stop him, “Nightfall. If we go now, there’ll be too many people.”</p>
<p>“Speaking of Kei…” Daichi met Tobio’s gaze. “Have you seen Semi?”</p>
<p>“No, not since he left to go talk to the snake.”</p>
<p>Daichi hummed in thought. “Okay, well hopefully he’s not gonna be much longer.”</p>
<p>Tobio shrugged. “Well, Shoyo and I will be eating elsewhere tonight.” He declared to the room. “I need to clarify some things with him before we go further into this investigation.”</p>
<p>There were glances exchanged by everyone, not entirely understanding how much this ‘clarifying’ needed to happen outside the safety of the manor. Asahi didn’t seem bothered though, and no-one really had grounds to argue.</p>
<p>All Hinata had to do was say yes after all.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. Striking The Match</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>XXI</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Striking The Match</strong>
</p><p>Hinata wasn’t sure how to feel about Tobio wanted to eat dinner elsewhere. Surely they were safer in the manor? He brushed it aside as he was assured that both Asahi and Ushijima would be around to protect them both, which in itself felt odd because Hinata was meant to protect Tobio. He brushed that aside for now too. This was an odd time in general to be a mage, let alone one with a big title like his. He tried to relax as Tobio took his hand and they walked down a quieter street in Hinode’s uptown district. The shops and restaurants here were of a higher class, fancy signs and lavishly decorated displays adorned the storefronts they passed. Tobio had even dressed in more lavish attire for the evening, much to Hinata’s surprise.</p><p>What was <em>really</em> going on here?</p><p>Ushijima gestured to a shop-front they were quickly approaching. Two braziers framed the doorway, flames dancing in the light breeze. A door was ajar, an inviting smell of roasting meat wafting out and making Hinata’s stomach grumble in protest. Tobio pretended not to hear as Ushijima stepped up to the door and knocked. A young woman appeared from further inside the establishment and ushered them in eagerly.</p><p>Inside the eatery, wooden tables were cleaner than any tavern table Hinata had seen, tall pillar candles sat atop every table in a variety of bright colours that must've cost a small fortune alone. The walls were adorned with tapestries depicting young women holding harps, heroic knights on horses, woodland creatures frolicking in the forests amongst other scenes. The aroma of meat was stronger as they walked in past several other diners who took notice of the prestigious guest.</p><p>“I hope you find this suitable for your majesty.” The girl bowed, her short brown hair barely a strand out of place as she righted her posture and gestured for the two of them to sit. Asahi and Ushijima stood a few paces away, towards the kitchens, no doubt observing how the food was prepared and watching for any attempts on the king’s life. Hinata tentatively took a seat across the small table from Tobio.</p><p>“So. What’s all this for?” He asked quietly, trying to sound confident when really he was trembling inside.</p><p>Tobio gave him a small smile. “Uh well, after everything recently I figured it would be nice to take you…I mean have some time away from everyone else, properly.”</p><p>“Oh. Oh right.”</p><p>Tobio watched Hinata’s gaze shift to their surroundings. They were served the same sweet wine that they had been offered at the banquet, Tobio was all too happy to partake, Hinata less so. Tobio put up a gentle and before leaning a little closer.</p><p>“Don’t sweat it, I’ll drink it if you don’t wish to offend them.”</p><p>Hinata seemed alarmed but nodded quickly. A small smile was exchanged as Tobio set his hand on the table in an inviting manner, despite the hesitation, Hinata slowly placed his hand on top of Tobio’s.</p><p>“So, about all this treaty stuff.” Hinata’s voice was quiet.</p><p>“I’m handling it.” Tobio told him. “You don’t need to worry.”</p><p>“But—”</p><p>“Shoyo,” he slowly lifted his hand up, splaying his fingers and linking their hands together, “trust me as your king and your friend.”</p><p>“Friend.” Hinata repeated.</p><p>“Unless you want…”</p><p>They were interrupted by the serving girl arriving with slate plates each with a large cut of meat on it. Food was a welcome distraction from both the topic that they were about to stumble into and the background feeling of being watched. They savoured the rich taste of the well-roasted meat and the vegetables that came with it.</p><p>Hinata was almost a little too happy that he hadn’t had to answer the question Tobio had started to utter. Whilst he probably would’ve said yes, it wasn’t the right time. It was bad enough they were being seen like this anyway, the onlookers and how Tobio wasn’t even <em>trying</em> to be subtle where more than enough to make his already frayed nerves show.</p><p>“So, what’s your next move?” Hinata asked, once both plates were empty. The good food had helped his settle his stomach and he felt a little more at ease as Tobio swirled the contents of the wine glass around.</p><p>“I wait to see what Semi has to say.” Tobio replied, equally looking more at ease. “And then what Akaashi and Shirabu conclude.”</p><p>Hinata nodded, he had loosely heard about the plan for Akaashi going to the old district to see what he made of everything. He had long accepted he wasn’t going to play any part in this other than staying out of trouble.</p><p>“And then what? Are you going to—” he glanced around the restaurant. There were too many people present to utter actual names aloud, “how are you going to get rid of them?”</p><p>Tobio smiled slightly, eyes moving to the remnants of his wine. “That depends on what Tooru wants.”</p><p>“Why?”</p><p>“Kei played us both remember, and it was my initial intention to have him judged by both of us…before he escaped.”</p><p>Hinata frowned. “I mean, I get that but…”</p><p>Something didn’t feel right to him. Sure, Kei deserved punishment but without knowing his intentions, who was to say how severe that was? By all accounts, <em>he</em> was supposedly deserving of punishment if they let the empire have their say and didn’t argue. The fact of the matter was, they didn’t know why Kei did what he did, maybe he had no choice just like Hinata?</p><p>“Can we at least figure out why?” His voice was quieter as the question tumbled out. “Maybe, maybe he felt what he was doing was right?”</p><p>Tobio gave him a confused look, almost like he was ready to call Hinata insane for that thought. There was no doubt in his mind that Kei Tsukishima had known exactly what he was doing and that it was seen as wrong in most people’s eyes. However, he nodded, even if he wasn’t convinced.</p><p>“We can try, but he has to be willing to tell.” Tobio sighed. “And that’s without taking his brother into account.”</p><p>Hinata nodded, watching as Tobio took his glass of untouched wine. “As long as we try…” he trailed off, shaking his head as the rest of the thought faded. He forced a smile, trying to get back to a better topic. “So, when we get this all sorted and go home, can I invite my family to visit like you said I could?”</p><p>Tobio spluttered slightly on the wine, regaining his composure quickly, although not quickly enough to prevent the blush rising on his cheeks. “Uh, sure, yes. It’ll be warmer then and I’m sure the trip will be less dangerous.”</p><p>Hinata’s beaming smile became more genuine as he chuckled slightly at Tobio’s reaction. “Great! I’m sure Natsu will love the waterfalls, oh and maybe I’ll even show her the kirin.”</p><p>Tobio set the wine glass down, enjoying how quickly Hinata’s mood shifted with the conversation. They spent a while talking about all the different things Hinata could show his family in the city of Tobu Misaki-Mura. Tobio didn’t do much of the talking really, simply feeding Hinata’s ramblings about the waterfalls and the forests full of cool plants and wildlife. It was almost hard to believe that they had been talking about graver matters not that long ago.</p><p>Once the wine was finished, Tobio declared they were done, which gave Ushijima the cue to approach the serving girl and prompt her to clear away the plates. Once she had been assured they didn’t care for dessert, Tobio made sure she was paid well for her hospitality before they left.  The evening was still young as they decided to walk back to the manor, the city was still busy and neither cared much for any looks cast their way. At the rate they were going, everyone in town was going to have stared at the king by the time they left.</p><p>Despite the busy feeling, neither of them felt like they were walking in crowds. It may have been how Ushijima walked ahead of them and effectively cleared a path for them, but it also felt like the city was a little smaller. Perhaps it was because their attention was more focused on one another. Tobio found himself laughing at Hinata’s over-dramatic storytelling, the other was in full flow explaining a prank Kenma was masterminding to play on Kuroo at some point. He wasn’t really listening to the details, paying more attention to how nice it was to see Hinata so at ease after the last few days of stress.</p><p>He was harshly jerked from this peaceful moment by Ushijima halting in front of them, his voice booming out despite not nearly being loud enough to be classed as a shout.</p><p>“Stand aside.”</p><p>Tobio’s attention snapped to the one Ushijima was speaking to, he was a burly man with a few facial scars. He felt like bad news as Asahi stepped a little closer to Tobio. The unknown man glared past Ushijima straight at Hinata. To his credit, Hinata wasn’t shaking like a leaf yet. Tobio waited to see how Ushijima was going to handle this as the other seemed like he was ignoring him.</p><p>“I said, stand aside.” Ushijima reiterated.</p><p>“I heard you.” The man scoffed, glaring at Ushijima now. “You’re one of us, so why you protecting the likes of them?”</p><p>“Because I’ve been told to.” Ushijima stated. “And because of people like you.”</p><p>“Me?! I didn’t burn down a fucking district,” he pointed at Hinata, “scum like him did!”</p><p>Ushijima sighed slightly, glancing back at Asahi in warning. He then looked squarely at the burly man in front of him and gently shoved him back. “I do not care. What I do care about is fulfilling my duties, and you are currently preventing that.”</p><p>The man seemed to take exception to being shoved. “Oh yeah?” He squared up to Ushijima. “Then fucking sock me one.”</p><p>There was now a crowd of onlookers, those who had merely been curious at what Tobio was doing in the city were now intrigued as to how Ushijima was going to defuse the situation. Asahi was ready to grab Tobio and make for the nearest back alley. Tobio was also anticipating a hasty retreat, he glanced to Hinata to try and convey some sort of plan, but the other was already moving.</p><p>Not moving away though, stepping towards the aggressor.</p><p>“Uhm, so…part of your city burned down?” He asked, much to the surprise of everyone involved.</p><p>The burly man seemed bemused by Hinata’s willingness to talk, it didn’t make his rage dissipate though. “Yeah it fucking did, and your kind did it.”</p><p>“And what do you want me to do about it?” Hinata retaliated. “What would blaming <em>me</em> achieve? Like, it sucks it happened, but it’s in the past now.”</p><p>The other wasn’t having any of it. “Oh so now you’re gonna preach at me about holding grudges? Well guess what shorty, that shit don’t fly up here.” He got up in Hinata’s face, having to duck down slightly to achieve it. “Best thing that could happen is you get put on the chopping block.”</p><p>Hinata had to admit, he wasn’t sure why he thought it would play out any better than it was. He snorted, already feeling the familiar tingle of frustration building in his veins in the form of sparks.</p><p>“Cause killing all the mages is gonna rebuild your city.” He uttered, gritting his teeth. “That’s the most backwards thing I’ve ever heard.”</p><p>He saw the punch coming and managed to duck out of the way. It was enough for Ushijima to grab the guy by the front of his shirt and throw him back. A hand on Hinata’s shoulder made him think he was getting jumped, instead he found himself being tugged to make a hasty getaway by Asahi. They made their way through narrow back alleys in the general direction of the manor. They could hear the ruckus being caused by the brawl that had no doubt broken out in their escape. Tobio grabbed Hinata’s hand as they walked quickly between the shadows, following Asahi’s lead the entire time.</p><p>“Gods above Shoyo,” Tobio hissed, squeezing his hand, “are you insane?”</p><p>“What? I wasn’t about to let him blame me for shit that happened four years ago!”</p><p>“Yes but there’s a time and place to argue innocence and that wasn’t either of them!”</p><p>“But I gotta start <em>somewhere</em> Tobio.” He hissed back.</p><p>Asahi managed to get them back to the manor in one piece, the rest of the Brotherhood were a little confused and concerned as Asahi gave them a brief explanation for the heavy panting and tense atmosphere as Tobio stormed upstairs and left Hinata to figure out what he had done wrong. He babbled out the chain of events to Suga and Kiyoko in an effort to at least assure them he had put <em>some</em> thought into it. Neither seemed particularly convinced however.</p><p>Semi had returned shortly before them and had barely had time to begin to explain what Kei had gotten him to ‘agree’ to. It was a small mercy for him that both Kuroo and Akaashi were already on their way to the old city district. It gave him a chance to run the entire conversation by the more sane members of the Brotherhood without explosive accusations of treachery being thrown around.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>As dusk fell, Shirabu led Kuroo and Akaashi to the old city district. There was a distant commotion in the central circle but they ignored it as they made their way down the empty street. In the dim light of the dying day, the ruined buildings felt larger and emptier, the air felt heavier, the feeling of being watched seemed to grow with every step they took.</p><p>Akaashi was no stranger to odd feelings, but this was different. He couldn’t pinpoint what he was feeling exactly upon the air. There was a knot forming in his stomach as he scanned the shadowy voids where windows and doors had once been. As they walked, he twisted the ring around his finger, grounding himself to reality as the noises of the city faded like a veil was falling across the end of the street.</p><p>“So this entire place was set alight.” He murmured, not really a question but more as a statement. “Yet they controlled the fire enough so the place wasn’t razed entirely…”</p><p>Kuroo was keeping his mouth firmly shut for now. He didn’t necessarily <em>like</em> being here, but he disliked the idea of Akaashi and Shirabu not having someone to watch their back. Shirabu likewise was keeping quiet unless Akaashi asked him something, he wanted to see what the other could deduce himself.</p><p>Akaashi wasn’t sure what to look for beyond an obvious starting point for the fire, but he was also keenly aware that he could sense things most couldn’t. As they walked further into the abandoned district, he got an unwelcome spine-tingling sensation. He halted where he stood, glancing around at the buildings. There was not a living soul to be seen besides those who travelled with him. Wood creaked in the occasional breeze that would rush through the area, the few doors that were left hanging on their hinges would move slightly but nothing beyond that.</p><p>“Was this really all done in one night…” He glanced around, the district was big, bigger than most small settlements in the south. Even with wooden buildings and poorly maintained roofs, a fire would take several days to do this amount of damage. Unless it was more than one fire, which in itself posed uncomfortable questions.</p><p>He continued walking again, coming to the same plaza the others had seen earlier that day. The remains of the stalls hadn’t been touched, Akaashi paid them little attention as he felt a strange force pulling him in one direction. His eyes scanned the ground for what he thought would be a runestone or something similar, instead, he found a pile of bones.</p><p>It was the same pile of bones that Tanaka had stumbled upon.</p><p>He froze. This wasn’t the first time he had seen a body, not even in this sorry state, but it was the accompanying rush of emotions that he hadn’t been expecting. The knot in his stomach tightened as his chest felt weak, he had a lump in his throat as he couldn’t tear his eyes away from the remains that lacked a skull. He could smell smoke, his eyes burned as if there was a mighty inferno blazing in front of him.</p><p>A hand on his shoulder brought him back from whatever strange plane he had drifted into. Kuroo gently turned him away from the remains and hugged him. Feeling the other’s heartbeat calmed him. Though he was still walking amongst the dead.</p><p>“What happened?” Shirabu asked as Akaashi eventually pulled away.</p><p>“I’m not sure,” he quietly replied, “but I’m guessing you don’t smell any smoke.”</p><p>Shirabu gave him a puzzled look before shaking his head.</p><p>“The spirits linger.” Akaashi said, glancing around the plaza. “And they are still distraught.”</p><p>“Well, do any of them want to speak?”</p><p>Akaashi shrugged. “I can’t tell.” He looked back at the pile of bones expecting the same rush of emotions but he felt none of them. He wasn’t sure what to make of it as Shirabu gestured for them to continue onwards. Walking through more streets in a state of ruin, Akaashi could feel the tug again, this time the faint smell of smoke was on the breeze without being overwhelming. He reached out and took Kuroo’s hand, squeezing it tightly as he let out a shaky sigh.</p><p>As the shell of the former tavern came into view, he felt a rush of energy once more. Panic was the main emotion he felt as his eyes took in the ruined building. The entire front of it had been blown away and what remained was deteriorating by the day; parts of the roof had collapsed in and what wooden beams left behind were fractured and split violently, roof tiles hung perilously over the void that was left behind.</p><p>“Thoughts?” Shirabu asked him.</p><p>“This is where it started.” He murmured, dropping Kuroo’s hand and stepping closer. The structure creaked above him as he stepped under the roof hanging over the former drinking hall. He gazed up at the beams, deep in thought. The swirling emotions in the air were stronger as he stood still, panic, confusion, fear. It was stronger here than anywhere else in the district he had been.</p><p>“Hang on,” Kuroo spoke for the first time, “something doesn’t add up here.”</p><p>Shirabu gave him a curious glance. “What do you mean?”</p><p>Kuroo gestured to the roof. “How did this building’s roof survive when basically all the others fell in? If it really did start here, then surely there shouldn’t be a building left standing?”</p><p>Shirabu had to admit, Kuroo had a point. “Well, the roofing here is partly made up of tiles, not entirely wood like many of the others.”</p><p>“Yes but how did it spread to these other roofs if it didn’t even catch fire in the first place?”</p><p>“Are you suggesting there was more than one point of origin?”</p><p>Kuroo shrugged. “It’s just fishy that’s all I’m saying.”</p><p>Whilst they were discussing the idea of a second fire being started, Akaashi had stepped further into the former tavern. He was under no illusion it was safe to do so, but he was being drawn to the back rooms that still stood, albeit more than a little charred. Wood snapped underfoot with each step as he walked around the remnants of the bar. Tables and benches were overturned and left to rot in the elements, tapestries that once gave the room bright and bold colour were dulled, moss and ivy clung to them now where nature had tried to reclaim something from the disaster. Slowly he picked his way through the large hall towards the back rooms, not able to really see anything as he poked his head around a door.</p><p>But the sudden dread that overtook him said it all. He took a slow breath as he conjured a small light source, within the small storeroom he had stumbled upon were piles of bones. Several bodies’ worth. A sick feeling rose up in him as he deduced this must’ve been a last-ditch attempt to escape the explosion and fire.</p><p>He didn’t say anything as he returned to the others, shaking his head slightly and letting his light source dissipate. As Kuroo relayed his thoughts about the fire being started elsewhere, Akaashi nodded.</p><p>“This was just a distraction.” Akaashi gestured to the tavern. “Or a statement. The rest of the district…that’s something else.”</p><p>Shirabu nodded. “So what are we thinking, it’s all linked or this was a freak accident?”</p><p>“Hard to tell. Without actually seeing into the past…” Akaashi trailed off. “Hm, maybe Hinata would be able to sense something.”</p><p>“Hinata.” Shirabu repeated. It wasn’t that he doubted Akaashi, after all Hinata was capable of jumping through portals amongst various other bizarre things, it was more that he wasn’t sure getting Hinata involved would be <em>wise</em>.</p><p>Kuroo hummed in thought. “Okay, before we drag Hinata into it, why don’t we try and work out how a fire could ruin an entire district in a few hours?”</p><p>“I think that’s a conversation worth having in the relative privacy of the manor.” Akaashi replied. The others agreed, and so their investigation was concluded there.</p><p>For now at least.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. Lighting The Fuse</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong> XXII</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Lighting The Fuse</strong>
</p>
<p>“So let me get this straight,” Daichi said, “you agreed to <em>kill Akaashi</em>?”</p>
<p>Semi rolled his eyes. “No, well, kind of.”</p>
<p>Suga and Kiyoko both raised an eyebrow. After the whirlwind that was Tobio returning to the manor passed, they had managed to get Semi to properly explain his encounter with Kei in more detail. The conclusion was it had been sort of successful. Semi had managed to convince the other he wasn’t a traitor, but he also had managed to become an accomplice.</p>
<p>“What do you mean ‘kind of’, you did or you didn’t.” Daichi remarked, giving Semi a baffled look. He almost wanted to laugh at the situation. <em>Of course</em> Semi would end up doing something dumb like this, why did Daichi ever hope that their latest addition to the guild would bring an ounce of common sense with him.</p>
<p>“Well I said I would, but I have no intention of actually <em>doing</em> it.”</p>
<p>“Well <em>that</em><em>’s</em> a relief.” Kiyoko remarked quietly. She wasn’t nearly as amused as Daichi, they had enough problems without adding inter-guild murder to that list.</p>
<p>Semi gave them both a put-out look. “No, I just said I would so that I have a reason to go back and talk to him, y’know, pretend I can’t find Akaashi, or like…” he shrugged. “The point is, whilst we’ve all been thinking that Hinata is the only one he has a grudge against, it’s also Akaashi.”</p>
<p>Daichi wasn’t entirely happy about this. He was all for deceiving their foes but saying he’d kill another member of the Brotherhood was a little extreme. Thankfully neither Akaashi nor Kuroo strictly knew about this yet. Though word was sure to travel if the others caught wind of it. So far Daichi had managed to keep everyone else from overhearing the conversation by asking Tanaka to start a card tournament that evening in the dining hall. Loud accusations of cheating were being thrown back and forth, but that was preferred to the alternative.</p>
<p>“So why does he want Akaashi dead?”</p>
<p>Semi recounted to them what Kei had said, that Akaashi had ‘undone’ his previous work and derailed his plan. “Except I have no idea what plans these were or if he’s still trying to make them happen.”</p>
<p>Suga and Daichi exchanged a glance. They figured if Semi was going to continue being one of them, he needed to know at least some of the back-story. Kiyoko and Daichi had already told him about the quest from Tooru to make contact with Tobio and how the guild had been instrumental in getting the kings talking again and even making the alliance that still stood now. Except they had previously left out just how Kei factored into it because, well at the time it wasn’t all that important.</p>
<p>“Remember how we said that Tobio and Tooru had been at each other’s throats?” Daichi asked, getting a nod in return so he continued, “well part of that was because they had been played against each other, as we already told you. But it went a bit deeper than just Kei selling secrets to one another.”</p>
<p>“Deeper?” Semi repeated.</p>
<p>Suga nodded. “Kei is an empath mage, just like Akaashi, but where Akaashi hides his powers Kei flaunts them. He got under Tobio’s skin and started manipulating him. Planting false memories, bringing up horrific nightmares that he had once buried.”</p>
<p>“It was all part of the plan to get Tobio so unstable he’d declare war on Tooru,” Daichi continued, “plagued by nightmares and false memories, Tobio acted out of vengeance and nearly caused a catastrophe. But it wasn’t a simple case of slapping sense into him, these were false memories buried in his mind and soul, untouchable by most.”</p>
<p>“And so, the only person who could do anything about it was Keiji.” Kiyoko said. “So he took Tobio’s false memories.”</p>
<p>“He…took them.” Semi repeated, clearly confused.</p>
<p>“It’s a risky thing to do, Keiji didn’t even clear it with the guild before going about it. He knew we’d all object to it but, he did it, and he saved Tobio in the process.” Kiyoko finished. “But now he carries those memories instead of Tobio.”</p>
<p>Semi nodded slowly. “So, Kei is pissed about that?”</p>
<p>“It would seem so.”</p>
<p>Daichi hummed in thought. Pieces were starting to fit together slowly, if Kei really had a plan beyond just fucking Tobio up, then the Brotherhood as a whole were probably going to end up being targets. The question now was, what was Kei’s intention?</p>
<p>“He mentioned dividing the south right? That weakness can be exploited.” He asked Semi.</p>
<p>“Yeah, I’d bet money on the idea that someone in the empire wants more land and whether asked to or not, Kei decided to try and grant that wish.”</p>
<p>“But still, the rift between House Oikawa and Kageyama was there before Kei arrived in either court. So he could’ve just seen an opportunity and went with it.”</p>
<p>“Wait,” Suga uttered, “how old is his brother?”</p>
<p>“Not old enough to have started—”</p>
<p>“No, but didn’t…wasn’t here a reference to a scout in Tooru’s father’s journals? Someone unknown and Tooru couldn’t pinpoint who?”</p>
<p>Daichi and Kiyoko could remember being told something, but it was so long ago now that neither could confirm it was really that. Semi seemed oblivious to this journal he spoke of.</p>
<p>“Shirabu might remember.” Kiyoko offered.</p>
<p>“Maybe,” Suga seemed bothered still, “because if I remember correctly, this might go a lot deeper than we thought.”</p>
<p>Daichi didn’t really want to hear that, but it was too late. Suga seemed rattled by Semi’s report in but wasn’t saying outright how he truly felt. Kiyoko shrugged and let out a sigh, stating she was going to find out who was winning at cards, nudging Semi as she passed in a silent encouragement to follow her lead. He lingered for a moment before following her into the dining hall, leaving Suga and Daichi alone.</p>
<p>“So you think Akiteru and Kei are cut from the same cloth?” Daichi stated, getting Suga’s attention.</p>
<p>“I find it hard to believe Kei has always been…” He shook his head. “The entire time he was with us, he didn’t strike me as the sort to come up with plans of treachery. He followed orders from both kings without a hint of questioning them.”</p>
<p>“You think he was following different orders then?”</p>
<p>“I think we shouldn’t rule that out. If there was a ‘plan’ like Semi suggested, then there had to be something gained for the family.” Suga’s expression was serious as he regarded Daichi. “You said that Ushijima told you their bond is stronger than the Daishou’s?”</p>
<p>Daichi nodded. “Loyalty is something they take seriously.”</p>
<p>There was a sarcastic laugh from Suga. “Ironic, considering Kei abused that loyalty and trust placed in him by both Tooru and Tobio.”</p>
<p>“But I think you might be right, if Kei was following orders from Akiteru to succeed in whatever plan they had, then it’s no wonder he’s taking our meddling to heart.”</p>
<p>“Gods we’re so <em>troublesome</em> aren’t we? Can’t keep out of other people’s business.” Suga remarked with a coy smile. Slowly his smile faded a little as he mulled over thoughts, Daichi was quiet, waiting for whatever thoughts to come bubbling out. “I know none of this is strictly our doing, but you do have to wonder how many more situations we can weasel our way out of without losing someone. Dumb luck doesn’t last forever.”</p>
<p>“No, but who says we need luck?” Daichi playfully nudged him. “We just need the bonds of brotherhood to hold fast and we can get through anything.”</p>
<p>Suga raised an eyebrow, clearly not entirely convinced but he didn’t object. “Yeah, those bonds of brotherhood.” He nodded. “Speaking of, I uh, need to talk to you about something.”</p>
<p>“Oh yeah?”</p>
<p>There was a pause as Suga looked anywhere but Daichi’s gaze. “Uh, something that I don’t necessarily want others to walk in and overhear.”</p>
<p>Daichi was a little amused at Suga’s show of nerves. “Upstairs?”</p>
<p>There was a curt nod from the other before he immediately took off towards the staircase. Daichi followed, refraining from making any wisecracks.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>It was much later into the night when it started happening. Having returned to the manor with Kuroo and Shirabu, Akaashi felt an oppressive feeling rising within him. The rest of the manor was now sound asleep, but he was unable to rest. Outside a rainstorm had swept in, the wooden roof above him playing host to the fast but light rain hammering onto it. In any other circumstance he would’ve found it peaceful.</p>
<p>Kuroo was fast asleep next to him, Bokuto and Tanaka were both snoring loudly from their beds. The room was dark, the candles long blown out. After tossing and turning some more, he decided to get up. The hallways were equally as dark, though a single candle was set upon a low table by the stairs leading down so no-one would fall and wake the entire house up. He was thankful for the tiny flame as he found the bannister to the grand staircase.</p>
<p>He couldn’t shake the uncomfortable feeling. The mental image of the piles of bones in that tiny backroom kept flashing in his mind. He let out a shaky breath as he reached the bottom of the stairs. In the parlour, the remains of the fire were on their way to fizzling out so he threw a few extra chunks of dry wood onto the dying embers and watched the renewed flames flare up. He sat down on the floor in front of the fire, trying to meditate and make sense of this all.</p>
<p>Light footsteps made him expect accompaniment in form of Kunimi or Kenma, instead a furry face nudged his shoulder. Lev’s bright green eyes playfully regarded him, even if his large form made him seem like he was stalking the other.</p>
<p>“Don’t suppose you got any words of wisdom.” Akaashi murmured, half expecting Lev to already know what was up.</p>
<p>Lev purred, flopping down next to him and licking at his paw. “On this old city thing?”</p>
<p>Akaashi still hadn’t established how Lev was able to talk beyond ‘the kirin made it so’, in a way it seemed fitting that the guild’s pet would be as weird as its owners. It didn’t make it any easier to explain to outsiders though. So far they had managed to play off that he was a pet, several over-the-top stories of how they got him were doing the rounds. Everything from Tanaka rescuing him as a cub from an exotic trader to a chieftain of a northern clan gifting him to the guild after the battle. Some stories were more embellished to include epic battles in caves and tales of the time Lev snuck into a noble woman’s bed.</p>
<p>They sat in silence for a few moments as Lev mulled over his answer to Akaashi’s remark now set on grooming himself as he did so. “Well,” he murmured between licks, “I can sense this weird feeling hanging over you.”</p>
<p>“Yeah,” he breathed, “the entire district felt like this.”</p>
<p>Lev’s tail twitched as he lay his head down atop his large paws. “Like someone following you?”</p>
<p>“Kinda.”</p>
<p>“Well if it’s any consolation, there isn’t.”</p>
<p>Akaashi inhaled sharply. “Isn’t what?”</p>
<p>“Anything following you, like a ghost.”</p>
<p>Akaashi hadn’t even considered that to be possible. He nodded slowly. “So what is it?”</p>
<p>Lev lifted his head to look at Akaashi. Meeting the lion’s gaze, he felt a sense of calm come over him. He wasn’t sure what was going on as Lev tilted his head slightly.</p>
<p>“It’s…warding magic.” Lev remarked as if it was obvious.</p>
<p>“How did you—”</p>
<p>Lev chirped slightly, rolling over onto his back and yawning. Akaashi glanced behind him to see one of the manor’s staff just arriving to begin stoking fires for the kitchen. They seemed surprised Akaashi was awake but didn’t hang around, already disappearing into the dining hall and closing the door behind them.</p>
<p>“Warding magic though, seriously?” Akaashi continued as Lev sat up and met his gaze again. “How do you know?”</p>
<p>“The Serpents used it once or twice up in Kitamine…but this is much stronger than that, this is like…someone doesn’t want anyone poking around.”</p>
<p>Akaashi nodded, mulling it over. It didn’t feel like the warding magic he had come into contact with at the border to House Kageyama’s kingdom. Though Inuoka had only been dabbling in it at the time, it had been an amateur’s attempt at warding off danger. The longer he mulled it over, the more he could feel what Lev described; a sense of danger rising up in his soul at the idea of going back into the district. This was something much more potent.</p>
<p>If the fire was truly an accident, no-one would go to that length to keep someone from poking around. If it wasn’t an accident, then the presence of warding magic explained a lot; like how the entire district was avoided by the general public, how the ruined buildings hadn’t been torn down yet. If Akaashi was the only one truly aware of it, everyone else probably just got a ‘weird feeling’.</p>
<p>“So it’s now more of a question of who would be able to put this kind of enchantment on an entire district.”</p>
<p>Lev was quick to reply. “A very powerful mage.”</p>
<p>Akaashi didn’t want to say it, but he got the feeling everything was starting to come back to the Tsukishimas. The problem was, none of this was hard evidence that they could present to Yachi and her court. They needed to find something solid, more than just thoughts and feelings.</p>
<p>“There’s gotta be some sort of talisman then.” He stated. “Enchantments like this can’t hang in the air without something to keep them tethered.”</p>
<p>“Are we gonna go and find them?” Lev stood up.</p>
<p>“Not alone.” Akaashi stated. “That’s stupid. No, we’ll take some of the others.”</p>
<p>Even though it felt like a solid plan, he had no idea what this sort of thing would look like. They could be as simple as stones with runes carved into them or they could be a lot more complex like inked charms slipped under floorboards. Given the sheer size of the district, it would take days to search the entire place. And time was something they didn’t necessarily have, with the citizens of the city still eyeing them with suspicion and the imperial court bearing down on Tobio to give them a reasonable explanation for disregarding a treaty, they had to figure this out and quickly.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>When the summons came in the next morning, Tobio had assumed it was for him. When he actually read the letter though, he couldn’t believe the words written.</p>
<p>
  <em>‘The Imperial Court demands the presence of one Shoyo Hinata today at midday to answer for the public disorder complaint filed last night by a member of the general public.</em>
</p>
<p><em>He is to come alone, only escorted by one Wakatoshi Ushijima for his own protection.</em>’</p>
<p>Hinata also couldn’t believe he had landed in this trouble from just saying two or three sentences to another person, but in a way he could say it was expected after how tense it all felt in the moment. The general reaction from the others was disbelief and anger but nothing was to be done, not even Tobio could accompany him. They had a precious few hours to discuss what he should or shouldn’t say, Tobio reiterated that he was going to fix it all and that Yachi wasn’t interested in killing him herself, so Hinata should just be polite and hope they just give him a stern warning.</p>
<p>No-one wanted to address the idea that this wasn’t ordered strictly by Yachi. Hinata let out a low exhale as Ushijima arrived to escort him to the palace again. He wasn’t sure if he should confide in the other, but the carriage ride was painfully quiet.</p>
<p>“What will happen?”</p>
<p>Ushijima hummed, not really giving it much thought. “Well, I imagine the charges will be read out, you’ll be asked for an explanation and then the court will decide your fate.”</p>
<p>This alarmed Hinata to no end. “Wait, <em>charges</em>? I’m not being arrested, this is just an audience—”</p>
<p>Ushijima shook his head. “The wording was probably chosen to not alarm the others. But there is every chance your treaty breach may play into this.”</p>
<p>Hinata couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He had been there when Yachi said she would discuss those treaties further, what had changed? As the palace came into view he felt fear rising within him. He hadn’t anticipated this happening so abruptly, all because he misspoke last night when confronted? He wondered if the others would know what fate bestowed him.</p>
<p>“Will you tell them what happens.” He said to Ushijima. “Please, I…I can’t—”</p>
<p>“I will tell them the outcome.” Ushijima nodded. “What they do in response is entirely down to them.”</p>
<p>Working out Ushijima’s motives and intentions was a headache Hinata couldn’t afford to think about as the carriage stopped. Unlike with the banquet, there was no fanfare today as the door was opened and he was encouraged to disembark.</p>
<p>The imposing structure loomed before him. Guards flanked every doorway they came to, Ushijima kept him from getting lost, leading him through hallways he didn’t recognise until they were in the same large ballroom as the other day. Yachi sat atop her throne, a serious look on her face. Like before, the stands were populated by nobles, fewer than last time but their stern faces didn’t leave much to the imagination. He noted they didn’t seem particularly settled that day, not like when he had first met them. There were huffs and hurried glances exchanged between them as he approached.</p>
<p>Hinata felt his heart jump into this throat as he scanned the faces of the men and women around the room; all were several summers older than him, older than anyone in the Brotherhood. All except one. He didn’t seem that much older than the likes of Daichi and Kuroo, his dusty blond hair seemed out of place yet so familiar. He didn’t see either of the twins in the array of faces though, and that set him more on edge.</p>
<p>Ushijima prompted him to halt. He was shaking at this point, but inside he knew this was the time to summon every ounce of courage he had within him. He couldn’t call himself the protector of House Kageyama if he couldn’t even stand up for himself. He remembered his manners, bowing swiftly as the silence was noticeable. There were a few amused hums from those watching as he waited for the empress’ soft voice to tell him to right himself.</p>
<p>“You can stand properly.” She stated.</p>
<p>He slowly righted his posture, meeting her gaze. He wasn’t an empath mage, but at that moment, he wished he was able to sense what she was thinking if this was really her idea or not. Her expression gave nothing away, not like the last time he was here.</p>
<p>“Do you know why you have been brought here?” She asked quietly.</p>
<p>He had read the summons, but he wasn’t sure if he was supposed to answer. There were so many unwritten rules of etiquette that he wasn’t sure which ones he had to follow.</p>
<p>“I…uh…” He stammered, feeling all eyes on him. “Because of last night.”</p>
<p>There was a pause as she held his gaze. “Partly.”</p>
<p>“Partly.” He repeated. “What else is there?”</p>
<p>There were a few sarcastic chuckles from the nobles around the room. Hinata swallowed as Yachi held up a dainty hand to silence them. Despite the reports, she seemed to command some respect from her court.</p>
<p>“You were here several days ago when your king argued about these treaties. I allowed him to do so as one leader talking to another, a mark of mutual respect.” She said, any trace of the friendly empress Tobio had painted was nowhere to be found. “You however, command no such thing here.”</p>
<p>He swallowed again. “I…I understand.” He said.</p>
<p>“Good. So we can properly begin.” She nodded to a guard who stepped forth with a scroll in hand. He unrolled it and began to read aloud;</p>
<p>“This court finds you, Shoyo Hinata, guilty of breaching the Treaty of the Eagle. In accordance with the treaty, you are now a prisoner of the Imperial Palace of the Summer Vale pending investigation into your actions.”</p>
<p>“Pr-Prisoner?!” He exclaimed. “Wait, I don’t even get to argue my inno—”</p>
<p>Yachi didn’t speak, her guard who had been reading the scroll barked at him. “Silence.”</p>
<p>He snapped his mouth shut. This wasn’t negotiable it seemed. He held Yachi’s gaze, wanting with every fibre of his being to let her know how this seemed ridiculous. That the treaties were bullshit. He could feel the frustration building and the sparks starting to crackle. As he held her gaze, he saw something familiar in her eyes, a troubled sensation that didn’t feel right in his gut.</p>
<p>“You will be taken now. Your king will be informed and if he wishes to argue your innocence, he is free to do so.” Yachi stated. “If he doesn’t then the empire shall decide your punishment in due course.”</p>
<p>He held his tongue as two guards came over and seized him by the arms. He kept his gaze on the young empress as he was half dragged out of the room. Resigned to this situation, he didn’t put up a fight as he was taken into the lower levels of the palace. Beyond iron gates and heavy oak doors were rows of cells. More heavy doors lined the hallway, tiny barred windows gave him glances at other prisoners.</p>
<p>He was unceremoniously thrown into a tiny cell of his own, the door slamming shut behind him. Stone walls greeted him, the floor was covered in a sparse spreading of hay. A shoddy wooden cot took up most of the back wall, a thin wrapping of cloth folded up atop it. As the footsteps of the guards faded away, he started to process what the fuck just happened. He had just been ‘arrested’, yet no-one searched him for weapons, no-one bound his hands. By all accounts, he could easily break out if he put his mind to it, but there was a minor issue with that idea.</p>
<p>Breaking out of the cell would undoubtedly lead to an instant death sentence. He was walking a fine line as it was, and it wasn’t like they didn’t know he was a mage capable of great magical feats. He sighed heavily, wondering what the hell he was supposed to do, panic slowly rising within him as thoughts of what this investigation could entail started overwhelming him.</p>
<p>A voice from beyond the door called out to him; “Hey, kid.”</p>
<p>Curious, he walked to the door, he had to stand on tiptoes to see through the square opening but he could just make out the door opposing his. An older man was peering through the window, long blond hair was pulled back behind his head, but apart from that Hinata couldn’t make out identifying features.</p>
<p>“Hey?” He called in reply.</p>
<p>“What you here for?” The man asked.</p>
<p>“Uh, breaking some rules?”</p>
<p>The other laughed. “Aren’t we all in here for that?”</p>
<p>“I guess? What about you?”</p>
<p>There was a pause. “I also broke a few rules in my time kid.”</p>
<p>Hinata wasn’t sure what to make of any of this. “Cool, I guess? What’s your name?”</p>
<p>There was another pause. “They call me Ukai. You?”</p>
<p>“Uh, Hinata.”</p>
<p>“Hinata?” Ukai repeated. “Huh, feel like I’ve heard that name.”</p>
<p>“I mean…” Hinata wasn’t sure how much he should say, then again he didn’t exactly have much <em>else</em> to do. “I’m visiting with King Tobio.”</p>
<p>“Oh! Oh you’re <em>that</em> mage.”</p>
<p>The fact a prisoner knew of him was concerning to say the least. Just how far did gossip travel in this city? “Eh?”</p>
<p>Ukai chuckled. “Word spreads even down here kid, guards can’t keep their mouths shut. You’re the mage that everyone thinks King Tobio is fucking.”</p>
<p>Hearing such a thing being put like that made Hinata nearly overbalance and fall over. Heat flooded his cheeks as the images were conjured up as easily as his elements. He let out a surprised noise as Ukai chuckled again.</p>
<p>“Relax. I ain’t gonna judge.” He said. “But how the fuck did you end up here?”</p>
<p>“I uh, spoke back to someone and then the empress decided to throw me in here for breaking other rules.”</p>
<p>There was a more thoughtful hum. “Ah, yes. The <em>Empress</em> decided did she?”</p>
<p>“What…do you mean?”</p>
<p>Ukai chuckled again. “You saw her court I assume, the men around her all twice her age? And you think she and she alone made the choice to arrest you?”</p>
<p>Coming to think of it, the older man made a point. If Yachi was an ally to them as Tobio said she was, why would she arrest him? Surely that would just annoy Tobio and he’d be reluctant to work with her? Then again, without forcibly breaking him out of jail, there wasn’t a lot the other <em>could</em> do. The interwoven politics and motives were enough to make his head spin. He wished he could go back to the southern kingdom, to the carefree days of relaxing in the sunshine.</p>
<p>“Well, not like I can change it now.” Hinata mumbled.</p>
<p>Ukai sucked in a breath. “Nope. No-one escapes from here I’m afraid.”</p>
<p>“How long have you been here?”</p>
<p>“Around four summers now.”</p>
<p>Hinata was alarmed to hear that. Surely a similar fate wasn’t awaiting him, there was no way Tobio or the Brotherhood would let that stand. And even then, he’d sooner take the chance to use his powers to escape before he was left down here.  “And you just broke a few rules?”</p>
<p>Ukai sighed slightly. “Got caught up in a bit of chaos, got arrested because they thought I was a troublemaker. Apparently I have that look about me. And I’ve not been spoken to since by the likes of her imperial majesty.”</p>
<p>“Have you seen the light of day at all?”</p>
<p>Ukai snorted. “Once a week one of the guards will take me to a small courtyard. He’s not supposed to but we’ve spent the last four years talking and joking, think he’s got a soft spot for me.”</p>
<p>“That’s…nice.” Hinata wasn’t sure he liked how finite this situation felt.</p>
<p>There was a half-smile from Ukai. “Cheer up kid. If you’re a big a deal as you sound, I can’t imagine she’ll leave you here to rot like me. Heck, I’m sure your king will be bitching to her right about now anyway. I’d be willing to bet you won’t be here more than a few days at most.”</p>
<p>It was a prisoner’s attempt at raising his spirits, he appreciated the effort at least. “Yeah…maybe.”</p>
<p>He stepped away from the door, preferring to be alone with his thoughts for now. He <em>hoped</em> Ushijima was a man of his word and would tell Tobio what happened. Surely there must be a way for his release to be negotiated, for something to be done. This couldn’t be the end of the line for him.</p>
<p>He sat on the edge of the cot, running hands through his hair as he tried to think this through. The singular runestone bumped against his chest under his shirt. It gave him a small feeling of comfort. If it came down to it, he could easily blow the door off and make a run for it, he might have to maim a few guards along the way but it <em>could</em> be done. But that was a last-ditch effort surely, he shouldn’t have to resort to that.</p>
<p>He had to put his faith in Tobio and the Brotherhood. He had friends he could rely on. They wouldn’t abandon him, not after everything they’ve been through. He just had to dance to the empire’s tune for now.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0023"><h2>23. Reactive Forces</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>XXIII</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Reactive Forces</strong>
</p>
<p>As Ushijima anticipated, Tobio went mental when he heard the news. He repeated the same facts over and over to both the king and every single member of the Brotherhood who insisted on clarification.</p>
<p>Yes, Yachi had summoned Hinata. Yes, there was a court to have an audience with. Yes, that included Akiteru. No Hinata wasn’t allowed to argue his innocence. Yes, he was being arrested for breaking the treaty. No Ushijima had no idea what was going to happen next.</p>
<p>“What do we do?” Kuroo turned to Daichi. “If she threw him in there, she ain’t gonna listen to Tobio.”</p>
<p>Daichi rubbed his chin in thought. The king himself was beyond consoling as he paced the parlour muttering about how he was stupid to not accompany Hinata, how he promised Hinata this wouldn’t happen. The others in the room were equally looking to Daichi for some kind of instruction, some wisdom from their illustrious leader.</p>
<p>“Uh, well, maybe the twins can help?”</p>
<p>“They would’ve been there surely?” Suga asked.</p>
<p>Ushijima shook his head. “They were not. Neither were any of the other noble families that are more lenient towards magic users.”</p>
<p>Daichi raised an eyebrow. “Surely summoning a criminal to the court would be a big deal?”</p>
<p>“Ordinarily, yes, but there are ways and means to bypass sending summons to other nobles. If Akiteru decided to only invite those who he knows distrusts mages then it would be easy to do so.”</p>
<p>“Which basically screams to us that he’s going out of his way to fuck with us.” Kuroo said bluntly. “So now what?</p>
<p>Tobio halted in his pacing, his expression was set in a frown. “I need to see Atsumu. Now.”</p>
<p>Ushijima nodded. “Then let’s go.”</p>
<p>Tobio didn’t bother to ask if anyone else wanted to come, already striding out of the manor to wait for Ushijima to catch up. Daichi was quick to follow, at least <em>someone</em> relatively calm should be there if Tobio was about to start panicking. In all honesty Daichi couldn’t <em>blame</em> Tobio for being worked up, but he needed to keep a cool head now more than ever.</p>
<p>A carriage was hailed and they were soon at a different large manor. Considering they had arrived without warning, Daichi was thankful that the twins were both in and willing to hear them out. Once the trio had settled in their parlour and tea was poured out, Ushijima calmly explained what had happened whilst Tobio fidgeted in his lap and Daichi regarded the twins with a thoughtful gaze.</p>
<p>“So, can you do anything?” Ushijima finally got to the end of the story.</p>
<p>Atsumu leaned back in his seat upon the ornate bench with plump cushions piled up behind him. “Well, ordinarily no, however,”</p>
<p>Osamu interjected. “Accusing Akiteru of manipulating a court meeting is a dangerous thing. For one, it puts us clearly in the line of fire for future schemes of his to circumvent our watch.”</p>
<p>“But the fact he’s gone out of his way to do that in the first place is telling. It says he’s scared of Hinata, of what a threat he may pose.” Atsumu finished.</p>
<p>“You said he’d be safe.” Tobio uttered, disregarding the fact that Atsumu had loosely hit the nail on the head regarding just how valuable Hinata is. “You said they wouldn’t be able to touch him if he was under your banner.”</p>
<p>Atsumu gave him a sympathetic glance. “I did. But Akiteru is a crafty one. By not telling <em>us,</em> he got around our protection. Had we known about this, we would’ve immediately halted the summons. However, all is not lost,” He stated, looking to the housekeeper that was lingering. “Leave us please, and make sure no-one listens in.”</p>
<p>She nodded and bowed before leaving, pulling the sliding door firmly closed. Only then did Osamu lean forward.</p>
<p>“That dungeon is not secure enough to prevent someone from breaking him out. It can barely be called a dungeon fit for an imperial palace. Our people have broken mages out of there before, it would be easy to do it again.”</p>
<p>“But we’re not going to,” Atsumu added, “because it’s too much of a risk for us. And if Hinata escapes and is then captured again, he’ll be killed on the spot.”</p>
<p>Tobio’s eyes widened, Daichi wasn’t sure where the twins were taking this as Atsumu continued.</p>
<p>“So to ensure he doesn’t get killed <em>should</em> he escape, we need to get to the bottom of what the hell they’re up to. And I’m almost willing to bet gold on the fact that they had a hand in what happened to the old city district.”</p>
<p>“That’s…not really linked to Hinata though?”</p>
<p>Atsumu smiled slightly, raising an eyebrow. “You don’t think it is? I think it is. Here’s how; until you showed up, no-one showed any interest in trying to figure out what happened there. Sure there were rumours and theories but no-one’s gone in there.”</p>
<p>Osamu picked up where his brother left off. “Within the few days you’ve been here, six of your group have ventured into the district to poke around, seven if you include Shirabu.”</p>
<p>“And people are talking.” Atsumu added. “People are wondering if we’ll get answers. And now, seemingly out of nowhere, Hinata gets summoned to the empress <em>alone,</em> half of the other nobles aren’t told about it…apart from Akiteru and his allies.”</p>
<p>“Akiteru being the older brother of the guy that your Brotherhood arrested for treason in the south.”</p>
<p>There was a pause as Atsumu glanced between Tobio and Daichi. “Do you see where we’re coming from?”</p>
<p>“This is a ploy to get us to…stop looking into the fire?” Daichi summarised. “But Shirabu was the one who—”</p>
<p>“And Kei knows they can’t touch him because he’s part of House Oikawa, and he wasn’t on that battlefield, so he didn’t break any treaties, did he?”</p>
<p>Tobio wasn’t sure what to make of any of it. Was it personal or convenience that Hinata was taken? Could anything really be done? All he knew was that this felt like a cheap blow, a dirty trick. Maybe if he hadn’t put Hinata front and centre, if he hadn’t made such a big deal out of their bond, maybe then they could’ve avoided this. He felt sick to his stomach, guilt and regret rising quickly.</p>
<p>“So now what?”</p>
<p>Atsumu and Osamu exchanged a glance before meeting their gazes again. Osamu spoke first. “Find out what caused that fire. Hinata is safe for now, executions require written approval from every noble family. As long as he doesn’t do anything stupid, he’ll be fine.”</p>
<p>Atsumu nodded in agreement. “Tobio, we’ll call a more official meeting with Yachi this evening. You’re welcome to join us.”</p>
<p>“As long as Akiteru isn’t there,” Tobio uttered. “I don’t know if I’ll—”</p>
<p>“He won’t be.” Atsumu stated. “Trust me.” He glanced to Daichi. “You pool all your resources to finding out the cause of that fire yeah? Osamu can help you out if you get held up.”</p>
<p>As if to confirm, Osamu nodded. With little else to be said, the twins called the conversation to a close by calling in their housekeeper and asking for more tea. It didn’t totally put Tobio at ease, but there was the beginning of a plan emerging.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>After Tobio and Daichi left, the rest of the Brotherhood were trying to rationalise what just happened. Kenma listened to Nishinoya rambling about how ‘it’s only a matter of time before he’s taken away’ and Inuoka wilfully ignoring the same ramblings. It was a tough situation, but one he had been expecting sooner or later. What made it somewhat easier to stomach was that Shirabu seemed weirdly optimistic about it all.</p>
<p>“If the Miya family sprung me out, an unknown mage at the time, then I imagine they’ll pull out all the stops to get him released; treaty be damned.” He stated to the group as a whole. The more sceptical of the guild wanted to believe him but the reality was that nobles couldn’t just overrule the freaking empress.</p>
<p>“But what do we do whilst we wait?” Tanaka asked. “We can’t just…sit here.”</p>
<p>That was a shared frustration amongst them; for all the promises they made to keep one another safe, having one of their own actually taken prisoner was new, new and uncomfortable. It further hammered home the point that they were in danger just by being present in the city.</p>
<p>“We could bust him out.” Kunimi suggested, getting mixed reactions.</p>
<p>“Now that’s a suicide mission if I’ve ever heard one.” Yaku chided. “Don’t be stupid.”</p>
<p>Shirabu shook his head. “As much as I’m sure you’re capable of doing stupid shit like that, if you’re caught, you’re as good as dead.”</p>
<p>“No different to our usual jobs then.”</p>
<p>Suga and Kuroo exchanged a glance. It was one of those rare moments that both of them agreed that this was not the time for over-the-top shenanigans. As much as it hurt to come to terms that they really couldn’t do anything to directly help Hinata, this was one of the moments that Kuroo needed to step into the void that Daichi had left.</p>
<p>“No.” He said with a heavy sigh. “We need to focus elsewhere.”</p>
<p>Suga nodded in both agreement and support. “This is a political issue beyond our influence. All we can do is support Tobio with whatever he has to face.”</p>
<p>“And just sit on our asses the entire time?” Tanaka scoffed, getting nods of agreement at his frustration from the likes of Bokuto and Nishinoya. “There’s gotta be something we can do!”</p>
<p>Akaashi cleared his throat, summoning everyone’s attention “We do have something we can do, it’s called figuring out why the old district burnt down.” He glanced to Semi. “And what Kei has to do with any of this.”</p>
<p>Semi felt a little put on the spot, he probably <em>ought</em> to tell the other about his fake task of killing him but this was not the time. “I can say one thing, he’s still annoyed about you all messing up his plans.”</p>
<p>“Plans for what?”</p>
<p>“Fucking over the south, he didn’t really go into detail funnily enough.” Semi shrugged. “I can try and weasel more out of him but…I dunno if he’ll take that bait.”</p>
<p>Tanaka snorted. “Can’t we just kidnap him and use him as a bargaining chip?”</p>
<p>Suga scowled at him. “No. No we can’t.”</p>
<p>Akaashi cleared his throat again. “Back to the more sensible idea; a theory of mine is that we need to properly investigate the entire district for signs of…well anything. Obviously the more people we have, the easier it’ll be.”</p>
<p>“Are you suggesting we all go?” Kuroo carefully regarded him. “Are you sure that’s wise?”</p>
<p>Akaashi met his gaze with a coy smile. “I’d like to see them throw us <em>all</em> in their dungeon for merely poking around.”</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>It had only been a few hours, but Hinata was already starting to crack a little given this change in circumstance. He had spent most of his time led in the wooden cot staring at the ceiling of his cell. He could hear conversations from the other prisoners, the guards doing their rounds and occasionally doors opening and closing. He imagined the dungeons would be louder, but it seemed that everyone here had accepted their fates already.</p>
<p>He had slowly been coming to terms with the fact that this was actually happening. Though it didn’t stop him closing his eyes and trying to will some supernatural force into play. Hēishān may be gone, but he <em>had</em> to have been gifted with some sort of other-worldly power when he took up the mantle of protector. He just needed to figure out what it was and how to tap into it.</p>
<p>As he lay there, he started murmuring a loose prayer of sorts. He hadn’t been brought up to be the spiritual type, his village had a small shrine to commemorate the dead but there wasn’t really any ‘asking for help’ done. The dead weren’t very helpful if they were, well dead. He doubted <em>his</em> ancestors would be very helpful at least, they were farmers and shepherds by trade, not kings or knights. Of course in recent months he had come into contact with other spirits, ones that were helpful to the chosen few. He happened to be one of them on occasion. Now he just hoped that the door hadn’t been closed with the victory over their northern rivals.</p>
<p>“Ancestors of House Kageyama,” he murmured, eyes still closed, “I don’t know…if you can hear me, but I need your help. I need you to keep Tobio safe until I get back to him. I-I don’t know if that’s in your power, and I get that I’m supposed to be the one…” he trailed off. “Just keep him calm at least, don’t let him worry too much.”</p>
<p>He was worried for himself, let alone Tobio being worried. He almost didn’t want to think about what the other was doing or saying in efforts to try and get him released. And then there was the Brotherhood as well, they were no doubt all kinds of frustrated and annoyed at this chain of events. He felt a pang in his chest as he thought of how the likes of Kenma and Nishinoya must be feeling, were they coping? Was Nishinoya already trying to figure out a way to either escape or use himself as bait? Was there a crazy scheme already in the making from masterminds like Kuroo and Bokuto?</p>
<p>Hinata didn’t know. He wasn’t sure what his desired method of getting out of this mess would be; an official pardon would be the easiest but in many ways it was the most difficult to achieve. Being broken out by the Brotherhood would complicate matters immensely no doubt, and if both Shirabu and Ukai were correct; he would certainly be staring at a death sentence if he was caught.</p>
<p>And what good was a protector if he was a wanted man? Hinata couldn’t do that to Tobio. He needed to do this properly, even if it meant <em>he </em>didn’t do anything for the moment.</p>
<p>From outside his cell, he heard Ukai’s voice calling for him. He rose to his feet and stood on tiptoes to peer through the window again. The other had an arm draped through the bars of the window, he could see faded tattoos decorating pale skin, curved lines creating circles linked together like chains.</p>
<p>“Yes?” He murmured.</p>
<p>“I was wonderin’,” Ukai’s tone was relaxed as he continued, “you’re a mage right?”</p>
<p>He saw no sense in hiding it, and any conversation was better than being stuck in his spiralling thoughts. “Yeah, I am.”</p>
<p>“What kinda mage? Like, feelings and stuff or fire?”</p>
<p>Hinata laughed weakly. “I started with fire, lightning and ice came pretty naturally...”</p>
<p>“Huh, cool.”</p>
<p>“Never met a mage before?” Hinata remarked, trying to keep the topic light.</p>
<p>Ukai wryly smiled through the bars. “I’ve met plenty. Old district was full of em, know why?”</p>
<p>“Because it was a nice place to live?”</p>
<p>Ukai chuckled. “Ever heard of mage academies? Old district had one, some say it’s why the Imperial family took an interest in Hinode so many years ago.”</p>
<p>Hinata remembered a distant conversation. One that took place whilst sitting under a hastily made shelter in the middle of a rainstorm, it was cold, his fire kept everyone a little warmer. They had been travelling east to find out if Tobio was actually alive. Tsukishima and Akaashi had gotten into an argument over mage academies. After that the topic was off-limits.</p>
<p>He swallowed, curious at what Ukai had to say on the matter. “…I might’ve? What was it like?”</p>
<p>Ukai hummed for a moment. “For some it was great, a chance to learn magic in peace, but for others it felt constrictive. Like they weren’t able to really test the limits of what they could do. There were a few jaded students who got kicked out for endangering others and stuff.”</p>
<p>“Really?”</p>
<p>Ukai shrugged. “Didn’t happen often, but it happened enough for non-mages to start getting hella suspicious y’know?”</p>
<p>Hinata had a vague idea. Having so many mages in one space probably got very tense, it was bad enough within something like the Brotherhood, and that was somewhere they all could easily leave for a few hours or even days to cool off. He couldn’t imagine the stress that came with being in a place of learning and knocking heads with another. If any of them did get kicked out and caused a stink over it, the regular folk were rightful in their suspicion and fear.</p>
<p>“So…did you live near one?” He asked Ukai.</p>
<p>The other chuckled again. “I lived <em>in</em> one.”</p>
<p>“Wait, were you a teacher? Or?”</p>
<p>There was a coy smile. “I was a student first, then a teacher of sorts, yeah.”</p>
<p>“That means you’re a—”</p>
<p>“Yes.” Ukai nodded. He raised his hand so Hinata could see his inner forearm, the inked circles formed a miniature ritual circle. In the centre was a symbol that he didn’t recognise from the distance. “I’m a mage.”</p>
<p>Hinata hadn’t been expecting that to be honest. It somewhat made sense why Ukai was still in prison if the people hated mages so much. It was probably safer for him here. But it was curious, why had he been kept here so long? What had happened to put him here in the first place?</p>
<p>He gripped the bars of his window. “What kind of mage are you?”</p>
<p>“The kind that the empire seems to really despise,” he lowered his voice slightly as he drew his arm back into his cell, “an empath.”</p>
<p>“Is that why you asked what kind of mage I am?”</p>
<p>“Partly, I was also intrigued as to how a mage ended up in Tobio’s sphere of influence.” He chuckled. “Aside from court mages, you don’t hear of leaders taking ones into their inner circle often.”</p>
<p>Hinata didn’t find that weird. If anything he understood it completely. He saw first-hand what having a mage in Tobio’s inner circle did to him. Of course, that was a mage with ulterior motives, but still. A king couldn’t be expected to lead properly if he was being poisoned by another. But the remark about the empire despising empaths over elementals intrigued him.</p>
<p>“So, you’re an empath mage and you think the empire hates your kind more than mine?”</p>
<p>Ukai shrugged. “There was a pattern of mages being ‘taken away for questioning’. They were all empaths. And I never saw any of them again. Seems a bit fishy to even the dumbest people.”</p>
<p>The blunt nature of the statement didn’t leave much to Hinata’s imagination. He swallowed. “So, you said you got caught up—”</p>
<p>Footsteps prompted him to stop, he slunk back from the door as the guard approached. The gruff voice of a much older man barked through at him. “Quit your yapping, or I’ll give you something to squeal about.”</p>
<p>He saw it wise to stay quiet as Ukai let out a heavy sigh in reply. The guard seemed to be content with that as he turned and left. Hinata returned to the bed and started mulling over what Ukai had said. The more they dug, the deeper this chasm of anti-mage conspiracy seemed to go. This was feeling more and more like it was being actively stoked by someone rather than just being a series of accidents and coincidences.</p>
<p>Unfortunately there was little he could do from a prison cell, or was there?</p>
<p>As he had recalled one memory, another had surfaced, older than the previous. The only other empath mage he knew and had witnessed his powers up close. If Hinata’s growth had seemed quick and unconventional, then Akaashi’s wasn’t far off being given the same label. The guild had been split in two for one night, just one night, when Kiyoko had been captured by hunters. It had seemed like such a trivial moment when he looked back on it; the guild being successfully split and then attacked in their own home.</p>
<p>He remembered Kunimi taking an arrow to the side and the panic in Kenma’s demeanour as he threw up wards to try and keep them both safe. But it was something else that stuck out to him now. It had been the first and only time thus far that Akaashi showed any sign of being able to hear voices of those far away from him. It had been the only thing that ensured the others got back in time to save them being slaughtered. It had largely been forgotten in the aftermath.</p>
<p>He wondered if Akaashi could still do it, and even better, if he could tap into it now.</p>
<p>No-one had worked out what caused it; Akaashi to hear Kuroo’s voice from so far away, but it had been written off at the time by undeclared feelings and tension within the guild. And Hinata didn’t ever get around to asking Akaashi himself.</p>
<p>But if there was a time to see if it could work between two mages, it was now. If he could just get a message to the other, to get some kind of trustworthy contact going, maybe they could work out how to get him out of this mess.</p>
<p>He laid back down, clasping his hands behind his head as he closed his eyes and let out a long breath. The runestone came to a rest on his chest, the ever-present warmth spreading across his scars.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0024"><h2>24. ‘Let’s split up and Look for Clues’</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>XXIV</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>‘Let’s split up and Look for Clues’</strong>
</p>
<p>When Tobio returned to the manor with Daichi, he found it remarkably empty. Yamaguchi and Asahi were in the parlour waiting for him, Inuoka was pacing by the large window, concern etched onto his face. The entire Brotherhood was gone.</p>
<p>“Akaashi came up with a plan of sorts.” Yamaguchi explained to Daichi. “Something about exploring the entire old district for answers.”</p>
<p>Daichi wasn’t sure what possessed the other to think that was a good idea but the conversation with the Miya twins had made it clear that the mystery of what happened that night four summers ago was the key to everything. He sighed heavily at everyone going without really waiting for him to return, but in a way he was happy they had taken their own course of action in his absence.</p>
<p>“Alright, well…” he glanced to Tobio who seemed to finally be processing the gravity of the situation. “I’ll give you some space.”</p>
<p>Tobio nodded slightly to Daichi, appreciating the other’s ability to read a room. As the double doors to the parlour were closed firmly, Tobio allowed himself to drop his facade of calm. He brought both hands up to rub his face. This had to be one of the worst days of his life.</p>
<p>“We need to get him back.” Tobio uttered both to no-one and all three of them. “I don’t give a <em>fuck</em> about anything else, I just need him back.”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi moved first, standing up and immediately closing the gap between them to pull him into a hug. Tobio didn’t fight it, wrapping his arms around the other tightly. There were a few moments of silence as Yamaguchi gently rubbed his back. Asahi and Inuoka watched on as Tobio’s heavy breathing became more ragged.</p>
<p>“We’ll get him back.” Yamaguchi broke the silence. “I promise you Tobio, we’ll do whatever it takes.”</p>
<p>“Even if it dooms the relationship between us and the empire?”</p>
<p>“If you feel that strongly, who are we to stand in your way?”</p>
<p>Tobio pulled back abruptly. “No. No, no Tadashi, you need…I need you to be the smart one.” He grabbed Yamaguchi’s shoulders, looking him squarely in the eyes. “Tell me what to do. Tell me how to fucking fix this.”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi met his gaze with uncertainty pooling in his eyes. He didn’t have any instructions, he didn’t know how to fix any of this really. They were out of their depth, lost in the tangled web of politics and lies that the empire was built upon. None of his teachings on counselling the king had prepared him for this.</p>
<p>“We’ll wait for Tooru.” Yamaguchi stated. “He may not have nearly as much at stake here but he owes us one.”</p>
<p>“He’s over a week away—”</p>
<p>“No, he left a few days ago. He’ll be here soon and when he arrives the empire will have not just one southern king to contend with but two, and both of you together will fix this.” He reached up and cupped Tobio’s face. “The Phoenix and the Dragon rise together. You fought together. You won together. And you will win again.”</p>
<p>Tobio nodded believing Yamaguchi’s words wholeheartedly. “But we need—”</p>
<p>“To get Shoyo back, yes.” Yamaguchi nodded. “But you said I need to be the smart one here, so let me worry about how we do it.” He paused for a moment. “You focus on keeping your head high and not letting them know how much it hurts.”</p>
<p>Inuoka cleared his throat. “You also still have your court mage.” He remarked, snapping his fingers and willing ice into existence. “They only have one of us so far, the treaty called for both of us, and technically the two from the Brotherhood.”</p>
<p>“It’s still three vs one.” Asahi stated, standing up. “So we need to be on our guard still. Shoyo may be the most powerful but let’s face it, he’s worth more to them alive than dead.”</p>
<p>Tobio nodded, slowly stepping out of Yamaguchi’s hold. They were right. As much as he wanted to blindly go off on a mission to save Hinata, it was merely a part of a larger game being played. He needed to focus. To show the empire what being the Dragon of the East meant.</p>
<p>He could not let himself be conquered by fear and hopelessness.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Taking the lead of the Brotherhood in Daichi’s absence, Kuroo agreed to Akaashi’s plan to scour the old district for information on what caused the fire. Before they left, Akaashi explained his working theory with everyone; that whilst many in the common population stayed clear of the district because of the reputation it carried now, there was another factor at play.</p>
<p>“Warding magic?” Kenma clarified. “That’s...an interesting thought.”</p>
<p>“What makes you think it’s warding magic?” Bokuto asked.</p>
<p>Akaashi glanced to Lev who was sprawled out at Kenma’s feet. The parlour felt cramped as they laid out their plan before setting foot out of the door, but it was necessary that everyone be on the same page.</p>
<p>“Well, I had an odd feeling the other night.” Akaashi explained. “Aside from feeling a lot of emotions that weren’t strictly mine, there was this...it felt like a veil had been draped over the district.” He paused to think how to word any of it before just shrugging. “And Lev mentioned he felt the remnants of it on me.”</p>
<p>Eyes moved to the lion who chirped slightly in interest at being allowed to voice his own thoughts for once. “I’ve felt it before a few times in Kitamine, the Blue Serpents liked their warding runes.”</p>
<p>Semi nodded. “Can confirm, but it wasn’t something we came up with. That was a thing we got introduced to by the Flame Roses. They’re the ones who are most proficient in magic.”</p>
<p>“And the ones who spoke to the empire,” Kuroo met his gaze, “correct?”</p>
<p>Semi smiled slightly. “Yeah, Takeshi and Suguru got fed information by them from the contacts in the empire.”</p>
<p>There was a moment for everyone to process the situation at hand before more questions arose, this time from Tanaka. “So, what are we looking for? How does one put warding runes in place?”</p>
<p>Kenma replied; “Similar to the runes Inuoka had littered throughout the border territory, but these may not be as obvious I suppose?”</p>
<p>Akaashi shook his head. “I imagine they’re more like effigies, or talismans.” He glanced around the group. “they could be as small as a pebble with a singular carving on them or as large as an entire wall in the interior of a house.”</p>
<p>“So we have a bit of a challenge ahead of us,” Bokuto stated, “no idea what they look like, no idea how big they are, no idea where they are…”</p>
<p>“Sounds like we’ll be busy for a fair few days, but how is this going to help Hinata?”</p>
<p>There were shared glances before Suga spoke up; “It’ll help him by finding out what happened and maybe finding the person or people responsible for the fire in the first place.”</p>
<p>“Agreed,” Kenma nodded, “we need to focus on one thing at a time. Tobio and the twins will be handling that no doubt. The best we can do is try to stay out of trouble whilst figuring this stuff out.”</p>
<p>There were nods of agreement. It seemed that despite the obvious concern they had for Hinata, they had to put their energy into something else. With that, they got ready to leave the manor. They agreed to split up into smaller groups to cover more ground and also avoid suspicion a little, they were a large group after all and there were only so many public ways to enter the old district. They made sure every group had a mage present, as Akaashi was almost certain that it would make searching easier they would be the ones to sense the warding runes easier.</p>
<p>They set off shortly afterwards, not waiting for Aone or Ushijima to officially accompany them. Shirabu led his small group of Yaku, Kunimi and Kindaichi first. He was eager to sneak in one of the lesser-known side streets of the district leaving the main street open to the others. He wasn’t overly dismissive of Akaashi’s theory, in fact it made sense to him all things considered. He wouldn’t be surprised if they found anything indicating foul play, he was more curious at who would go to such lengths and why.</p>
<p>Yaku was the more dismissive one. He was willing to go along with it but he found the undertaking of planting runes throughout an entire district almost too big. Who would have the time to do such a thing? And why would that even be remotely useful? Who was to say that they were linked to how the district burnt down? He kept these thoughts to himself as Shirabu took them down a narrow street of former homes. The ruins of carts that would’ve taken goods to market blocked most of the routes out, almost like they had been put there to keep people from running. That in itself unnerved them a little as they continued to walk into the district.</p>
<p>“So, how would a fire spread?” Kunimi asked as the silence between them got too much. “Like, I get it if the entire area was completely alight, but these buildings that were made of wood and stone are still somewhat standing after all. So what gives?”</p>
<p>Shirabu shrugged. “It was an unnatural fire by most reports. Blue fire, like, vibrant blue, is typical of an elemental mage.”</p>
<p>“Never seen Hinata--wait no.” Kunimi shook his head. “He’s used purple fire.”</p>
<p>Shirabu blinked slowly. “Purple?”</p>
<p>“Yeah.” Kunimi looked to Yaku who nodded. “We’ve seen it a few times.”</p>
<p>“Hm. So a mage would be able to do it but I’m guessing said purple fire was a result of the purple element? Blue is typically linked to either ice or lightning.”</p>
<p>There were a few moments of thought as they paused in a slightly wider street. They were in the south of the district, a part none of them had stepped in before. It felt like a mainly residential part, few storefronts seemed to take up the spaces at street level. Most of the buildings looked to have been around three stories high, though many of the top levels were nothing but splintered timber beams and open to the elements.</p>
<p>“So forgetting the blue fire for a moment, why gut the entire district?” Kindaichi asked. “If there was a quarrel between individuals, why destroy the entire place?”</p>
<p>“Because it’s a statement?” Yaku offered, peering into the shell of a former home. “Can’t single out an individual target if the entire place is razed.”</p>
<p>“But it seems like a lot of trouble and destruction for something petty.” Kindaichi gestured to a house that had completely caved in.</p>
<p>Shirabu halted in the middle of the street, trying to pick up on anything unusual aside from the general uneasiness. This part of the district felt empty as it looked, there certainly wasn’t anything like the energy Akaashi seemed to experience in the more central part. He frowned as he noticed more carts haphazardly crammed into the tiny side streets.</p>
<p>“This was all planned, no doubt about that.” Yaku gestured to the carts. “These carts wouldn’t have been placed here after the fact, they’re way too damaged for that.”</p>
<p>“So what,” Kunimi folded his arms across his chest, “they blocked off the exits?”</p>
<p>“To kill as many as possible.” Shirabu hummed.</p>
<p>“Maybe…” Kindaichi approached the carts in question. The flatbeds had all degraded and fallen through, leaving nothing but a splintered frame of what would’ve once held goods piled high. The wheels were the most intact but even they were broken to a degree. “Maybe these helped the fire spread?” He gestured to the now non-existent flatbed. “Something destroyed these carts and violently.”</p>
<p>Yaku peered over his shoulder, humming in thought. “You think they were set up to catch alight too?”</p>
<p>Kindaichi looked to the buildings either side of the cart, the walls were charred and the timber frames completely gone, leaving only cracked stone walls in their wake. By all accounts it looked like the fire had climbed the wall to the roofing.</p>
<p>“It would make sense from a fire point of view but doesn’t help our ‘solve the mystery’ quest.”</p>
<p>Shirabu hummed, it was yet another piece to add to the puzzle. He hoped maybe the others would have better luck.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Suga wasn’t sure if he really liked the idea of going into a supposedly cursed district. He followed Kiyoko’s lead, trying to shake the nerves he was experiencing as they took Kenma and Moniwa with them. He could feel the hair on the back of his neck standing on end as he looked down the wide empty street.</p>
<p>“The woman Kunimi and I encountered might be around, so be careful.” Kiyoko uttered to him as she took his hand in hers. She didn’t want to confess the was also feeling uncertain of their mission but the simple gesture of taking his hand gave her a little more courage.</p>
<p>Kenma was intrigued by the entire circumstance. Setting his eyes on the district for the first time he felt what he imagined was the weird feeling Akaashi mentioned. It was like they were being watched and it felt like the sensation that Inuoka’s portals gave off. He could see why Lev connected it to the warding runes.</p>
<p>“So, where would be your first choices of places to put such things?” He asked Moniwa.</p>
<p>“Maybe in the sewers.” Moniwa replied. “If keeping them out of the public eye was the goal.”</p>
<p>“True,” he glanced around as they left the bustling central circle behind them, “but I was thinking more along the line of the streetlights.”</p>
<p>Wooden poles were lining the street, several had broken off or been completely knocked over but a few were still sporting their iron lanterns that would’ve given off light in the darkness. Kenma walked under one and looked up at the base, he expected to find nothing as he had been checking as many as he could find.</p>
<p>As he checked what must’ve been the seventh or eighth, he found something of note.</p>
<p>“Ah, what’s this.”</p>
<p>The others stopped and joined him under the lantern, there was a thinly scratched in carving, barely noticeable unless you were looking for it.</p>
<p>“Possibly one of them?” Kiyoko offered. The lantern was out of reach of them but that wasn’t going to stop them. She nudged Suga with her elbow. “Give me a boost?”</p>
<p>After being given a boost up, Kiyoko managed to wrestle the lantern down by striking the ageing rope with her short blade. The lantern dropped down into Moniwa’s hands. Finally able to closer inspect the carving, Kenma smiled slightly.</p>
<p>“Okay, so we have a square with a triangle in it.” He remarked. “Nothing particularly special about that.”</p>
<p>“Is it a rune though?” Suga asked.</p>
<p>“Not one that’s of any interest.” He sighed. “It’s just an enchantment to light up in the dusk.”</p>
<p>Feeling slightly deflated, they set the lantern aside. It was back to walking down the street towards the plaza that was formally the trading part of the district. There were no further things of interest to them as they reached the end of the street. As the plaza opened up to them, complete with its burnt-out stalls, Kenma got a rush of sensations.</p>
<p>“Oh.” He uttered, halting where he stood. “I see.”</p>
<p>“You see what?” Kiyoko asked.</p>
<p>“What Akaashi meant.” He remarked. “There’s...something here.”</p>
<p>He started pacing around the small plaza. The buildings that fenced it in stood tall, four stories high even with their roofs collapsing in. Large window holes indicated this was a bustling residential area as well as a trading hub. The stalls that remained in the aftermath of the fire were interesting in the sense that they hadn’t degraded that much or been plundered for resources.</p>
<p>It also stood out to him because the fire started at night. So there shouldn’t have been trading going on surely? So why would there have been produce and wares left out?</p>
<p>As he came to the pile of bones Akaashi had found, he stopped. He gave them a long, pensive look. The lack of a skull was peculiar, and unsettling. What had happened to this poor soul’s head? He crouched down, wondering if there was a way to figure out how they died. The bones seemed too well piled up to be the work of the fire itself. It felt like someone had done this not just after death but after the fire.</p>
<p>“Why is this the only body we found?” He asked aloud.</p>
<p>“As opposed to…” Suga offered, “you mean there should be more?”</p>
<p>Kenma shook his head. “Even with all the destruction, this is the first body we’ve seen. And their bones are just piled here as if there was a pyre.”</p>
<p>“So, it’s odd but not conclusive?”</p>
<p>“I’m more concerned where the skull is.” Kenma stood up. “Missing skulls are never a good thing.” He glanced around the plaza. “I’m beginning to suspect this fire is just one aspect of foul player going on here.”</p>
<p>“I don’t want to be that person, but maybe the suspicions were right?” Kiyoko asked. “Maybe there were weird things occurring here?”</p>
<p>Kenma nodded. “Perhaps. I’m not going to claim the reports were false, there are mages with ill intentions everywhere after all.”</p>
<p>He wasn’t sure how to explain the odd feeling he was experiencing. Almost like he was coming to terms with unfortunate news, there was something bugging him about the idea that this fire was covering up something, it made things less clear as to why it was started. If they couldn’t hone in on what the cause was, then they were less likely to be able to help Hinata.</p>
<p>“Let’s continue poking around here.” He gestured to the plaza. “I’m convinced there’s something here.”</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>As much as it had been his idea, Akaashi wasn’t exactly happy about the idea to return to the tavern. But at the same time, he felt he needed some closure in a way. He was morbidly curious about the storeroom of bodies he had found and wanted to see if seeing it again with a clearer mind helped.</p>
<p>He took the others to the tavern without explaining much. Kuroo knew there was every chance Akaashi was trying to get both him and Bokuto to see something he had earlier. He also knew there was every chance that there was something not quite right about this tavern. Everyone had agreed that the tavern was probably picked because it was a statement to the masses, but for what cause no-one had really come up with a suggestion. Both mages and regular folk had been at the tavern that night, including the previous owner of the Lavender Hall.</p>
<p>It didn’t quite make sense if the target was mages and mages only.</p>
<p>As Bokuto saw the tavern for the first time, he understood the oppressive feeling Akaashi had spoken of, there was something dark about the tavern and it wasn’t the charred remains of the wooden structure. He was the first to enter, not caring about how the roof creaked above him. Despite the four years that had passed, he was surprised to smell the faint scent of both smoke and ale. Akaashi and Kuroo followed him in, the former trying not to direct them anywhere but equally generally heading toward the back of the building where the walls still stood and weren’t listing as much.</p>
<p>As he set his eyes on the pile of bones once more, he was overwhelmed by sorrow. He leaned against the door frame as he inhaled deeply and caught the scent that he had grown familiar with.</p>
<p>Death.</p>
<p>He could feel the heaviness in his chest as his eyes closed.</p>
<p>
  <em> Bright lights, flames, reds and oranges danced against the dark sky. Screams filled the air. There was no escape. No escape from the flames, no escape from death. Help us. Help. We don</em>
  <em>’t want to die here—</em>
</p>
<p>He snapped himself out of it. The bones hadn’t moved. The heaviness hadn’t lifted despite snapping himself out of it. He was panting a little as Kuroo stepped up beside him and took in the scene for himself. He sharply inhaled.</p>
<p>“Oh. I see.” He uttered. “You...you found these earlier didn’t you?”</p>
<p>“Yes.” Akaashi replied. “And earlier I just felt heaviness, but this time there…” he swallowed, tearing his eyes away. “I saw the fire.”</p>
<p>“And?”</p>
<p>“It was red.”</p>
<p>Kuroo inhaled sharply. “Not blue.”</p>
<p>Akaashi nodded. “There were two fires that night.”</p>
<p>Bokuto poked his head between them, seeing the pile of bodies and immediately backing away. Akaashi took that opportunity to follow suit.</p>
<p>Once in the open area of the tavern once more. Akaashi was able to shake the feeling of paranoia a little and think about what actually happened. So far, they could conclude by that vision that there had been an actual, non-magical fire of sorts that wrecked the tavern. The blue fire that many others spoke of could’ve been sparked form this same one, or it could’ve been started separately.</p>
<p>In short, there was more than a possibility that this fire was linked yet set independently. And that meant there could be more than one culprit.</p>
<p>“Alright, so should we look for a rune?” Bokuto asked. “Or are you saying this was different?”</p>
<p>Akaashi took a moment to try and focus. He could feel the veil of oppression but he couldn’t be sure that there was anything here. Nevertheless, he decided searching the tavern could provide other clues and nodded.</p>
<p>“We can do a quick search.” He replied, glancing to Kuroo. “And maybe look to see what started this fire, was it an explosion or just very hot?”</p>
<p>Kuroo nodded in agreement. “Sure, there’s time to do that.”</p>
<p>They began their search amongst the rubble of the tavern. Most of the front of the building was long gone, either from the initial explosion or from the decay of the last four years, meaning there was little to go on. What they did find was the wood had splintered as if torn away rather than simply being charred by fire.</p>
<p>“How would you make something explode Bo,” Kuroo asked out of the blue, “like, enough to make this happen?”</p>
<p>Bokuto hummed in thought. “It would require a lot of firepower.”</p>
<p>“But it’s possible without magic?”</p>
<p>Bokuto scratched his head. “I mean, yes but it would be...noticeable? Alchemy would be my bet, not strictly magical in nature, so maybe Kenma could figure something out?”</p>
<p>“Hmm. Maybe he’ll find his way here soon.”</p>
<p>Akaashi nodded, casting his gaze around the tavern once more. “In the meantime, let’s keep searching for runes.”</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Semi was starting to think that his eternal punishment was to be stuck with Lev. As much as he would’ve liked to be with the more sane and sensible group that was Suga and Kiyoko, he was with Lev, Nishinoya and Tanaka. He couldn’t really feel anything that Akaashi had described.</p>
<p>That didn’t mean there wasn’t anything. But it was frustrating to not actually being able to ‘sense’ it. Nishinoya seemed unsettled to say the least, he didn’t <em>really</em> want to be here but he had been motivated by Hinata’s blight, he was fearful for his own safety of course, but that paled in comparison to what Hinata was facing.</p>
<p>They had gone down a back street, effectively hugging the city wall as they traversed the district. It was quiet. Lev prowled ahead of them slightly, ears twitching as he made an effort to try and keep his senses about him. He could feel the draw of something, something odd yet familiar. Semi showed no inclination to tug the rope back as Lev pulled him along.</p>
<p>“What are we looking for?” Tanaka asked as they followed Lev’s direction. “Lev?”</p>
<p>Lev perked his head up, feeling a pulse of energy that hadn’t been there before. “Let’s go.”</p>
<p>Semi sighed heavily as he conceded to the other. Lev led them further into the district, further towards the back corner of the city walls where a tower was looming. They thought it was just part of the overall wall but they got closer and found it was actually attached to a building.</p>
<p>“What is this? This is fancy.” Tanaka asked, Nishinoya snorted slightly.</p>
<p>It was like a manor house but less lavish, the size itself was impressive and spoke of grandeur that would be expected from the uptown district and not the old city. Half of the upper floor of the building had been damaged by fire, but the rest of the build looked remarkably untouched from the street.</p>
<p>There was a sign above the double doors; ‘Academy of the Study of Magic.’ carved into the dark wood and embellished with a picture of a white tree.</p>
<p>“Huh.” Semi remarked as Lev tried to pull them into the building. “Hold on you imbecile.”</p>
<p>“No!”</p>
<p>Semi tugged him back harshly. “We’re just trying to make sure we don’t fucking die!”</p>
<p>Nishinoya could feel it too now; a draw of energy, like a beacon in the darkness. He stepped up next to Semi and held out a hand, sparks took hold easily enough, like the air was charged and primed for anything. He hummed softly, snapping his fingers and watching his sparks ripple against what looked like a barrier.</p>
<p>“I see.” He uttered, stepping through the barrier and beckoning the others. It was merely a field of charged energy really, nothing to keep them out or anything in, or to even hide stuff from view.</p>
<p>“Why put a barrier up?” Semi asked him as they stepped up to the double doors that lay ajar. “What’s the point?”</p>
<p>“It’s not a barrier.” Nishinoya explained, stepping into the building. “It’s a field of energy that provides more energy than just any mage individually doing it. It’s probably so the students here could always do their…things without needing to charge the room first?”</p>
<p>“Well then.” Tanaka put his hands on his hips. “Shall we explore?”</p>
<p>They were stood in what felt like a foyer, a grand staircase led up to the floors above, from one of the bannisters hung a large purple banner with a white tree on it, clearly it was the academy’s sigil. It seemed like the only building in the entire district that wasn’t burnt from the top down. It was odd in its own way, and rightfully suspicious to many degrees.</p>
<p>“I can imagine the regular folk found this odd.” Semi remarked. “And fed the anti-mage rhetoric?”</p>
<p>Nishinoya nodded. “The field of energy might’ve helped dissipate the fire or helped them fight it with elements.” He explained.</p>
<p>Lev tugged out of Semi’s grasp finally, rope dragging along the floor as he prowled around the still furnished manor. The room to their left was a library, books filled the shelves and were in many piles around the stuffed seats and plush cushions. Spent candles were gathering dust, cobwebs dangled from the ceiling. It was obvious no-one had been here in a long time. The library was remarkably untouched by fire, something that was both relieving in a way but also haunting. It seemed like everyone had just set down their books for the day and left. Nothing seemed disturbed by thieves or those coming to collect belongings. It was all just <em>there</em>.</p>
<p>“So an entire district burns down around it and this place not only manages to survive the fire, but no-one plunders it?” Semi remarked as they poked around in the other wing.</p>
<p>“I mean, if everyone thinks it’s cursed, I wouldn’t blame them.” Tanaka replied.</p>
<p>The room they found themselves in looked like it had been a study hall of sorts; several tables were laid out each with two or three chairs and tapestries and scrolls were hanging on the walls depicting magical scenes and reciting spell incantations.</p>
<p>Nishinoya had to admit, this was getting almost unsettling. He felt like this place would’ve been destroyed if the common folk really hated mages that much after the district fire. It was also the first time he was seeing an academy first-hand. If there were any in the south, he hadn’t seen them or wanted to enrol, but he felt he would’ve liked this place.</p>
<p>“Maybe that barrier had something to do with it?” Tanaka offered, rubbing the back of his neck as Nishinoya gazed up at one of the many scrolls hanging on the wall. “What do you think Noya?”</p>
<p>Nishinoya was too caught up in reading the scroll, something about it stood out to him; it was a simple motto really, but it made him smile slightly; ‘<em>A Single Instrument Can Play Ten Thousand Songs.</em>’ It made him think of Hinata and how he seemed to be able to do far more than any other mage or even person Nishinoya had come to know in his life. He snapped back to the conversation as Tanaka repeated his question, humming in thought for a few moments as he wracked his brain for any shred of knowledge about barriers.</p>
<p>“I mean, it might be possible for the barrier we encountered to have weakened over time? Like, three years ago it might’ve been able to disguise this place as completely abandoned but now it’s faltering? But that’s a hella weird barrier to put up in the first place.” He shrugged.</p>
<p>“So why has no-one touched this place?” Semi asked as Lev prowled around the room sniffing at things and inspecting the floor. “I refuse to think that the people of this city gained a conscience.”</p>
<p>“Maybe they were fearful if they were caught.” Nishinoya stated, looking at a new scroll that gave him a more uncomfortable feeling. “After all, pretty soon after the fire, the empire rounded up a load of mages and gave them an ultimatum; confess to crimes they didn’t commit or get out.”</p>
<p>As he finished his sentence, he gestured to the new scroll he was looking at, the others read the finely inked words and understood why he was pointing it out; ‘<em>Shadows Of The Past Can Become Shades Of The Present.</em>’</p>
<p>“Hm, and as no-one’s ultimately been found responsible,” Tanaka hummed, “no-one’s going to move on.”</p>
<p>Lev’s ears twitched. He raised his head from the floor for a moment, staring up at the ceiling. Semi took notice as Nishinoya eyes widened slightly. Whatever it was, both of the magically gifted beings had picked up on it. It took precisely three seconds for them both to make for the staircase in the main foyer. Tanaka and Semi were left clueless and only able to follow as Lev bounded up the stairs with Nishinoya close behind.</p>
<p>Considering the roof was slightly caved in, the top floor was in decent condition. The roof had caved in over one wing, leaving the other partly exposed but mostly intact. Compared to the rest of the district, this building had gotten off lightly; only a few of the beams were charred by fire, most of them splintered from collapsing and lay across the entire wing having broken off just before the outer wall. The floor around it was charred but not in danger of falling through.</p>
<p>Nishinoya could see what happened here to spare the building now as he examined the floor markings.</p>
<p>“Someone was here when the building caught fire.” He stated. “This beam should’ve ruined the entire floor and probably collapsed, but it didn’t.” He kicked the solid beam slightly. “They used some sort of magic to put out the fire before it spread further.”</p>
<p>“Well that’s a decent explanation as any?” Semi shrugged, wondering where Lev had ended up after going through the doorway into the undamaged wing. A brief inspection later revealed the lion had wandered into what felt like an old dormitory; rows of beds and small cupboards were laid out. Though the room was in a little poorer state than before the fire, it still felt clean. Lev himself was pawing at something under one of the beds.</p>
<p>“If I…was just a little…smaller…” He uttered, swiping frantically as his claws scraped against the wooden flooring. “Damn it!”</p>
<p>Tanaka chuckled, walking over and dropping onto his stomach and looking at what the other was trying to fish out. It looked like an old journal. With a bit of grunting and cursing, Tanaka managed to grab it and drag it out. He tried to unfasten the leather buckle that bound it shut but found it impossible. He grumbled slightly as he handed it to Nishinoya who chuckled.</p>
<p>“Ah, probably a magical binding.” He remarked. “As much as I’d love to open it, I don’t think I can.”</p>
<p>“Why not?” Tanaka pouted. “Just tear it open.”</p>
<p>Nishinoya chuckled. “Yeah, and if it’s rigged to explode into fire and lightning? Nah bro, we need to take this back and let Kenma look at it.”</p>
<p>Semi looked at the journal in Nishinoya’s hands, it was simple really and could easily be torn open by brute strength, but as Nishinoya said; it could be rigged with any number of enchantments and hexes to ward off threats. He sighed. “So you were both drawn to that?”</p>
<p>Nishinoya shook his head. “No.” He pointed to a closed-door at the other end of the room. “That’s where the pulse of energy is coming from.”</p>
<p>To Tanaka and Semi, it looked and felt like a normal door, but to Nishinoya and Lev, there was a strong pull in that direction. There was something off about it. Like it shouldn’t be there.</p>
<p>“Well, let’s bust it down and find out what it is.” Tanaka declared, striding up to the door and trying the handle first. He found the door locked. Not one to let a locked door get in the way, he tried shoulder charging it and immediately regretted it. The door pulsed an insanely bright blue as it forced him back with impressive force, sending him crashing to his butt.</p>
<p>“Okay, mages aren’t fun.” He complained, looking to Nishinoya for sympathy. “What is behind this door?”</p>
<p>Nishinoya walked up to it and placed a hand on the solid oak. There was a faint vibrating coming from beyond like a swarm of bees was waiting to burst out. He hadn’t felt anything this peculiar in a while.</p>
<p>“I don’t know, but it feels like a Hinata thing. It’s…” he frowned. “Not supposed to be here?”</p>
<p>“It’s in a mage academy, I expect a lot of things  aren’t ‘supposed’ to be here.” Semi remarked, folding his arms across his chest. “Do you think the person who stopped the fire also hid something away behind it?”</p>
<p>“Possibly.” Nishinoya wasn’t comfortable just leaving it here, but they couldn’t really do anything about it. “Let’s find the others, maybe we can put our collective heads together and figure something out.”</p>
<p>It was a good an idea as any. And so they left the mysterious door behind, taking the journal with them, and set off to find the others.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0025"><h2>25. Rising Tempers</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>XXV</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Rising Tempers</strong>
</p>
<p>Tooru wasn’t sure what exactly he was walking into. The letters from Tobio were a little vague in many aspects. All he knew was that Kei Tsukishima was involved and things had gotten complicated since. When he granted Shirabu’s request to sort out ‘family business’ and then found out the other had actually gone to the empire, Tooru faintly wondered if the court mage had been working for them all this time.</p>
<p>He quickly forgot that idea as Iwaizumi reminded him of how many times Shirabu put his ass on the line for them with various magical endeavours. Tooru’s hand rested atop the hilt of his sword, the same sword Shirabu himself had gone to extreme lengths to help him acquire.</p>
<p>There was no way Shirabu had betrayed him. The question now was, what the hell was Shirabu doing and why hadn’t he told Tooru? Their route to the northeast would take them a few days, between the slightly relaxed pace and the new territory, it was a little longer than a trip to Tobio’s kingdom.</p>
<p>It occurred to Tooru as they reached the border, that he probably should’ve sent an official writ declaring he was visiting. Then he thought, to hell with that, the empress would just have to deal with him rocking up. After all, what was the fun in telling everyone everything? He would lose the element of surprise.</p>
<p>Iwaizumi hadn’t been enamoured with the idea of leaving the relatively peaceful kingdom, but it gave the new inner council a chance to prove they could run things in their king’s absence. Between House Kyoutani and the Wolves of the Waves, the remnants of the Blue Serpents bandit operations were being stamped out efficiently and peace was being restored to the previously troubled regions of their kingdom.</p>
<p>“So why are we doing this again?” Yamamoto asked, he was unsure why his presence was required. He was just the city guard, yet Iwaizumi had been adamant for him to join them on this trip. “Like I get wanting to help Tobio, but didn’t you say you’d rather not get involved?”</p>
<p>Tooru nodded. “I did. But this is about a more personal thing now.” He hadn’t strictly told anyone about his desire to see Kei’s head on a pike, he told Iwaizumi everything of course and how he wasn’t going to let the bastard slip away again.</p>
<p>“So…what’s the plan when we get there?”</p>
<p>Tooru smiled. “I demand an immediate audience with the Empress.” He shrugged. “What happens when she turns me down will remain a mystery until it happens.”</p>
<p>Yamamoto exchanged a glance with Iwaizumi who shrugged. Whichever way the cards fell, it would certainly be a meeting to remember for all parties involved.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Tobio was quick to demand a private meeting with Yachi. As much as he wanted to trust the twins, he needed to get his feelings across to her loud and clear before any further ‘political games’ could ensue. She was quick to accept. He took Asahi with him this time, leaving Yamaguchi and Daichi to watch over Inuoka. He didn’t let any of the pomp and pageantry get to him as he strode through the place to the same study he met her in previously. Asahi nodded to him in reassurance as the guardsman took up his post outside the door. Tobio rapped his knuckles on the wood, waiting for the soft voice to reply with permission to enter.</p>
<p>He expected her to be sat in front of the fire but she was standing, he was startled at how short she was, but quickly pushed that aside as the door closed behind him.</p>
<p>“I know why you’re here.” She stated, expression set in an almost sympathetic smile. “And I am sorry.”</p>
<p>“Well, you can make it up to me by releasing him,” Tobio replied curtly.</p>
<p>“I cannot.” She shook her head, smile fading.</p>
<p>He wasn’t going to drop this. If she wasn’t going to release Hinata then she needed to explain what the deal is. “Okay, so now what? What are you going to do to him?”</p>
<p>“Nothing.” She stepped forward. “Tobio, I promise, no harm will—”</p>
<p>“You can’t even control your own court from what I’ve heard. Who’s to say Kei isn’t fucking with him as we speak?”</p>
<p>Her eyes widened as she shook her head again. “Because <em>Kei</em> has nothing to do with it. This is Akiteru’s work.”</p>
<p>Tobio was getting very tired of all these different motives and schemes. He ran a hand through his hair, tugging slightly before setting both hands on his hips. “Fine. Then what do I do? Say the word and I can have one of the Brotherhood slit their throats.”</p>
<p>“Gods no. Tobio that’s <em>insane</em>.”</p>
<p>“So is arresting my mage without a fair trial!” He snapped. “You may not be aware of this, but before he was my mage, he was part of the Brotherhood. He was part of a<em> guild of assassins.</em> He still <em>is </em>part of them and several of them have already mulled over how to retaliate.”</p>
<p>He wasn’t strictly serious, but he knew certain members of the Brotherhood wouldn’t let this sit forever. The fact the Miya twins had them doing other things to keep them from doing anything stupid was beside the point. He needed Yachi to know he was serious. He needed to bluff.</p>
<p>“So, may I strongly advise that you act quickly to fix this before something unfortunate happens to any guard who happens to stand in the way?”</p>
<p>She sighed, turning away from him. There was a brief pause where she seemed to mull over her thoughts. “The court will not convene to discuss the treaties right now.”</p>
<p>“Why not?”</p>
<p>“Because most see no issue with them.”</p>
<p>“I don’t care, I demand—”</p>
<p>“<em>You </em>demand nothing.” She snapped. “In their eyes you are a petulant child who knows nothing about how to run a single kingdom, let alone an amalgamation of seven.”</p>
<p>He puffed out his chest, letting out a sarcastic laugh. “Oh yeah? I forged an alliance with my neighbouring kingdom and we won a battle that threatened to wipe us both out despite the numbers stacked against us. I think that’s grounds for a shred of respect.”</p>
<p>“You won that battle because of your rogue mages.” She uttered, glancing back at him. “And they know that. You have barely proved yourself capable Tobio. Believe me, they won’t accept many accolades.”</p>
<p>He felt like she was speaking from experience as her eyes welled up with tears. He said nothing for a few moments, trying to weigh up what he knew he had to do versus what his conscience begged him to. He had to be the king his kingdom needed. A king had to be ruthless, protective of everyone under their banner, willing to make hard choices for the good of the kingdom. A king threatened other kingdoms and rulers in order to remain in power, in control, traded lives like poker chips for the benefit of his people.</p>
<p>A tyrannical king got things done. But he didn’t want to be a tyrant. That wasn’t who he wanted to be. That wasn’t who Hinata saved on that battlefield.</p>
<p>He sighed heavily, rubbing the back of his neck. “Alright. You told me the Miya twins can help fix everything. Can they persuade the court to convene to let me argue for Hinata’s release?”</p>
<p>There was a pause before she let out a shaky breath. “Maybe. Atsumu has a way with words. But Akiteru won’t like it.”</p>
<p>“Then I’ll get him to do that. And when he does, I want to be present.” He was demanding a lot, he knew that. But he needed to let his stubbornness be useful this one time.</p>
<p>“Fine. But I can’t promise they’ll be enamoured with your presence.” She replied bluntly. “Now I’d advise you to return to the manor.”</p>
<p>Tobio wasn’t sure why she seemed so cold today. She held herself stiffly, not keeping eye contact for more than a few seconds. He gave her a long look, almost taking her up on that advice before deciding that no, he was here for answers.</p>
<p>“Why?”</p>
<p>She opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by the door opening. He turned to see Akiteru there, he seemed surprised once again at Tobio’s presence but there was something new in the way he smiled.</p>
<p>“Ah.” He left the door open, almost implying Tobio should leave. “You again.”</p>
<p>“Yes.” Tobio uttered. “And what do you want? We’re in the middle of a private conversation.”</p>
<p>Akiteru smiled sweetly. He was taller than Tobio and thus naturally looked down upon him. “Really? Well consider it over.”</p>
<p>“And who are you to say?”</p>
<p>“Who are you to challenge me?” Akiteru remarked. “If I’m not mistaken, you’re a guest in this city, you have no power here.”</p>
<p>Tobio wanted to bite back that he was hardly a guest when Hinata was in their dungeon right now. Something stopped him though as he glared at Akiteru. It was like he was glaring at Kei, the same smug smile being given back to him. He remembered how Kei would rile him up like this just to get him to drop his guard.</p>
<p>Well that wasn’t happening here.</p>
<p>“You’re not gonna get rid of me that easily. Not entirely.” He stated defiantly before nodding to Yachi. “I’ll be in touch.”</p>
<p>He turned on his heel and strode out of the room, Asahi quickly falling in step with him as he continued towards the doors of the palace. He was fuming. He was ready to draw blood if he had to. But his patience would hold, for now, he had to keep himself calm for Hinata’s sake.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>As the Brotherhood reassembled to share notes, there was a disconcerting number of loose ends. Whilst there were several clues to tie together in regard to the fire, none of them really explained anything. Akaashi was troubled most about the idea of there being two different fires that had separate origins, and that was before Nishinoya spoke about this weird door in an apparent academy.</p>
<p>Shirabu’s attention was instantly piqued. He felt memories flood back to him as Nishinoya and Tanaka took turns to describe this academy and its weird state of being untouched. He remembered this academy being a thing but he also remembered how it was shrouded in rumour and mystery.</p>
<p>“So it was an academy for mages but you didn’t attend?” Nishinoya clarified.</p>
<p>“Nope.” Shirabu shook his head. “My powers were barely considered ‘magic’ at the time. Most just thought I was proficient in alchemy. But I knew several others who went and  heard enough stories about it to know I probably would’ve hated it.”</p>
<p>“How so?” Akaashi asked.</p>
<p> Shirabu shifted in his sitting position on the floor of the parlour. “There was a lot of childish shit, competitions between elementals and empaths alike. Those who didn’t fit into either camp were often caught in the crossfire from what I heard.”</p>
<p>“Sounds…toxic.” Akaashi murmured. “Guess you’re glad you never went.”</p>
<p>Shirabu shrugged. “Sorta. Might’ve been nice to actually have someone teach me how to use my powers more effectively,” he glanced down at his hands, “anyway, so in light of that, when the fires happened the blame was shoved onto the academy. I don’t remember because well I got hauled off that night. Next time I saw anything of the city was when I was being broken out by the Miya family guards.”</p>
<p>Daichi hummed in thought, the guild was quiet as they mulled it over. The bones found, the fire damage, the carts piled up in the streets, the tavern blast. It all felt connected but at the same time, it didn’t. They were missing something.</p>
<p>Semi inhaled sharply. “I think, I’ll go and ask Kei what he thinks happened.”</p>
<p>“What?” Kuroo gave him an almost alarmed look. “Why?”</p>
<p>Semi snorted. “Well, let’s face it, you’re all thinking he had something to do with it right? So if I go and ask him innocently, like the tourist I am, about the fire, surely he’ll have <em>something</em> to say. He might just slip up and give me the missing piece of the puzzle.”</p>
<p>As much as Kuroo loathed to admit it, Semi had a point. He nodded. “Go on then.”</p>
<p>Semi snorted. “Alright, I’ll go tell him I need more information on how to…” he trailed off, remembering he hadn’t actually told Kuroo and Akaashi about his ‘mission’. “How to find out about the Brotherhood’s activities.”</p>
<p>Daichi and Suga glanced at each other as Semi picked his way through those sitting on the floor. He didn’t hang around, already leaving to seek out the Tsukishima manor. As he left, Tobio returned, fury etched onto his face and making everyone else wonder what the hell had happened at the palace. Asahi sighed heavily as the king stormed upstairs, he shot the guild an apologetic smile as he strode over and loosely explained that Yachi seemed ‘different’ and determined that Tobio couldn’t do anything to sway her judgement.</p>
<p>“So now we have to wait for Atsumu and Osamu to aid us.” Asahi finished with a sigh. “And Tooru.”</p>
<p>“Tooru?” Daichi repeated. “Tooru is coming?”</p>
<p>“Apparently.” Asahi shrugged. “He left a few days ago, should be here soon.”</p>
<p>“Geez,” Kunimi chuckled, “can’t wait for this to explode. Do you think there’ll be a banquet again?”</p>
<p>“I hope not for your sake,” Kindaichi snorted, “you got wasted on the wine.”</p>
<p>“That’s <em>why</em> I want another one.”</p>
<p>There was a shared chuckle at Kunimi’s willingness to drink what most of the others hated. As much as the break from the intense thinking was appreciated, they still needed to get to the bottom of the strange journal Lev found. Akaashi and Kenma both inspected the fastening that appeared normal at first glance but it quickly became apparent that it was indeed sealed with magic.</p>
<p>“So how do you open it?” Kuroo asked as Akaashi scowled at it.</p>
<p>“You don’t, not unless you know the enchantment placed on it.” Akaashi uttered, handing it back to Kenma. “Do you know any disarming charms?”</p>
<p>Kenma turned the leather journal over a few times, running his fingertips over the tightly bound leather. He wrinkled his nose as he thought. “There is one, but it’s quite weak, so if this belonged to a mage who was of greater power than me…who knows what will happen.”</p>
<p>Nishinoya held out a hand to take it back, he then immediately handed it to Shirabu. “What about you, know anything about journals?”</p>
<p>Shirabu scoffed slightly at how broad that question sounded. He looked down at the fastened buckle and hummed softly. “It’s possible that there is a failsafe. Like a command or chant that might unlock it in an emergency? Of course we could just cut it open and deal with the consequences.”</p>
<p>Most of this was going over everyone else’s heads, so he set it down and returned to discussing the fires. Distantly, they could hear Tobio ranting at Yamaguchi and Inuoka upstairs. It didn’t sound like the meeting with the empress was going to yield much. So they were going to have to rely on themselves and their few allies.</p>
<p>Maybe a chaotic encounter with Tooru wouldn’t go amiss after all.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Semi didn’t waste any time, he was at the Tsukishima residence within the hour and striding through the hallways of plants to Kei’s little study. Kei was there of course, like the housekeeper said. He was more confident this time around, he knew how Kei liked to keep his secrets close and not reveal his cards. He also knew Kei could be an arrogant asshole.</p>
<p>“Hey, so uh minor issue,” He didn’t even greet the other as he strode into the room. Kei glanced up from the book he was writing in and gave him a sceptical glance.</p>
<p>“Yeah? What’s that?”</p>
<p>“Well, Hinata got thrown in jail so they’ve all gone very…like…vendetta-like.” He was actually telling the truth as well which made it so much more rewarding when Kei raised an eyebrow in surprise.</p>
<p>“Really? How’d he manage that?”</p>
<p>“Fucked if I know, do you?”</p>
<p>Kei snorted. “You don’t break a treaty and get away with it.”</p>
<p>That told Semi that it wasn’t Kei’s interference that landed Hinata in the dungeon, something he should remember to tell the others. “Huh. Well anyway, so they’ve been splitting up a lot, but not wondering alone enough for me to land a hit on Akaashi.” He shrugged. “And they keep going into this old burnt out district?”</p>
<p>Kei set his quill down, linking his fingers together as he propped his elbows on the desk. “Burnt out district?”</p>
<p>“Yeah? I…do you know what happened? Seems really wrecked.” Semi played it cool, waiting to see how Kei would react. “They split up when they enter, dunno what they’re up to.”</p>
<p>Kei hummed. “They might be looking for an entrance into the dungeons.” He murmured. “There are some tunnels that link to the palace but you’d be suicidal to use them.”</p>
<p>Semi nodded along, he had a lot of experience playing dumb to amuse others. “Oh? Uh, well what happened to the district?”</p>
<p>Kei smiled. That in itself seemed off to Semi as most people reacted with either despair or anger at the subject, not humour. “It’s tragic isn’t it?”</p>
<p>Semi wasn’t sure where <em>this</em> was going. “Uh…kind of? Depends what happened?”</p>
<p>“Those who were careless with their gifts got taught a valuable lesson,” Kei kept his gaze on Semi as his words hung in the air, “but equally, those who followed the rules were reminded how cruel the world can be.”</p>
<p>Semi raised an eyebrow. There was an unwelcome feeling stirring in his stomach, he didn’t tend to get nervous but this was getting unsettling. “Okay, that’s not very…insightful?”</p>
<p>“There was an explosion followed by a mage going rogue.”</p>
<p>That was rather blunt, to the point, and considering there apparently hadn’t been any solid evidence or explanation given to the common people; a little suspicious. Semi nodded along still.</p>
<p>“So you know what…I mean how it happened?”</p>
<p>“Well, yes.” Kei shrugged. “I can see it happen whenever I need to be reminded of it.”</p>
<p>Semi wasn’t sure what he meant by that, and it was obvious that Kei knew that. He smiled sweetly, it almost made Semi wonder if he smiled so innocently when he had been messing with Tobio.</p>
<p>“Walk with me Eita.” Kei stood up from his desk. “I’ll show you what happened.”</p>
<p>Regardless of whether he truly wanted to or not, Semi nodded and fell in step with the other. He followed Kei’s lead as they left the manor, he hoped none of the others were taking another trip into the old district as Kei seemed to make a beeline for it. It was the middle of the afternoon so there were many people still around. He expected Kei to ignore everyone he walked by, but he was surprised to see the other nod politely and even exchange greetings with any tradesman or common folk who extended them to him.</p>
<p>They were soon in the old district, the empty buildings shielding them from curious eyes. He started to wonder if he was about to be jumped by hired thugs or something equally nefarious. However they ended up at the front of the blown-up tavern without incident. He swallowed as Kei gazed up at the roof beams sticking out where they previously connected to the outer wall.</p>
<p>“We’re here.” He stated, kneeling on the floor and gesturing for Semi to join him. With only slight hesitation, Semi followed the gesture and waited to see what weird magic he was about to be subjected to. He found his hand being taken, and then he was surrounded by illusions; like a veil had been pulled back to reveal shimmering images of the past.</p>
<p>
  <em>It was night-time, the tavern was bustling. Mages and regular folk alike drank and ate together. Music was being provided by bards, the happy tunes echoing into the night as people danced with drinks in hand. It was a merry atmosphere, no-one seemed to be suspecting anything. Most were already on their way to being drunk.</em>
</p>
<p>He turned to look at Kei, his eyes were closed and a calm expression graced his face. Looking past him, Semi could see more of the illusion.</p>
<p><em>A cart ladened with crates was outside, two guards were looking at it with puzzled expressions whilst exchanging comments he couldn</em><em>’t hear. After a few moments they appeared distracted by something out of sight, both of them immediately setting off and leaving the cart unattended</em>.</p>
<p>“What’s in the cart?” He asked.</p>
<p>“You’ll see.” Kei replied without even opening his eyes.</p>
<p>Semi swallowed as he saw a cloaked figure approach the cart.</p>
<p><em>Red wisps took hold around their fingers before they slipped something from their pocket to the cart and then made a hasty retreat. He felt Kei</em>'s<em> hand tighten around his as the noise from the tavern got louder, the laughter, clinking of tankards ringing out.</em></p>
<p>
  <em>Then all at once, the scene brightened and an overwhelming cacophony of wood splintering, people screaming and glass shattering hit him. The cart exploded, ripping the crates apart and sending dust into the air. The dust caught alight as the explosion ripped the front of the tavern off. Screams filled the air as the smoke began to rise.</em>
</p>
<p>He ripped his hand away, a sharp pang pulsing in his head as he did so. The illusion disappeared immediately, he was panting as he hunched over, trying to work out what the hell he just witnessed and why Kei seemed far too calm about it all. His expression was void of emotion, indifferent even with everything they just witnessed.</p>
<p>“I thought you would’ve seen just as bad in the Serpents.” He remarked, slapping Semi on the back.</p>
<p>“You said these people deserved this?!” Semi exploded, shoving his hand away. “Are you fucking—”</p>
<p>“Insane? Probably.” Kei shrugged, standing up. “Wouldn’t be the first to accuse me of such things. Won’t be the last.”</p>
<p>Semi shook his head. “So do you know who—”</p>
<p>“It was clearly a mage.” Kei shrugged again. “But it was before my time back here. I was in the south when this happened.”</p>
<p>“Right.” Semi was still reeling from the effect of seeing such things. If this was what Kei did on a regular basis, no wonder he was a little disconnected from reality. “So why, why haven’t they rebuilt this place?”</p>
<p>Kei gazed up at the taller buildings, their blackened shells dominated the skyline. “It’s a reminder of what happens when mages like Hinata are left unchecked. A reminder that mages are dangerous, that they’re a blemish on this empire when left without proper supervision.”</p>
<p>“But <em>you</em><em>’re</em> a mage—”</p>
<p>“A mage who was basically told that he was worth nothing because he couldn’t make fire appear from air.” He uttered as he glanced back at the ruined tavern. “A mage who no-one took seriously.”</p>
<p>Semi nodded. “I know how that feels.”</p>
<p>“You do?” Kei gave him a puzzled look. “How?”</p>
<p>Semi shrugged as he staggered to his feet. “The Serpents were the same, if you didn’t do certain things…gutting milkmaids, kidnapping whores…you know, the real bad shit, if you didn’t do it then you’d be branded a weaker man. You’d be regarded as a freak.”</p>
<p>Kei held his gaze for a moment, Semi wondered if he was about to have his mind fucked, but there was no sensation of being screwed with.</p>
<p>“Maybe I was wrong to think you and I weren’t so alike.” Kei murmured. “In any case, he dusted his hands off, “kill Akaashi, and then maybe I can find you a place in our manor for you.”</p>
<p>The abrupt end to the conversation left Semi feeling confused. He remained standing outside the tavern as the other left without another word. The images played in his mind as he had a moment to think.</p>
<p>Bokuto had been right in his conclusion that something had been set up to explode, the question now was who and why. If Kei was really out of the city when it happened, who did that leave?</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0026"><h2>26. A Working Theory</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>XXVI</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>A Working Theory</strong>
</p>
<p>Akaashi decided to sit with the journal alone for a while, asking everyone else to politely leave him to ponder how to open such a thing. As he sat on a bed in an empty room, he let his mind clear of trivial matters. His fingertips ran over the fastened buckle as he inhaled deeply. He tried to figure out if it was as simple as a ward or verbal lock or something more complicated.</p>
<p>Whilst the journal gave away no secrets, he felt something else calling to him.</p>
<p>Someone’s voice. His ears could not hear, but his mind and soul could. He exhaled slowly, pushing the journal away and clasping his hands together to ground himself. There was a familiarity in the voice, an urge to protect, a strong connection of camaraderie. He focused on the feeling that the voice conveyed, subtle panic but mostly curiosity. Was it a spirit? No that wasn’t it. He reached out more, trying to identify the voice. They were far away but in the city still. He wondered if a ghost from the district was trying to contact him.</p>
<p>There was a fiery warmth to them, something stronger lingered beneath the flames. He let out a low hum as he tried to dig deeper. Without warning, the thundering roar of a dragon shook him to his core. His eyes flew open.</p>
<p>In front of him, floating in mid-air, purple wisps had taken the form of a dragon no larger than a large house cat. A very specific dragon. A dragon that had been summoned above a battlefield less than a month previously. His mind told him that dragon was long dead so it left only one other person.</p>
<p>“Hinata?” He exclaimed.</p>
<p>The dragon screeched. He wasn’t sure what the hell was going on but he decided to try and focus again. He reached out a hand and the purple wisps took hold, wrapping around his fingertips and tightening like leather bindings. All at once, his mind’s eye could see the prison cell. He felt like he was in two places at once and he wasn’t sure how it was happening.</p>
<p>“<em>Oh? Did it work?</em>” Hinata’s voice was in his head.</p>
<p><em>‘Yes it did. Whatever it is</em>.’</p>
<p>There was a feeling of alarm from the other as he sat upright. Akaashi had to try hard not to think too much too quickly as Hinata’s voice was coming through loudly.</p>
<p>“<em>Akaashi! Oh gods I</em><em>’m so glad it worked. Listen, I need you to tell Tobio to get me out of here. There’s another mage here who has been here like four years and I can’t take that!</em>”</p>
<p>Akaashi inhaled sharply.</p>
<p>
  <em>‘He’s trying. It’s not really working very well. What happened?’</em>
</p>
<p>Hinata shuffled on the bed, Akaashi could see the stone walls and the door that had a tiny window in it. He really was in the dungeons of the palace. Though they didn’t seem very well built in the sense that a well-placed bolt of lightning could splinter the wood outright.</p>
<p>“<em>The empress said there had been a complaint but that I was really being arrested because of the treaty.</em>”</p>
<p>Akaashi let out a sigh. He wasn’t sure what he should tell Hinata, the fire in the old city wasn’t going to help the other. Then again, there were a few small details that might help.</p>
<p><em>‘Tooru is on his way apparently. So maybe he’ll have some sway, or him and Tobio together with the twins can try and hold Kei accountable for what he’s done. Tanaka also suggested kidnapping Kei in exchange for you</em>.’</p>
<p>Hinata shook his head, making Akaashi feel sick for a moment. “<em>It</em><em>’s Akiteru who pulls the strings. He’s the one you need</em>.”</p>
<p>Akaashi sighed again.</p>
<p>
  <em>‘I’ll see what these twins have to say about this. They might be able to negotiate something, even just a visit from Tobio.’</em>
</p>
<p>He sensed a familiar feeling, one of longing. He smiled to himself as he remembered the conversation the two had shared.</p>
<p>
  <em>‘Do you need anything else?’</em>
</p>
<p>“<em>No. Other than to get me out of here</em><em>…</em>”</p>
<p>
  <em>‘We’re trying out best. Have faith. One way or another we’ll get you out.’</em>
</p>
<p>Hinata nodded. “<em>Thank you Akaashi</em>.”</p>
<p>The purple wisps dissipated, dragon fading into nothingness. Akaashi opened his eyes and blinked a few times. From downstairs he heard the doors burst open and Semi’s irritated tone rose through the building. Something was amiss. Without considering it, he stood up and went to investigate. Semi was downstairs ranting and raving about how insane Kei was, none of the others were trying to disagree nor were they trying to pry.</p>
<p>As Akaashi entered the parlour, Semi abruptly stopped.</p>
<p>“Can I talk to you?”</p>
<p>That succeeded in arousing suspicion. Akaashi nodded, letting Semi usher him into the dining hall and close the door. Finding himself alone with the person who tried to kill him twice, Akaashi wasn’t sure what to expect.</p>
<p>“Listen, I know you did some weird magic once to get rid of Tobio’s memories.” Semi wasn’t even trying to play it cool, his eyes were wide with disbelief and fear as he gestured wildly to the air. “I need, can you…” he shook his head. “Kei made me see some shit I don’t wanna see.”</p>
<p>Akaashi processed the information and chose his words carefully.</p>
<p>“I got rid of Tobio’s false memories, yes. He still has some lingering sensations and nightmares though.” He stated. “But to do that I took them on myself. I still relive them occasionally.”</p>
<p>Semi deflated slightly, he remembered Daichi and Suga explaining this to him already. “Oh. Ah. Right.”</p>
<p>“So depending on what he made you see—”</p>
<p>“No. No no no.” Semi put his hands out in front of him to try and distance himself from Akaashi. “No you don’t wanna see.”</p>
<p>Akaashi hadn’t seen Semi rattled to this extent before, it was oddly satisfying but he quickly abandoned that thought as Semi let out a long, heavy sigh. The other launched into an explanation about how he had been taken to the old city district by Kei and ‘shown’ what happened on the night everything burnt down. Akaashi listened intently as he got more and more worked up and less in his explanation.</p>
<p>As Semi finished with another sigh, Akaashi took it as his cue to do something about it. He reached out and placed a hand on Semi’s head.</p>
<p>“Just breathe.”</p>
<p>Semi’s outstretched hands lowered slowly as Akaashi projected a calm, safe feeling. Soon his breathing slowed and his shoulders relaxed as Akaashi remained silent.</p>
<p>“Better?”</p>
<p>Semi nodded. “Yeah, yeah…”</p>
<p>There was a small smile from Akaashi. “Okay,” he pulled his hand away, giving Semi a few moments to come back to himself, “so Kei’s showing his true colours.”</p>
<p>“If that’s how you wanna say he’s <em>completely insane</em>, then yeah.” Semi scoffed. “Like he didn’t seem the least bit concerned about the whole fire. Just like it was a natural occurrence.”</p>
<p>Akaashi hummed in thought, folding his arms across his chest. “But he wasn’t in the city when it happened, so he couldn’t have done it.”</p>
<p>Semi let out a huff. “Four years is still quite short.”</p>
<p>“Yet not.” Akaashi sighed. “Four years can feel like an eternity in some circles.”</p>
<p>“I mean, what’s happened in four years?”</p>
<p>Akaashi raised an eyebrow. Two princes had become kings, the entire north had risen to try and overthrow one of them, an alliance had been formed between two kingdoms and that was just the political side of things. Though it did get him thinking.</p>
<p>“Four years ago…” Akaashi hummed, where was he four years ago? Where were any of them four years ago? The Brotherhood hadn’t officially formed, Kuroo and Daichi had probably only just met in a tavern, the rest of those he would come to know as his second family were all still in their former lives dealing with their struggles and cards that fate dealt them. Suga was still living in his village, Bokuto in Kōshi, Yaku in Kitamine. Both Kindaichi and Kunimi were living in Tanishiti in the Blue Palace before Kunimi got accused of treason.</p>
<p>Realisation struck him.</p>
<p>“Wait.”</p>
<p>Semi was all ears. “What?”</p>
<p>Akaashi tore out of the room, heading into the parlour where the rest of the Brotherhood and Shirabu had convened to exchange notes. Since he left with the journal, nothing much had happened; most had sprawled out a little on the floor in more comfortable positions as they tossed ideas back and forth. Moniwa was taking notes diligently as he always did as the conversation twisted and turned with each new thought brought forth.</p>
<p>Akaashi didn’t greet anyone as he walked in, his gaze moving around the room until he spotted Kunimi. “Akira,”</p>
<p>Kunimi raised an eyebrow from where he was slouched against the end of the wooden bench examining a throwing knife. “What?”</p>
<p>“Four years ago, what happened in the Blue Palace?”</p>
<p>Kunimi wrinkled his nose, turning over his blade. The rest of the Brotherhood were clueless to Akaashi’s train of thought, merely waiting for Kunimi to answer.</p>
<p>“Uh Tooru would’ve been nearly fifteen…” he huffed in thought as he held the blade in one hand and waved the point around. “Uh, Hayato was king, there was a lot of chatter about his sudden attitude change…oh.” His eyes widened. “Oh shit.”</p>
<p>“What is it?” Daichi glanced between the two of them.</p>
<p>“House Oikawa attacked House Kageyama.” Kunimi stated. “Which we all know was done because someone pressured Tooru’s father into it.”</p>
<p>Akaashi nodded, looking to Shirabu. “His journals said something about a mysterious scout with empath powers, right?”</p>
<p>It seemed to click in Shirabu’s mind. “Oh my god.”</p>
<p>“Can someone explain this for the rest of us who aren’t so good at remembering this shit?” Tanaka asked, getting a slight scowl from Suga for the blasé wording.</p>
<p>Akaashi chewed on his bottom lip as he thought for a moment, hands fidgeting as the pieces slotted together. “Alright, but this is just a theory right now.”</p>
<p>“We’ll take it.” Daichi nodded.</p>
<p>“So, given what Semi just told me and what we’ve slowly picked up on over the past two years, here’s what I think has happened;” he took a deep breath. “A little over four years ago, Akiteru Tsukishima travelled to House Oikawa’s kingdom. He shows up in Hayato Oikawa’s court and is eager to impress. Through determination and hard work, he gains the trust of the king to the point where he’s noted as a scout.”</p>
<p>“Which is documented in the journals I read.” Shirabu added.</p>
<p>Akaashi nodded. “As he gained the trust of the king, I theorise that he started using his powers to…suggest things.” He wasn’t really sure <em>what</em> Akiteru did but he knew what it resulted in. “Hayato Oikawa sends him and a unit of soldiers to House Kageyama. We know what happened next so I’ll cut to my point; Akiteru was the one who fabricated the lie about the eruption that was fed to everyone else, probably paid off the guards in the process.”</p>
<p>“So that explains…well, <em>that</em>.” Bokuto’s brow furrowed in thought. “Tobio had fled the city and wouldn’t be heard from for two years—”</p>
<p>“Just long enough for Akiteru to return here.” Akaashi cut in, flashing a glance to Semi. “You said that Kei told you he wasn’t here when the fire happened.”</p>
<p>“Y-Yeah, didn’t say where he was.” Semi shrugged.</p>
<p>Akaashi nodded. “Akiteru returned here, Kei left. They swapped places effectively. At least that’s how I’m seeing it.”</p>
<p>“Kei didn’t…Kei wasn’t part of the Blue Palace’s official staff when I arrived.” Shirabu shook his head. “So where did he go?”</p>
<p>Daichi raised a hand. “Tobio met Kei in the wilderness didn’t he?”</p>
<p>“That’s what he says. Without asking Yamaguchi and Asahi directly, we won’t really know.” Akaashi said. “I’ll admit, this is the vaguest part of the theory. But it’s the only way I could see how there’s a Tsukishima in both the north and the south. And I think Akiteru is more involved in this than we first thought.”</p>
<p>There was a pause as everyone mulled over Akaashi’s theory. The obvious question now was <em>why were they doing all this in the first place? </em>What happened in the empire didn’t need to affect the other kingdoms, but Akiteru seemed to have gone out of his way to get them involved. Why? What was his grand ambition here? Was Kei in on it the entire time?</p>
<p>“Okay. But that doesn’t explain much beyond what we knew already,” Tanaka shrugged, “they’re dangerous.”</p>
<p>Kuroo and Daichi exchanged a glance. The former spoke up first; “They are, but this is…” he leaned forward, “this isn’t just a one kingdom thing, or an inter-kingdom thing.”</p>
<p>“We’re talking about two brothers wreaking havoc on the entire western realm.” Daichi summarised. “And if we kick this hornet’s nest, this could bring a lot of unwelcome attention to us. We wouldn’t be able to go back to how things were before. This would expose us to the entire empire as we know it and perhaps beyond. ”</p>
<p>It was a solemn statement from their leader, but Daichi wasn’t one to mince words.</p>
<p>“I mean,” Kunimi snorted, “we’re in this deep already.” He sat up properly as he dropped his uncaring act. “Hinata is currently in trouble and the only way we’re gonna be able to get him out and stop him being regarded as a criminal is by exposing all of this.” He glanced to Kenma for some show of solidarity. “I’m prepared to boot this hornet’s nest into the ravine.”</p>
<p>Kenma nodded. “Likewise. None of us knew how big this was going to get, but he’s still one of us. I’m not going to abandon him.”</p>
<p>Shirabu shook his head slightly. “Tobio doesn’t know any of this, does he?”</p>
<p>“Unlikely.” Akaashi stated. “Until now, until Semi encountered Kei in the same way Tobio did, there was nothing to indicate he was part of a duo. Akiteru hasn’t shown all his cards to anyone but Kei. And that is what we’re going to play off now.”</p>
<p>“I assume,” Kiyoko met his gaze, “that means you have another plan?”</p>
<p>Akaashi nodded, sighing heavily. “Tetsurou, you’re not gonna like it.”</p>
<p>There was a sarcastic chuckle before Kuroo replied; “That’s not what anyone wants to hear their lover say Keiji.”</p>
<p>Akaashi shrugged. “But I’m the only one who can do it.”</p>
<p>Semi looked back and forth between the two. The rest of the room didn’t seem in a hurry to interrupt the conversation to explain anything. Akaashi slowly met Semi’s gaze, slate-grey eyes didn’t give anything away, but a strange feeling rose up within him as he found himself unable to look away.</p>
<p>“Keiji, don’t.” Kuroo’s voice broke the silence. He rose from his seat and firmly grabbed Akaashi’s hand. Semi watched as Kuroo shepherded Akaashi out of the room, the door slamming shut before footsteps on the stairs indicated they were going to be having a much more private conversation.</p>
<p>“I…don’t get it?”</p>
<p>There was a collective sigh before Bokuto stood up and beckoned Semi to follow him. They were outside within a few steps, leaving behind the claustrophobic room and the heightened tension left in Kuroo’s absence.</p>
<p>“So Kei showed you part of what happened,” Bokuto cut to the point quickly, “And I think Keiji is suggesting he tries to read Kei’s thoughts in order to find out the rest, starting with what he showed you.”</p>
<p>Even Semi could understand Kuroo’s reaction. That sounded like an insane plan. “After everything that was just said? Is he mad?!”</p>
<p>Bokuto laughed weakly, rubbing the back of his neck. “He’s Keiji. He’s always a little outlandish with his plans.”</p>
<p>“I mean I know he said he took Tobio’s memories but reading Kei’s? That’s a disaster waiting to happen.”</p>
<p>“Yep. But with Hinata out of our reach, he’s the next most powerful mage we have. And he has a bone to pick with Kei anyway, so he’d see it as an efficient way to deal with the problem.”</p>
<p>Semi shook his head. He couldn’t let Akaashi anywhere near Kei, not when he knew Kei had a grudge large enough that he wanted Akaashi dead. That was aside from all the horror stories of empath mages planting memories and dragging up bad ones. He shook his head again, more resolute.</p>
<p>“No, no he can’t.” He told Bokuto. “No I’d rather have Kei show me everything all over again than let him walk into that shitstorm.”</p>
<p>Bokuto gave him an almost fond look, like he was caught between asking what had caused this sudden change of heart and accepting Semi’s determination. He let out a loud sigh. “Hopefully Tooru’s arrival will ruffle enough feathers so it doesn’t come to that. If what Keiji thinks is true, then seeing Tooru might catch Akiteru off guard enough that he fucks up.”</p>
<p>“How long will he be?”</p>
<p>“I’d say…two days?” Bokuto shot him a reassuring smile. “We got this Eita. Just gotta keep our cool.”</p>
<p>Semi snorted at the use of his first name, but he mirrored the smile.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Tobio didn’t have to wait long for the twins to act. He spent most of the afternoon ranting at Yamaguchi and Inuoka in his room about how this entire situation was stupid. He had heard raised voices from downstairs and then further along the corridor that sounded like Kuroo lecturing someone, but he didn’t really care about that right now. He was fuming at the way Yachi had spoken to him.</p>
<p>He was not a petulant child. He was a king. A king who had seized his kingdom back from the brink of fading into memory. A king who had rallied what few soldiers he could behind his name and marched to face the threat that had appeared to them. A king who stood by his ally in battle and help end an uprising before it was too late.</p>
<p>He had done far more than she had, and that was with a mage trying to fuck with him.</p>
<p>Asahi opened the door, ushering in Ushijima. Tobio regarded the other with a blank expression, waiting for whatever bad news was going to come from him this time.</p>
<p>“Atsumu has called for a meeting.” He stated, offering a folded piece of parchment. There was a wax seal at the bottom of the short letter, the white wax had an imprint of a fox head on it. The letter read simply;</p>
<p>
  <em>‘The Miya family requests an audience with her Imperial Majesty Hitoka Yachi, Empress of the Summer Vale, to discuss recent events in Hinode regarding her guest King Tobio Kageyama of the Eastern Kingdom.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>They request this audience be kept as small as possible so not to inconvenience other families where they are not concerned. As such, His Majesty King Tobio would be permitted to bring only two members of his extensive entourage but not subjected to the same restrictions as last time.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>We graciously thank her Imperial Majesty for her time and look forward to discussing these matters with her.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>~ Atsumu &amp; Osamu Miya</em>
  <em>’</em>
</p>
<p>Tobio snorted. “Restrictions?”</p>
<p>Ushijima nodded. “You may take any of the Brotherhood. However, there is no guarantee that one or both of the Tsukishima brothers won’t be there.”</p>
<p>“I’m taking Kiyoko and Kunimi.”</p>
<p>There were a few confused glances. Yamaguchi spoke up first. “Why them?”</p>
<p>“Because they know how royalty works, but they also have dealings with the Tsukishimas personally without being on the direct receiving end. They’re also unknown entities to the palace as oppose to any of you.”</p>
<p>With a slightly cautious nod, Yamaguchi replied, “I see. Well, when does he need to leave?”</p>
<p>“As soon as possible.” Ushijima replied. “Please fetch the others whilst I get a carriage.”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi was quick to find Kiyoko and insist that she was qualified enough to deal with this, Kunimi was strangely enthusiastic to get involved. They were only given a few minutes to get ready, so they both decided that their usual attire would have to pass muster. Kiyoko was insistent on taking her blade.</p>
<p>Ushijima didn’t object when he saw her and Kunimi looking more like the mercenaries they were at heart. He ushered them into the carriage with Tobio before prompting the carriage-driver to make haste.</p>
<p>“So they scheduled the meeting and only sent you a letter just before it started?” Kunimi scoffed. “That’s some planning.”</p>
<p>Kiyoko watched Tobio’s tense body language; his gaze flickering and not fixing one thing for more than a moment, his hands clenched his knees as the carriage trundled along. He was nervous but also still fuming at the last conversation with Yachi. It wasn’t going to be a smooth meeting that was for sure.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0027"><h2>27. Have Faith In Me</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>XXVII</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Have Faith In Me</strong>
</p>
<p>Akaashi knew Kuroo wasn’t going to approve of his idea. But given their current situation, it was the most direct way to get answers.</p>
<p>“You passed out last time you dealt with any of his magic.” Kuroo stated plainly, barring his exit from the bedroom that he had been dragged to in order to have this conversation. “And you still have nightmares about it.”</p>
<p>“And you want me to sit here and let any one of our friends go through that same treatment?” He retorted. “Semi’s probably going to barely sleep as it is.”</p>
<p>Kuroo shook his head. “But it’s <em>because</em> you have these powers that makes you—”</p>
<p>“Don’t you <em>dare</em> say ‘vulnerable’.” Akaashi uttered, pointing first to Kuroo in an accusatory manner before pointing back at himself. “If anyone has a chance of holding their own against him, it’s <em>me</em>.”</p>
<p>Kuroo sighed in defeat, tipping his head back and gently bumping it against the closed door. “But you shouldn’t even be going against him. Apart from Semi, none of us have actually <em>seen</em> him. He’s not searching for us, heck we’re not exactly <em>hiding</em>. All the evidence is pointing to Akiteru anyway.”</p>
<p>Akaashi took a step towards Kuroo, waving his hand in the air in the general direction of the imperial palace. “Because he knows with Hinata in their dungeon, we’re not going anywhere. He knows that Tobio won’t leave without him. That <em>we</em> won’t leave. We’re sitting ducks right now Tetsurou and I’m sick of it.”</p>
<p>There was a small chuckle from Kuroo, it confused Akaashi a little. He frowned.</p>
<p>“Sorry.” Kuroo sighed again. “You just, sounded a lot like me from when we heard the Serpents were in Kitamine.” He shrugged. “And I know you’re better than that.”</p>
<p>Akaashi wrinkled his nose. “Than what?”</p>
<p>“Than me. Me and all my dumb, rash choices.” Kuroo’s gaze was intense as he stepped away from the door and set his hands on his hips. “Keiji, I know you can be better than this. You can think properly and craft a better plan than just blindly rushing to face the unknown.”</p>
<p>Akaashi scoffed, turning away from Kuroo in that moment. It annoyed him when Kuroo got all reflective, pointing out how he was acting so similar but could and should be better than this. For once he’d like Kuroo to go along with his crazy shit like he ended up going along with Kuroo’s more often than not. Then again, that wasn’t his style and Kuroo knew it.</p>
<p>“Fine.” Akaashi mumbled, glancing over his shoulder. “What do you think we should do then?”</p>
<p>There was a warm smile, like Kuroo knew he had successfully defused the situation. “Given that so much of this rests on Tooru, I’d say we wait for him to make his grand entrance. Until then, weren’t you trying to open that journal the others found?”</p>
<p>Akaashi nodded. “I got interrupted by Hinata.”</p>
<p>Kuroo blinked in confusion. “…what?”</p>
<p>It occurred to him he hadn’t told anyone about the unconventional mode of communication, what with Semi’s explosive return and the unfolding of the conversation from there. He turned around and met Kuroo’s gaze properly before explaining how Hinata’s voice came through during his meditation, almost like they were conversing through runestones or portals. Kuroo blinked a few more times as he processed yet another weird demonstration of Hinata’s powers before scratching his head and getting back to the original topic.</p>
<p>“So the journal is locked tight?”</p>
<p>Akaashi nodded. “I’ve not seen anything like it. There’s no actual lock to it, just the regular buckle but the edges feel like they’ve been stuck down with magic. No matter the force applied, the buckle won’t loosen. It’s possible it was a new thing being created by a student. I might have to venture into the academy itself to find a way to open it.”</p>
<p>“And then it could be useless.”</p>
<p>“It could be.” Akaashi nodded. “However, I wanna go there anyway, just to see it for myself.”</p>
<p>Kuroo thought for a few moments. “Well, we got plenty of free-time, might as well go now?”</p>
<p>Akaashi wasn’t going to turn down getting out of the manor for a while. It felt tense and hopeless given their powerless situation.</p>
<p>They reunited with the others just as Kunimi and Kiyoko left with Tobio. After being told the rapid development, Akaashi was a little apprehensive at letting two non-mages go into such a volatile situation. Then again, Kiyoko and Kunimi had both had their fair share of run-ins with magic and maybe just maybe, Kei wouldn’t be bold enough to pull any stunts in public.</p>
<p>At least, that’s the hope he clung to.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Pulling up to the palace, Tobio was chomping at the bit to get in there and pick up where he had left off earlier. Kiyoko and Kunimi hadn’t seen him so worked up since they first met him. The throne room opened up to them after Ushijima escorted them through the various checkpoints of guards. The lavish wall art put anything they had seen in the southern palaces to shame with its vibrant colours and epic scenes depicted. Soaring eagles were a common motif in the paintings as much as the colour purple.</p>
<p>Upon her throne, giving Tobio the same thoughtful expression she did last time, Yachi sat flanked by two guards. Her pale pink robes were folded neatly, not a wrinkle in sight as if she was posing for her portrait being painted. The lack of nobles and courtiers gave Tobio a small sense of relief. Shortly after they arrived, the twins strode in through a different door; Atsumu shot Tobio a reassuring smile before greeting Yachi with a sweeping bow. All the doors to the throne room were closed, the sound echoing around the room.</p>
<p>“So,” Yachi looked squarely at Atsumu, “I imagine this is about Hinata.”</p>
<p>“Somewhat.” He replied, beginning to pace the room. “Why weren’t we invited to the summons?”</p>
<p>Yachi shifted on her throne, hands clasping in her lap as she averted her gaze for a moment. “Akiteru sprung it on me.”</p>
<p>“Of course he did.” Atsumu remarked, a sad smile on his face as he let out a small sigh. “We spoke about this Yachi, you have every right to tell him no.”</p>
<p>Atsumu calling her by her first name was something of note to Kiyoko and Kunimi. As much as down south it was common for nobles and those close to the kings to drop the formalities, up here it felt like doing the same was reserved only for close allies.</p>
<p>Yachi swallowed, continuing to avert her gaze as she uttered; “Easy for you to say.”</p>
<p>Atsumu shot Tobio a glance. “You’ve had dealings with Kei and his way of doing things,” he said, “well where do you think he learnt it from?”</p>
<p>Both Kiyoko and Kunimi weren’t sure how to react in this situation. They expected more resistance from the empress, not a candid conversation. Tobio let out a loud sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose before meeting Yachi’s gaze. “Release Hinata.”</p>
<p>“I can’t.” She replied immediately. “We’ve been through this.”</p>
<p>“What do you mean you <em>can</em><em>’t</em>.” Tobio snapped, gesturing wildly with his hand. “<em>You</em><em>’re</em> the fucking empress.”</p>
<p>Yachi didn’t flinch. “And I told you that it’s more difficult than me simply ordering his release.”</p>
<p>Osamu cleared his throat as he stepped out of Atsumu’s shadow. “She physically could, but it would raise questions Tobio.” He stated indifferently. “Ripples would be felt throughout the court; if an outsider king demands the release of a prisoner and is granted it, soon others would make loftier demands and then it’s a slippery slope from there.”</p>
<p>“So why are we here?” Tobio said. “I don’t give a fuck about your stupid inter-empire politics. I care about getting Hinata out of your dungeon, ripping up this treaty none of us signed and going <em>home</em>.”</p>
<p>Kiyoko had to admire Tobio’s ability to stick to his principles, but this was getting them nowhere.</p>
<p>“We told you to find out what caused the old city district fire.” Atsumu changed the topic abruptly, not letting himself be sucked into Tobio’s argument. “Have you found anything yet?”</p>
<p>Kiyoko took this moment to step forth, sensing Tobio would dig his heels in and a stalemate would break out. She nodded in greeting to Yachi before turning her attention back to Atsumu. “We’ve found various things, but…how they tie together is still up for debate. In short, we need more time.”</p>
<p>“And even then,” Kunimi added, “the court might not like what we have to say, so if that’s the case, how does it help Hinata?”</p>
<p>Atsumu hummed in thought, pacing a bit more before ultimately shrugging. “Well, depending on what it is, we can—”</p>
<p>“You told me your people have broken people out of those dungeons before.” Tobio cut in, Kiyoko inwardly sighed. “So if your stupid court doesn’t like what we tell them, then you’re going to bust him out anyway, <em>right</em>?”</p>
<p>There was a sharp inhale from Atsumu as he gave Tobio a deceptively calm smile. “Tobio, it would do you good to remember that you’re an outsider here, ordering me and my brother to do anything isn’t going to end well.”</p>
<p>“Is that a threat?” Tobio snapped.</p>
<p>Kiyoko stepped in front of Tobio, facing him and taking him gently by the shoulders. “Tobio, please,” she whispered, “getting worked up isn’t going to help—”</p>
<p>“Let me put it this way,” Kunimi took this moment to lay down his own stance, “we’re not leaving without Hinata. So whilst your politics might halt Tobio’s ability to do anything, <em>you</em> should do well to understand that we won’t just sit on our hands and let you get away with this.”</p>
<p>“<em>Akira</em>.” Kiyoko hissed in warning, this was going from bad to worse. “Not the time.”</p>
<p>Osamu smirked slightly. “Ah, the Brotherhood, spirited and stubborn. I can see why Tobio likes having you around.”</p>
<p>Kunimi glared at him. “You don’t know the half of it so I’d keep your yap shut.”</p>
<p>Yachi cleared her throat, having listened to the back and forth in silence. “Fine.” She uttered, commanding everyone’s attention. “It’s clear that this is an error of judgement. However, simply dismissing him won’t be feasible. He was arrested on a public disorder charge, yet everyone here knows he has a much bigger bounty on his head. Therefore I need to separate the two and get the court’s agreement on how to proceed.” She clasped her hands on her lap. “I don’t want him in the dungeon any more than you do, but there are processes here that need to be worked through.”</p>
<p>“Meaning?” Tobio wanted her to state it plainly so there was no misunderstanding.</p>
<p>Her hands fidgeted in her lap a little. “Three days I will wait for someone to come up with a <em>legitimate</em> charge. If after those three days no charges are brought, then I can choose to let him go on the public disorder charge. However he will need to remain in the city until we’ve sorted out this treaty mess.”</p>
<p>“So that means he has two more days.” Tobio deduced quickly, feeling a weight lifting a little. “Can I at least see him?”</p>
<p>Yachi considered it but shook her head. “You, no. You can send another though.”</p>
<p>It felt like a slap in the face to Tobio. Why couldn’t he see Hinata? What was he likely to do? Or was it more of a case that she didn’t want the nobles finding out she let a king wander around in their dungeons?</p>
<p>Kunimi met Tobio’s gaze. “I’ll go.”</p>
<p>He didn’t like the circumstances, but Hinata deserved to see a friendly face, even if it wasn’t his. There was a short nod. “Fine.” He looked back to Yachi. “If you keep your word, then I’ll make sure we get to the bottom of all of this. The fire, the politics, everything. And I’m a man of my word.”</p>
<p>Yachi raised an eyebrow. “Be careful. Akiteru knows you’re here to cause trouble and I’m sure he won’t wait long to pounce.”</p>
<p>Tobio allowed himself to smirk. “Tell him to bring it on.”</p>
<p>Atsumu and Osamu exchanged a glance. Kiyoko sighed slightly at Tobio’s attitude. With the tension in the room easing, Yachi declared the meeting over, dismissing Tobio and Kiyoko. Kunimi was told to follow the twins to go and see Hinata. He wasn’t sure what he was going to tell Hinata, but he knew that seeing just one friendly face would ease the other’s paranoia.</p>
<p>The walk to the palace dungeons was quick, Atsumu and Osamu got the guards to show him down to the tiny cell Hinata was being kept him. He wrinkled his nose at the smell, it was like a stable block but worse. Eyes watched him from behind tiny barred windows in the doors. He counted the doors as he followed the guard, memorising the layout as they went.</p>
<p>The harsh clang of a bolt being moved spooked Hinata. He looked up at the door fearful for what was on the other side. As the door swung open and he saw Kunimi, relief swept over him.</p>
<p>“You have five minutes.” The guard stated, closing the cell door behind Kunimi.</p>
<p>Kunimi accepted the hug that Hinata barrelled into, letting out a sigh. Hinata squeezed him tightly not wanting to let go.</p>
<p>“What’s happening?” Hinata breathed, still not relinquishing his grip on Kunimi.</p>
<p>“Tobio’s getting pissy with the empress.” Kunimi replied in a hushed tone. “The Miya twins are <em>kind of</em> helping. We’re doing everything we can to find out what happened in the old district.”</p>
<p>“Am I going to die here?”</p>
<p>Kunimi pushed Hinata back to look him in the eye. He wasn’t joking when he asked that. “No. No you just gotta stick it out for two more days. Yachi said she can let you go assuming those bastard brothers don’t pull anything.”</p>
<p>“Oh, oh okay.” Hinata sighed in relief. “Okay, so, so what—”</p>
<p>“The long story short is Akaashi thinks Akiteru and Kei have some big ‘fuck the realm plan going on. Like it’s fucking insane how it fits together but I don’t have time to explain.” Kunimi spoke quickly and quietly, hoping Hinata was taking at least some of it in. “We’re working on the details but right now, right now all you need to focus on is keeping your head. As soon as you’re out of here, Tobio is gonna really let loose and gods help us all when that happens.”</p>
<p>“Let loose?”</p>
<p>Kunimi smiled slightly. “Tooru is on his way, unannounced. We’re hoping that his arrival and…attitude will help balance the scales in our favour. But it could equally throw everything into chaos. You know how he is.”</p>
<p>Hinata weakly smiled. “How is Tobio?”</p>
<p>“It’s been a long day, he’s probably gonna be in a foul mood until you’re back at his side.” Kunimi shrugged. “Prepare yourself for an intense reunion.”</p>
<p>The guard opened the door again, glaring in at Kunimi. With another tight hug, Kunimi stepped back and nodded in parting to Hinata.</p>
<p>“We got your back Shoyo, have faith in the Brotherhood.”</p>
<p>“I always do.” Hinata nodded, feeling his eyes welling up with tears. Kunimi nodded again and allowed himself to be shepherded out.</p>
<p>Alone again in the cell, the news from outside gave him a small shred of comfort. He was worried about this plan Kunimi referred to, but he couldn’t do much from inside the cell. He mindlessly scratched at his chest, the runestone bumping against the bruises as he did so.</p>
<p>Two days, he could last two days.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Returning to the manor, Kunimi didn’t mince words when explaining how it all went down. Kiyoko kept her displeasure at his threats quiet, though her silence was a signal in itself. There were a few raised eyebrows, but Daichi couldn’t find it in himself to scold the other, after all, he had spoken the truth.</p>
<p>“So, Akaashi and Kuroo have gone to the academy whilst there’s still daylight,” Daichi told them. “Is there anything else you can think we should be doing?”</p>
<p>Kiyoko shrugged. “Until Tooru gets here, I guess all we can do is continue to piece together what we have.”</p>
<p>“I think we’re depending too much on the politics.” Kunimi stated, folding his arms across his chest. “I get it, we’re playing to their tune and we’re in their territory but…” he shuddered slightly. “It feels wrong.”</p>
<p>Daichi gave him a curious glance. “What do you propose then?”</p>
<p>He glanced around the room, they were alone for the most part with only the likes of Suga and Moniwa sat in front of the fire going through the list of things found in the old district. The rest of the Brotherhood were spread around the manor or had gone out whilst there was still daylight.</p>
<p>“If Tooru brings as much chaos as we’re anticipating, there’s no guarantee that Hinata is gonna get released as Yachi said. There was a remark Atsumu made and it irked me.”</p>
<p>Kiyoko inhaled sharply, already guessing what this remark was.</p>
<p>“He mentioned how we’ve had dealings with Kei and his powers, and then; ‘where do we think he learnt it from?’.”</p>
<p>“We already know Akiteru is an empath mage.” Daichi said.</p>
<p>“But we don’t know to what extent.” Kunimi replied. “We’ve…some of us know what Kei is capable of, and that’s <em>bad enough</em>, but…basically I don’t think we can have Hinata in that dungeon when Tooru arrives. I don’t like it. It makes me nervous.”</p>
<p>There was a pause as Daichi nodded slowly. “You want to break him out yourself?”</p>
<p>Kunimi looked away, he didn’t have a solid plan, but that was his general wish. “The twins are reluctant to do anything, and I reckon Tobio was right to get frustrated with them.” He met Daichi’s gaze again. “They don’t care about us, I doubt they care about Hinata really. They care about their political bullshit. They brought us here to serve their purpose, and as long as they keep us here then they don’t care what happens.”</p>
<p>Kiyoko cleared her throat. “Which is fine.” She said. “We all have different priorities right now, they’re facing a threat to their way of life just as we’re facing a threat from an old enemy.”</p>
<p>Kunimi shook his head. “I didn’t tell Hinata that the twins would get him out, or even Tobio. I didn’t tell him to believe in either of them. I told him <em>The Brotherhood </em>has his back because I’m not gonna sit here and wait on kings and nobles to dance around the subject.”</p>
<p>Daichi nodded. “Well, if you can come up with a solid plan, then I won’t stop you from attempting it.” He smiled slightly. “If anyone can get him out of there, it’ll be you.”</p>
<p>Kunimi snorted. “Please stop the flattery.” He turned to leave the conversation before glancing back to Daichi. “But I appreciate your faith in me.”</p>
<p>Watching him leave the room to no doubt mull over his options, Daichi’s smile grew a little. Kiyoko raised an eyebrow.</p>
<p>“Are you sure it’s wise?” She asked quietly. Not really wanting to challenge Daichi but it felt borderline irresponsible.</p>
<p>“It’s probably not, but Kunimi cares a great deal. When I remember how he first felt towards Hinata, it’s sort of heartwarming to think how far he’s come.”</p>
<p>“Pretty sure his first impression was ‘great, another fucking mage’.” Suga piped up, prompting a break in the tension. There was a shared chuckle between them as Daichi walked over to the duo pouring over notes about the academy. Kiyoko followed, taking a seat next to Suga on the wooden bench.</p>
<p>Moniwa offered his journal to Daichi who remained standing. “It’s a bit of a mess really, a lot is going on in that area.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, hopefully Kuroo and Akaashi can put some of it to rest.”</p>
<p>Moniwa nodded. “I’m a little concerned they didn’t take Shirabu.”</p>
<p>Kiyoko’s eyes widened. “They went alone?”</p>
<p>There was another nod. “Seemed like a personal thing, I think Akaashi implying he was going to take Kei on personally rubbed Kuroo the wrong way. This might be a compromise for now.”</p>
<p>Suga scoffed slightly. “Akaashi is getting more reckless I swear. I remember when he used to be super strict about this kind of thing.”</p>
<p>“Well he <em>has</em> been the one to take on Kei before.” Kiyoko placed her hand on his arm. “He’s been at the forefront of most of our encounters with him.”</p>
<p>“That doesn’t mean I have to <em>like</em> it.” Suga sighed, covering her hand with his. “It’s almost like Hinata’s rubbing off on him.”</p>
<p>“Does that really surprise you?” Moniwa smiled. “Hinata’s rubbed off on everyone.”</p>
<p>There was another shared laugh, though this one felt hollower. It was more of a sombre reminder of how much of an impact one person can have in their lives. As much as Daichi had said only a few days previously that he’d be prepared to leave Hinata behind to protect the others, he wouldn’t be able to stomach giving that order. Even if it was the more logically sound option; cut their losses and slip back into the shadows, the bonds of brotherhood wouldn’t be able to survive such a divisive choice. They had been through a literal battle together, they had narrowly avoided death and many would argue it was Hinata’s actions that had ensured victory on that day.</p>
<p>To abandon him now would go against everything Daichi had set up over the last four years of his life. So as much as logic said to leave this business up to the kings and nobles of the empire; he couldn’t go against his gut. They had to do something that only a guild of lunatics would do. If Yachi and the twins were going to drag their feet, then they had to break Hinata out of there themselves.</p>
<p>He wouldn’t say it aloud, but he hoped Kunimi’s stubbornness pulled through.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0028"><h2>28. The First Night</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>XXVIII</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>The First Night</strong>
</p>
<p>The day seemed to pass slowly for Hinata. After Kunimi’s visit, time passed with little indication of how long it had really been. Only the arrival of something that vaguely resembled an evening meal gave any indication that the day was drawing to a close. His cell was dark and cold. He had spent most of the day either sat on the floor trying to reach Akaashi or thinking about his current plight. Ukai had been quiet most of the afternoon, Hinata had wanted to ask him more about how he ended up in the dungeon but he couldn’t bring himself to ask out of the blue.</p>
<p>As braziers were left to go cold with the changing of the guard, darkness seeped further into the cell, he longed to be anywhere else. He longed to be back with the others, sat by a cosy fire with those he cared about around him. Two days didn’t sound like a long time, but there was that veiled warning; ‘<em>as long as those bastard brothers don</em><em>’t pull anything</em>’. Down here he was powerless against whatever they concocted up there in the court. He just had to wait it out and hope for the best.</p>
<p>Waiting was very dull, even if it meant that nothing <em>bad</em> was happening. He was laying on the wooden cot staring at the ceiling, hands tucked under his head in an effort to stop scratching at his bruises. He <em>really</em> needed Kenma to look at them when he got out of here. Sleep wasn’t coming to him in the darkness. He could make out the tiny window of the cell door, a flickering firelight approached with light footsteps. The jangle of iron keys preceded the sound of a door unlocking, then a bolt sliding.</p>
<p>Hinata swallowed, trying to ignore the uneasy feeling in his stomach. It felt too late for the guards to be delivering more food. He could hear muffled voices as a door swung open and then closed again, hinges squealing in the quiet. Slowly, he got up and approached his door, rising up on the balls of his feet to peek through the window. Across the way, Ukai was also at his door, the flickering torchlight from down the hallway made it just bright enough to see.</p>
<p>“Kid.” Ukai hissed. “Don’t let them see you.”</p>
<p>Hinata was about to ask who when the cell door further down flew open. Ukai was gone immediately, ducking out of sight so Hinata followed suit. From pressed against the door, he could hear the voices clearer now.</p>
<p>“Come on, it’s your turn.” The gruff voice was followed by the jangling of chains. A weak sob of another person echoed down the hallway. “Don’t fight it, you know he doesn’t like fighters.”</p>
<p>“Please don’t make me go!” The pleading voice of the prisoner got louder along with the chains. Hinata forced his hand over his mouth as the footsteps approached.</p>
<p>“Quit whining, isn’t this the kind of thing your kind do? Research and experimentation?”</p>
<p>The two sets of footsteps pass his door and continued onward. The clang of a bolt being slid could be heard even over the continued pleas and protests. There was a drawn-out sob before the door slammed shut. Silence fell. Hinata was trembling as Ukai’s voice broke the deathly silence.</p>
<p>“Hey, kid, you good?”</p>
<p>Hinata’s knees were shaking as he stood up on tiptoes again to peer through the window. It was darker now the torchlight was gone but he could just about make out Ukai’s face in the glow of a distant brazier. “What was that—”</p>
<p>“If you don’t get out of here soon, you’ll find out.” Ukai’s tone was gruff. “You better hope your friends are quick in whatever they’re planning, because no-one escapes their time with the Seeker.”</p>
<p>“The Seeker?” Hinata breathed. “Who…what?”</p>
<p>Ukai glanced down the hallway to the door the guard had gone through. “They claim it’s part of the retribution for the old city district incident. That they have to question all the mages they arrested linked to it but…” he met Hinata’s gaze again. “From what I’ve heard, that’s just what they tell the empress.”</p>
<p>“Have you…”</p>
<p>“Yes.” Ukai bluntly stated. “And the son of a bitch doesn’t give up easily.”</p>
<p>“But why…why would they question me, I wasn’t here—”</p>
<p>“Hinata. It’s a front.” Ukai said. “I don’t know what the fuck they’re actually trying to achieve, but they take you away, they strap you down and then…” he broke off, shaking his head. “You’re young, but you’re not dumb. I trust you can fill in the blanks.”</p>
<p>Hinata swallowed. Shirabu’s stark warning was coming back to him, his story about how he fled his own home, how his powers were unusual and they wanted to ‘see how they worked’. His stomach started turning, a cold sweat breaking out as he considered his fate.</p>
<p>“Who is it?”</p>
<p>Ukai shook his head. “I don’t know. They hide all their features apart from their eyes. And once you meet those eyes, you’re under their spell.”</p>
<p>“…what do they ask?”</p>
<p>Ukai shook his head. “Changes all the time. I don’t know if it’s dependant on who you are or not. All I know is that they’re meticulous, they leave nothing untouched they—” he cut himself off, cursing loudly in what Hinata guessed was frustration. “Look, if you’re as big of a deal as you claim to be, you’ll be next. You’ll be picked for tomorrow. So my advice: do anything and everything you can to get the fuck out of here.”</p>
<p>“Like what? I can’t do anything—”</p>
<p>“I heard you talking earlier today before your friend visited. You must have a trick up your sleeve or something. Use it.”</p>
<p>He was about to argue when the door burst open. The guard was alone as he returned down the hallway. Once again Hinata ducked out of sight, following Ukai’s lead. This time he returned to his makeshift bed, his stomach was still twisting and turning with this new information. Sleep was not going to come easy to him but staying awake all night thinking about what happened beyond that door was going to drive him mad.</p>
<p>He hoped Kunimi kept his word. He needed him to.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>As much as they wanted to investigate the academy whilst it was still light, Kuroo and Akaashi found themselves taking a far more indirect route that ate into the daylight hours. They wanted to keep as far away from the central circle as possible, especially the crowded streets. They didn’t really know where this academy was either, not bothering to ask a specific route from the others who had been there.</p>
<p>Whilst they had intended not to burden the others with their search, there was one addition Akaashi decided to make. Lev had been getting under the servant’s feet all day and was close to being booted out as they were preparing to leave. So Akaashi made up some excuse for Lev’s behaviour by stating he was probably bored and needed exercise. Now with the flimsy rope acting as a leash, Lev was finally out and about.</p>
<p>Which of course added to their journey time as they had to try and avoid the guard rotations as well. It was dusk by the time they got into the heart of the old city. The purple streaks in the sky above them made the silhouettes of all the burnt-out buildings look eerier.</p>
<p>“Do you remember the way?” Akaashi asked Lev as the lion sniffed at a doorframe.</p>
<p>“Course!” Lev chirped. “We gotta go past the burnt-out carts, left and follow the narrow alleyway until it curves to the right and then straight at the crossroad and we’ll be there.”</p>
<p>Kuroo laughed a little nervously. “Lead on then?”</p>
<p>Being in the district at dusk wasn’t a pleasant feeling. It was eerie enough in the day but in the fading light there were just enough shadows to make them second guess everything they saw. The light breeze that would disturb dead leaves and loose pieces of wood didn’t exactly help the situation. Akaashi gripped the rope tied to Lev with more force than he usually would. The uncomfortable sensations from last time he was here were creeping up on him.</p>
<p>“Are you okay?” Kuroo asked.</p>
<p>“Yes.” Akaashi stiffly replied.</p>
<p>Kuroo eyed him with both curiosity and concern. Akaashi’s gaze darted around the alleyway Lev was leading them down, Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed dryly. Kuroo reached out and took hold of his free hand. Akaashi squeezed his hand, <em>hard</em>. Lev pressed on without saying anything to them, nose close to the ground like a dog, tail thrashing from side to side as he picked up on the surge of energy from last time. He tugged on the rope, trying to speed up their pace. Akaashi allowed it, and soon they were looking at the surprisingly unscathed building that was the academy.</p>
<p>“Huh.” Kuroo dropped Akaashi’s hand as he took in the remarkable state of the building. “I can see why there’s such suspicion surrounding the mages.”</p>
<p>Akaashi wasn’t really listening. He had his now free hand outstretched, fingers splayed as he felt a strange tingling sensation. Lev watched as he slowly wafted his hand around where the barrier was. Furrowing his brow momentarily, Akaashi then stepped beyond the barrier. Now inside the bubble of influence, he could sense it stronger now; the warding effect he had already come into contact with.</p>
<p>“Does it start here?” He asked aloud, looking down at Lev.</p>
<p>Lev’s nose twitched. “I guess? You’re the mage here, I’m just a talking lion.”</p>
<p>“Technically you’re a cat that was granted the ability to talk and the form of a lion.” Kuroo remarked, stepping beside Akaashi. “So, shall we explore?”</p>
<p>Akaashi let go of the rope so Lev could go on ahead but also so he had both his hands free. They entered the building, finding the library on their left and a study room of sorts on their right. The air felt charged, but not overbearingly so. His skin tingled slightly like there were waves of sparks pulsating through the building. Kuroo wandered into the library first, so he followed suit, leaving Lev to sniff at the floorboards.</p>
<p>Bookshelves spanned the room height, they were a weird sort of organised that would only ever make sense to a few individuals. Most of the books didn’t have titles, and when Akaashi flicked through them he found most of its contents to be written in runes and various diagrams of ritual circles. The rest of the room was taken up with chairs and tables, the tables were littered with piles of books, rolls of parchment and assorted writing supplies. Nothing seemed out of place but nothing really seemed put away either. It was like they had left the room in the middle of the day and intended to come back. He looked up at the walls, various paintings and wall scrolls decorated the wooden panelling. Many of the paintings were of older people, he guessed they were respectable scholars.</p>
<p>“Feel anything?” Kuroo asked quietly.</p>
<p>“Aside from this feeling of…calm, no.” Akaashi replied. “This room doesn’t…” His gaze went to the ceiling. “Up there.”</p>
<p>Kuroo raised an eyebrow but nodded. Ascending the stairs with Lev just ahead of them, they found the destroyed wing of the building complete with the roof beam blocking their path. Akaashi noted the same scorch marks on the floor and surrounding the beam that Nishinoya had.</p>
<p>“Someone was here when the fire happened. They didn’t want this building to go without a fight.”</p>
<p>Kuroo crouched down, inspecting the beam. “I mean, they succeeded?”</p>
<p>Akaashi looked over the jumbled mess of roof tiles, beams and what remained of the walls. Something felt off about the amount of fire damage. Around them, the buildings were blackened by the fire, their entire roofs ablaze when they collapsed in. Yet here, the roof beams seemed remarkably unscathed in comparison. If it wasn’t the fire that had made the roof of the wing collapse, what was the cause?</p>
<p>“I’m not so sure.” Akaashi took another long look at the collapsed roof before turning to the still-standing wing. Lev was sat in the centre of the room, eyes on the door at the other end.</p>
<p>“Ah, this must be the ‘angry bees’ door.” Kuroo remarked, trying to keep the feeling light.</p>
<p>Akaashi appreciated his effort, but the feeling of calm had faded a little. The door seemed normal by anyone’s standards but as he got closer, he understood what Nishinoya meant. It felt like something was pressing against the door from the other side, vibrating with the power instilled in whatever enchantment had been cast.</p>
<p>It felt familiar. As he tried the handle, he felt a pulse of force that pushed his hand away. He snorted slightly, pressing his palm against the wood. The door allowed him to do that, but as soon as he applied any force to attempt to open it, the door pushed back.</p>
<p>“Ah.” He said as he stepped back to give the door another look-over.</p>
<p>“Ah?” Kuroo repeated.</p>
<p>He noted there were no obvious signs of an enchantment, but he was fairly certain in his guess based on what his experience. “It’s a warding rune.”</p>
<p>Kuroo nodded in understanding. “Like Kenma’s?”</p>
<p>“Sort of.”</p>
<p>“Explain?”</p>
<p>Akaashi tried the handle again, experiencing the same push back from before. The door wasn’t making any sound when he did this, just forcing his hand away like a cat batting a ball of yarn. Without hesitation, he kicked the door. Just like it had done with Tanaka, the door emitted a bright blue glow as it forcibly threw him off balance.</p>
<p>“As I thought.” He smiled, glancing to Kuroo. “It’s on the inside.”</p>
<p>Kuroo and Lev both tilted their heads in mild confusion. “How’d you figure that?”  Kuroo asked.</p>
<p>“When Kenma puts his wards on the doors of the guild, the ward spreads out from his fingers like a ripple.” Akaashi made a gesture with his hands to replicate the motion, splaying his fingers on one hand and making the motion with his other. “So when the ward goes onto the door, it domes in that direction. With our guild, it domes in-wards when struck, he does it that way to absorb impact and spread the force around so the door can withstand most attacks and buy us time to prepare for intruders.”</p>
<p>“And this doesn’t.”</p>
<p>“No,” Akaashi pointed to the door, “this domes outward when struck, hence why it threw me off balance and why Tanaka got thrown backwards.” He glanced back at the door in question. “This ward is to keep people out of that room.”</p>
<p>“Is there another way in?”</p>
<p>Akaashi smiled slightly. “Probably through the ruined wing no doubt.”</p>
<p>Kuroo pouted slightly. “Huh. So…one door has a ward and the other is basically cut off.”</p>
<p>Akaashi nodded. “I wouldn’t be surprised if whoever put this ward down also had something to do with that wing being ruined.”</p>
<p>Kuroo was seeing all of this fitting together slowly, though it was far from being a solved mystery. “So now it’s a case of what the fuck is in that room?”</p>
<p>“More like <em>who</em>.” Akaashi’s smile faded. “A ward like this? Yeah that’s got to be done by hand, there’s no way you can enchant something else to do it. No talisman or rune can offer something strong enough to throw people backwards.”</p>
<p>“Are you saying there’s someone in there right now?”</p>
<p>Akaashi shrugged. “If there is, they clearly don’t want to be disturbed. And I’m not about to open a new box of problems.”</p>
<p>Kuroo didn’t like the idea of just leaving the room unchecked. He wanted to suggest they staked out the building, after all a person has to eat so they had to leave <em>sometime</em>. Akaashi seemed set on letting the mystery sit though. Considering the mountain of other issues they had, maybe it would do them good to leave this one for just a little longer.</p>
<p>“Alright.” He sighed. “Back to the manor?”</p>
<p>“Sure.”</p>
<p>Lev was collected, Kuroo taking charge of his rope as they started to leave the old dorm room. Akaashi glanced back at the door one last time. His eyes moved to the gap at the bottom of the door, for a split second he thought he saw a shadow pass by on the other side.</p>
<p>For once, he didn’t want to be right.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Tobio didn’t like waking up alone. It was odd. It was lonely. The early morning light streamed into the room but it didn’t feel like he had rested at all. After getting back from the second meeting with Yachi, he hadn’t been in any mood to talk to anyone. He had shut himself away in his room and furiously recorded the day’s events so none of this could be forgotten.</p>
<p>It was now the dawn of the second day. He had no idea what this day would bring and he wasn’t eager to find out. A gentle knock at the door preceded Yamaguchi’s arrival. He smiled softly as he sat on the edge of the bed. “Are you hungry?”</p>
<p>“No.” Tobio replied immediately.</p>
<p>There was a pause as Yamaguchi seemed to consider his next question. “Is there anything you want to do today?”</p>
<p>Tobio shrugged, pulling the blankets tighter around him. “Not really.”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi hummed in thought, shifting his sitting position a little. He glanced around the room as Tobio’s blunt answer didn’t give him anything to go on. Seeing the other like this reminded him all too much of the younger, more nervous prince he grew up with. The days he’d hide away from his duties, his lessons in kingly business, even just going to dinner with the court staff. It wasn’t a good regression.</p>
<p>“Asahi mentioned you bought something for Hinata.” He eventually broke the silence. “Did you want to have it ready for when he returns?”</p>
<p>Tobio sighed loudly, wrapping the covers tighter around him. “Eh…it’ll take days to sort out.”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi raised an eyebrow. “What is it?”</p>
<p>“Just some stones, cause his all shattered during the battle…” Tobio mumbled, hiding his face in the blankets. “Wanted to put them in some sort of headpiece like his other one…but more special.”</p>
<p>“Special?”</p>
<p>There was a pause. “Y-Yeah. Not like…” He pulled the edge of the blanket down slightly so his eyes could meet Yamaguchi’s. “Not like an heirloom, but just for him…”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi smiled warmly. “I think that’s a nice idea.”</p>
<p>“You think? I thought it might be weird…considering everything.”</p>
<p>He shook his head. “I don’t think it’s weird. Do you want me to find someone to craft it for you?”</p>
<p>Tobio nodded. “If you could?”</p>
<p>“I’d be honoured to.” Yamaguchi stood up. “On one condition;”</p>
<p>“Mm?”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi held his gaze for a moment. “You give it to him personally, and only <em>after</em> you’ve properly spoken to him about all of this.”</p>
<p>Tobio shuffled under the blankets, rubbing his face as he groaned slightly. “Fine. Sure.”</p>
<p>“Good.” Yamaguchi nodded. “I’ll go and get some food prepared for you.”</p>
<p>He didn’t give Tobio a chance to argue, already leaving the king to assemble his thoughts for the day ahead of them. He made his way down the hallway, knocking on a different door. After waiting for a second, he cracked open the door and nodded in greeting to Inuoka and Kenma.</p>
<p>“I need a favour from both of you.” He said.</p>
<p>“I’m all ears.” Inuoka replied, stifling a yawn, clearly he hadn’t been awake long. Kenma was sat cross-legged on the bed with one of Moniwa’s journals in hand, he nodded in agreement.</p>
<p>“Tobio wants to give Hinata a gift, a headpiece with some runestones in it,” Yamaguchi explained. “I don’t know much about that kind of stuff, how to make enchanted pieces and that so—”</p>
<p>“You want us to do it?” Kenma supplied.</p>
<p>“Well, help me talk to a craftsman about it maybe?”</p>
<p>The corners of Kenma’s mouth twitched, like he was fighting a smile. “I see. That’s a tall order for any craftsman.”</p>
<p>“Y-Yeah,” Yamaguchi rubbed the back of his neck, “but I think it’s gonna finally help Tobio uh, express his feelings, if you get what I mean.”</p>
<p>Kenma raised his eyebrows as Inuoka chuckled. This was a development he hadn’t anticipated. Though he would be the first to admit he was glad someone was finally making Tobio do <em>something</em> about it. “Oh really?”</p>
<p>“He’s not subtle I know, but this is just how he is.” Yamaguchi shrugged.</p>
<p>Kenma laughed, the abrupt bubbly laugh that caught most people off guard when they heard it. “You don’t say? It’s been what, two weeks since this all started?” He shook his head. “And I thought Kuroo was a pining idiot.”</p>
<p>Inuoka shared the laugh, Yamaguchi was a little unsure if Kenma was being unkind when he said that but quickly realised that it was more laughing at the situation, not necessarily Tobio’s poor people skills. Then again, Yamaguchi couldn’t blame him. Tobio was incredibly inept at socialising sometimes.</p>
<p>“Alright.” Kenma said. “We’ll talk to Bokuto, he’s helped me out in the past with this kind of stuff. We might be able to get it done quickly if we can convince a blacksmith to let us borrow their forge…”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi let out a sigh of relief. “Thanks, I would do it myself but there are more pressing things I need to focus on.”</p>
<p>Inuoka nodded in agreement. “We’ll sort it, don’t worry.” He winked.</p>
<p>Yamaguchi chuckled slightly at Inuoka’s reply before nodding and stating he better be on his way. He thanked them once more before leaving them. Kenma closed the journal he had been reading from, shaking his head slightly.</p>
<p>“So the king’s finally gonna make a move.” He remarked.</p>
<p>Inuoka shrugged. “I mean like you said it’s been two weeks. Technically more if you count all the stuff from before the battle and…” he trailed off momentarily, tucking his hands behind his head as he lay in his bed. “Honestly, I’m not even surprised at this stage.”</p>
<p>“Surprised?”</p>
<p>“That it took Hinata being ripped away from him like this to get him to realise it.” Inuoka let his eyes slip shut. “I would’ve thought that with losing his parents and everything, he would’ve been quicker to ensure Hinata stayed by his side.”</p>
<p>Kenma considered it. He didn’t really see it that way. If anything Tobio had been pretty upfront this entire time about his affection towards Hinata. Sure the time apart in recent months in the run-up to the battle had made those affectionate advances few and far between, but it was certainly not surprising. Things had just accelerated since Hinata became a more stable force in Tobio’s life. Maybe a bit too quickly for either of them to really come to terms with it, but Tobio had rarely shown hesitation before.</p>
<p>But there was some merit in Inuoka’s thought process.</p>
<p>“Maybe he felt like no-one would dare to pull Hinata away from him.” Kenma ran his fingers over the cover of the journal in his lap. “Maybe he felt invincible.”</p>
<p>Inuoka snorted. “As much as I like the sentiment, no-one is invincible, not even Hinata.”</p>
<p>“Which is why Kunimi’s hell-bent on getting him out of that dungeon.” Kenma switched topics slightly. “Which reminds me, I need to find some sulphur.”</p>
<p>Inuoka’s eyes opened. “Sulphur.”</p>
<p>“You said you wanted no part in any weird schemes,” Kenma smiled as he swung his legs off the edge of the bed, “but yes, I need sulphur so Kunimi can melt the lock in the dungeon.”</p>
<p>Inuoka blinked, still staring up at the ceiling. “Right. Of course…” He nervously laughed. “Is he really going through with that plan?”</p>
<p>“Of course he is.” Kenma stood up, journal in hand. “Whilst Hinata might have his full trust in Tobio and politics, doesn’t mean the rest of the Brotherhood does.”</p>
<p>“Fair point.” Inuoka shrugged. “Good luck.”</p>
<p>Kenma nodded, appreciating Inuoka’s well wishes. He had already figured where he could find some sulphur based off what the others told him about the markets of the city. He just needed someone oozing with confidence to acquire it and not allow themselves to be suckered into answering questions.</p>
<p>He figured this would be a job for Tanaka and Nishinoya.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0029"><h2>29. New Bonds</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>XXIX</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>New Bonds</strong>
</p>
<p>Given the previous night’s discovery, Akaashi decided to sit down with Shirabu alone to go through the ever-growing stack of questions and mysteries. The manor was quiet, everyone else trying their best to carry on with more normal activities. Several of them had gone out to wander the city as soon as breakfast had been eaten, looking to continue pressing for answers where they could, some remained in case any further summons appeared. Alone, they sat in the dining hall together, Shirabu listening to Akaashi’s account of his and Kuroo’s late-night investigation.</p>
<p>“So you say it’s a ward.” Shirabu stated as he sat across the table from Akaashi. “Just a ward?”</p>
<p>Akaashi nodded. “Nothing aggressive about it. It just repels any force.”</p>
<p>Shirabu rubbed his chin, drumming his fingers on the table. “And you think the other wing was purposefully destroyed?”</p>
<p>Akaashi nodded again. “The roof beams weren’t burnt enough. I didn’t look that closely at what caused the collapse but given the ward on the door, I wouldn’t be surprised if it was done after the fire.”</p>
<p>Shirabu shook his head. “Ugh this is making my head hurt.” He rubbed his face with his hands. “Can’t you take down the ward?”</p>
<p>“Take down a ward specifically designed to repel any attacks.” Akaashi snorted. “And how do you propose I do that?”</p>
<p>There was a stony silence as Shirabu huffed. “I see. Can’t Kenma do something?”</p>
<p>“He’s busy making acid.”</p>
<p>“He’s <em>what</em>.”</p>
<p>“To get Hinata out of the dungeon.” Akaashi shrugged. “I’m not entirely sure what the plan is but Kunimi seems to have thought about it a great deal.”</p>
<p>Shirabu honestly didn’t know what to make of that. He could state the obvious; that it would make things <em>worse</em> but he doubted the Brotherhood would take that warning seriously. After all, Kunimi had straight up told both the twins and Yachi his intentions. He might be an assassin, but he wasn’t being very subtle. That wasn’t necessarily Shirabu’s problem though.</p>
<p>Akaashi smiled, clocking Shirabu’s puzzled expression. “If it’s any consolation, he’s going to wait for Tooru to arrive.”</p>
<p>“Heh?”</p>
<p>“Tooru’s going to be the distraction.” Akaashi stated. “He just doesn’t know this yet and no-one is going to tell him.”</p>
<p>If Shirabu was actually somewhat close to Tooru, he might’ve been a bit more offended at the idea his king was being used as a pawn, but then again, Tooru was good at being a distraction. He forced a laugh out, watching Akaashi’s eyebrow raise in curiosity.</p>
<p>“So. What <em>exactly</em> is the plan once Tooru is here?”</p>
<p>Akaashi shrugged. “I don’t know. I don’t even think Tobio knows.”</p>
<p>“So you’re gonna let Tooru walk in without telling him anything? Just, see how the cards fall?”</p>
<p>Akaashi leaned his elbows on the table, lowering his voice a little. “I don’t think it’s wise to dump any of our theories onto him the moment he arrives. We need him to act genuinely in order to avoid an all-out fight the moment he walks into the palace. The moment he believes Akiteru killed his father is the moment we may lose any upper hand.”</p>
<p>There was a nod. Shirabu could understand that, Tooru wasn’t exactly renowned for keeping his cool. He wasn’t as bad as Tobio, but he could still be a handful. “I agree. He doesn’t like to admit it but he’s a little more volatile than you think.”</p>
<p>Akaashi did not doubt that. “If it were up to me, I wouldn’t disclose anything to him until <em>after</em> he’s spoken to Yachi. And especially after Hinata gets…out of the dungeon.” He held Shirabu’s gaze. “We know how Tobio feels about all of this, mostly, kind of.”</p>
<p>“He doesn’t know, does he?” Shirabu stated. He would’ve heard about Tobio’s explosive reaction to this entire mess and given the fact that Tobio had basically been in his room since getting back from the second meeting, there was no way he knew any of this.</p>
<p>Akaashi grimaced. “I mean, he’s already dealing with a lot.”</p>
<p>“And you want to give him some solid answers.” Shirabu nodded. “I understand. So how do we get those answers?”</p>
<p>Akaashi relaxed slightly. “We have several leads; the academy itself, Semi’s experience with Kei, blue fire and normal fire…the idea that this was all premeditated.”</p>
<p>“Blue fire.” Shirabu repeated, frowning in thought. “They said that it took over the entire district?”</p>
<p>“They did.”</p>
<p>“But you think the tavern was something else?”</p>
<p>Akaashi shrugged. “Semi won’t let me see whatever Kei showed him, but my own experience points towards there being two fires, yes.”</p>
<p>Shirabu sat back in his chair. This was frustrating to say the least. It felt like there were too many loose ends to possibly tie together and make <em>sense</em>. He didn’t have many tricks up his sleeve and it seemed that Akaashi was at a loss too. With Kenma focusing more on getting Hinata out of the dungeon, that only left Nishinoya remaining as Inuoka was firmly abstaining from getting involved.</p>
<p>“And then there’s the lack of bodies in the streets.” Akaashi remarked. “There was one in the plaza and a load in the tavern backroom. But for a fire that supposedly killed a lot of people, it feels off.”</p>
<p>“It does, and it doesn’t.” Shirabu shrugged. “They probably wouldn’t wanna just leave bodies everywhere, so then it just becomes a question of why leave those ones behind.”</p>
<p>Akaashi hummed in thought. “Any idea why the skull of all things was taken?”</p>
<p>Shirabu shook his head. “Even from a…” he trailed off for a moment, sighing slightly, “you don’t <em>need</em> the head to talk to the dead.”</p>
<p>This was clearly getting them nowhere. Sitting around a table hypothesising worked for most topics but this was just too broad and chaotic to properly figure anything out from afar. No, they needed to return and see the damage for themselves again, to be face to face with the ruins.</p>
<p>“I kind of want to return, wander around the district and see if I can sense something.” Akaashi stated. “You fancy coming with?”</p>
<p>The other raised an eyebrow, intrigued at the phrasing. “Sure, it’ll be better than sitting around here all day.”</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Yaku took advantage of the lack of orders from Daichi or Tobio to escape the manor for a few precious hours. The warm midday sun made the gloomy feeling that hung around the group as a whole fade from his mind. For all the stories and history that made up Hinode’s culture, the city itself wasn’t that bad. Sure he didn’t really feel any hatred towards him as he wasn’t a mage, but even as an ‘outsider’ he was greeted with polite nods and smiles from most people.</p>
<p>He stayed clear of the old district, not wanting to draw attention to himself as he walked around the more populated areas. Whilst to many it would seem he was trying to escape doing any work, he did have a task in mind as he wandered towards the palace district. The gates were closed, guards posted in front of it to dissuade anyone from trying to sneak through. He didn’t pay them any mind as he started walking adjacent to the wall that separated the palace from the masses. The market stalls made way for more permanent structures; tall buildings spanning three floors, their roofs blocking out the sun in some portions. It was quieter here in terms of people, but the few that were here could make up for it tenfold.</p>
<p>A dirt training yard opened up between the buildings, fenced off from the road. Armed guards were sparring under the instruction of a captain of sorts; their armour proudly showing the purple sashes embroidered with the white eagle of the empire. He raised an eyebrow as he watched them for a few moments, not dwelling long enough to draw attention to himself. He noted how the inner boundary wall from the palace district peeked out from behind the last tall building in the row before turning and joining the outer city wall. Behind the training yard there was a door into the wall.</p>
<p>He found it peculiar. It implied the city walls were actually corridors in their own right. He hadn’t seen that before, both Kōshi and Tanishiti just had solid walls with watchtowers. The guards would walk along the top of the walls, not <em>in</em> them.</p>
<p>If they could find an entrance, it would be a way into the palace. There was no doubt a way into the dungeons from within the network of tunnels. It would be a risky way, no doubt crawling with guards, but as Daichi liked to point out; him and Kunimi were amongst the best for sneaking around undetected.</p>
<p>He figured the best way to enter would be through the old district, but it would take longer to get to the palace that way. He was going to have to talk to Kunimi and see what he thought on the matter. Continuing on his meander through the city, he mulled over how exactly it was going to go down when the palace found out Hinata was gone. There was no way they’d be happy about it. Even if Yachi secretly supported Hinata, she’d have to at least pretend to be mad. There would be a bounty put on Kunimi’s head again and all bets would be off.</p>
<p>This was going to end horribly one way or the other, and honestly he was a little scared. He wouldn’t admit that out loud of course, but if he was scared, he couldn’t imagine how Kunimi was stomaching any of this. He had been surprised at the other’s determination to get Hinata back, much like most of the guild. It wasn’t out of character per se, but more of a public show of how much Kunimi actually cared. Considering Kunimi guarded his feelings like some people in the world guarded gold, it was a pleasant surprise to everyone in a way. Except it was arguably going to be the most costly act of loyalty yet undertaken by anyone in the guild. And even if Kunimi thought he had nothing to lose but his life, Yaku felt it was his responsibility more than anyone else to remind him he wasn’t a lone rogue.</p>
<p>As he reached the doors to the manor, he bumped into Semi leaving. Dark shadows under his eyes confirmed what most assumed would happen; he hadn’t slept much. He had a room to himself right now so gods only knew how long he had laid in bed tossing and turning as nightmares plagued his mind. Neither said anything for a moment, Yaku looking him up and down before nodding in greeting.</p>
<p>“Going somewhere?”</p>
<p>Semi shrugged. “I need to get some air.”</p>
<p>Yaku held his gaze, smiling slightly. “Want company?”</p>
<p>After considering it for a moment, Semi nodded. “Sure.”</p>
<p>Yaku followed his lead. They walked towards the main gates of the city, Semi not showing any inclination to stay within the city limits. The natural land bridge gave them a view of the ravine that the city sat beside. The river down below was fast flowing, water thundering through the chasm with a deafening roar that echoed off the rocky cliffs. A strong wind gusted, chilling them a little as they walked in silence. Rugged farmland stretched out before them, rocks jutting out of the ground and forming outcrops covered in moss and shrubbery. Goats and cattle grazed within fenced fields, watched over by the scattering of farmhouses and barns that littered the area. Straying from the path slightly, Semi picked out an outcrop to scale and sit atop, Yaku followed suit.</p>
<p>“Ugh.” Semi flopped back, laying on the moss-covered rock. “What a fucking week this is.”</p>
<p>Yaku leaned back on his hands, watching the steady stream of travellers heading towards Hinode. “Yup.”</p>
<p>“When I came to you guys seeking some kind of safe haven, I didn’t think I’d end up <em>here</em> dealing with <em>this</em>.”</p>
<p>“To be honest, this wasn’t on my to-do list either.” Yaku remarked, glancing down at Semi, the other had closed his eyes and tucked his hands under his head. Ash blond hair was striking against the dark, earthy tones of moss and rock. “But hey, we’re here now.”</p>
<p>“Mhm. Great.” Semi uttered. “Can’t fucking wait for it to be over.”</p>
<p>“Same. I should really go home and see my sister.” Yaku sighed, thoughts turning to happier things. “She’s gotta be getting close to having her kid.”</p>
<p>Semi opened one eye, looking up at Yaku. “Oh yeah? Where’s home?”</p>
<p>“Kitamine.”</p>
<p>There was a pause. Semi seemed unsure how to respond given their shared history. “Ah, fun…”</p>
<p>“No hard feelings here.” Yaku gave him a coy smile. “Not against you anyway.”</p>
<p>Semi smiled slightly, closing his eyes again. “Thanks I guess?”</p>
<p>Yaku shrugged. “You may have been part of them, but that doesn’t mean you approved of it all, right?” Yaku raised an eyebrow. “You did what you had to do to survive, I can’t blame you for that.”</p>
<p>Semi sat up, both eyes opening once more as he nudged Yaku. “And I hear <em>you</em> gutted a few of our boys on occasion. So I’d say the same to you.”</p>
<p>Yaku gave him another coy smile, nudging him back. “We were young, we’re <em>still</em> young.” He scoffed, shaking his head as his smile faded. “Gods above what are we doing up here? Most of the Brotherhood haven’t reached their nineteenth nameday. Most of them don’t know what a normal life even feels like anymore.”</p>
<p>Semi shrugged, bringing his knees up to hug them loosely. “Sure you could look at it as a bad thing, but I dunno,” he cast his gaze out over the view of the land bridge and then the city beyond, “from what I’ve seen and heard, I doubt most of them would be half as happy in ‘normal’ lives.”</p>
<p>The sentiment caught Yaku off guard slightly, he gave Semi a curious look. “Yeah?”</p>
<p>“The thing you guys got going on here, the…what do you call it,” he snapped his fingers as he thought, “bonds of brotherhood? It’s special.” He smiled as he paused for a moment, resting his chin on his knees. “It’s like a family, but one you chose to be part of and are grateful that you can be part of it.”</p>
<p>Yaku nodded along in agreement, taking Semi’s thoughts on board as he continued.</p>
<p>“Like, most of the people I met in the Serpents were longing for something like that. Most were orphans or just ran away from home. The north is a hard place to grow up.” He glanced back at Yaku to see if he was listening, getting a nod in understanding. “I think that’s what made it easy to do the shit we did, because we all just wanted to belong somewhere. We wanted to feel wanted.”</p>
<p>“And Suguru and Takeshi made you feel wanted?”</p>
<p>Semi grimaced. “Not really, but once you’re in, you don’t get out.” He shrugged again. “So when I was finally free, that’s why I came to you guys. I had seen what Kuroo gained by walking away and I…” He trailed off, dragging a hand through his hair. “I wanted that.”</p>
<p>Yaku reached out and put a hand on Semi’s shoulder. “Well, I can’t speak for everyone, but from where I’m sitting I’d say that you’re not far off being considered one of us. ‘Course, some of them will take longer to come around but you and Kuroo seem to be on good enough terms.”</p>
<p>“Yeah…I mean it’s not easy for either of us, we weren’t that close back then but his—whatever.” He shrugged. “I’m thankful he’s giving me a chance, that you’re all giving me a chance.” He gave Yaku a weak smile. “Would’ve been easy for you to turn me away at the gate or even kill me where I stood. But you didn’t.”</p>
<p>Yaku snorted, retracting his hand. “Well ‘course we didn’t. That’s not our way of doing things. If someone comes asking for help, a shot at redemption, then we give it to them.” He rested his elbows on his knees. “The guild is built on second chances, turning you away would’ve gone against the principles that Kuroo himself set up. Sure, we may not have liked the idea at the time but…” he trailed off for a moment, lost for words, “y’know, I guess you’ve kinda…grown on us.”</p>
<p>Semi chuckled. “Thanks, I guess.”</p>
<p>“Think nothing of it,” Yaku nudged him with his elbow, “just don’t let me down in a do or die situation and I’ll consider you my brother in arms, got it?”</p>
<p>“Loud and clear.”</p>
<p>They fell into a comfortable silence, the heavy topic of conversation melted away in the midday sun. Yaku could already anticipate the slight objection to all this from some of the others who still didn’t trust Semi entirely. He wasn’t going to sit there and claim Semi was going to slot perfectly into their elaborate puzzle but giving him the chance was the least they could do. Given what they were up against, they needed as many friends as possible.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>When Kenma had asked if he could go and purchase some alchemy ingredients, Tanaka was all too happy to be doing something that resembled ‘useful’. Nishinoya was a little harder to convince to actually leave the manor, still paranoid that he could be found out. So Kindaichi offered to come with them, stating safety in numbers as an excuse. It succeeded in making Nishinoya feel better about it all. Besides, neither he nor Tanaka knew what sulphur looked like so they needed Nishinoya.</p>
<p>“What is he doing with the sulphur?” Kindaichi asked as they walked towards an alchemy shop that Suga mentioned passing in the uptown district. “I get it’s not just for an experiment.”</p>
<p>Nishinoya chuckled slightly. “It’s for Kunimi’s insane plan.”</p>
<p>“Ah.” Kindaichi sucked in a breath through gritted teeth. “That.”</p>
<p>Tanaka raised an eyebrow, noting the frosty reception to the idea. “Yeah how do you feel about all that? Like, Kunimi’s sudden attitude change?”</p>
<p>Kindaichi shook his head. “I mean,” he sighed, “it’s not actually <em>that</em> sudden.”</p>
<p>“Feels like it to us.” Tanaka replied, shoving his hands in his pockets. “I know him and Hinata got on better terms recently but this is like peak Kuroo-level of loyalty.”</p>
<p>“More like Kuroo-level of stupidity.” Kindaichi uttered half-heartedly.</p>
<p>The analogy made all three of them laugh slightly. Kindaichi sighed again as he scratched the back of his head. “Akira’s just probably gotten frustrated at how helpless this entire situation feels.”</p>
<p>“Uh-huh.” Nishinoya pouted slightly. “But you can’t tell me you <em>approve</em> of him saying he’ll break into the palace dungeons.”</p>
<p>Kindaichi shrugged. Whether he approved of it or not, he knew Kunimi was a stubborn fool who wouldn’t take no for an answer. There was a lot of pent up rage and a sense of injustice still brewing inside him and this was the perfect storm for him to take out those frustrations on an establishment. Kindaichi knew that objecting to it would just make Kunimi dig his heels in more and be even <em>more </em>reckless. It was much safer to go along with it but make sure he planned properly, at least that was his opinion.</p>
<p>The topic was dropped sharply as they came upon the swinging sign depicting a potion bottle. Tanaka opened the door and entered first, finding the typical array of wares on show for an alchemist. Bottles lined wooden shelves on one side of the room, each neatly labelled with their names and properties. Jars and clay pots of ingredients were also on show on different shelves and tables, some were without lids, thus the room smelt faintly of herbs and spices all mixing together. Candles burned on the writing desk that an older lady sat behind, her greying hair tied up in a tight bun and eyes focused intently on the piece of parchment she was writing on.</p>
<p>As they all entered the store, she glanced up and smiled warmly.</p>
<p>“Ah, gentlemen, what can I do for you?”</p>
<p>Tanaka patted himself down looking for the scrap of parchment Kenma had given him with his order, finding it crumpled in the pocket of his pants and grinning. “Uh, yes we’re here to pick up some stuff for our buddy, he gave me a list.”</p>
<p>She nodded, stepping out from behind the desk and accepting the piece of parchment. Nishinoya was looking through the jars of more exotic flowers and herbs from the far eastern coast as Kindaichi took in the simple architecture of the small room. The merchant wiped her hand on her stained apron as she read the scribbled list with a thoughtful expression.</p>
<p>“Your friend has expensive taste.” She remarked with a wry smile. “Some of these herbs are hard to come by.”</p>
<p>Tanaka shrugged, keeping an easy-going smile as she continued reading the list. He knew Kenma had thrown in some ‘other’ ingredients that he needed restocking just to throw anyone off their case. He also knew how much all this should come to in terms of pricing.</p>
<p>“The nutmeg and juniper are easy, wormwood is a little pricey at the moment after a forest fire near my supplier,” she began listing off, “hibiscus—I think I have some in the back…sulphur, sure… dragon’s blood, I assume they mean the plant—” She frowned, glancing around at the trio. “What exactly is your friend doing?”</p>
<p>Tanaka expected this and was ready for it. “He’s a travelling alchemist, he’s just getting ready to head south and knows how rough it’s been recently down there. He just wants to be ready for anything.”</p>
<p>She eyed them with a certain amount of suspicion. “Hm.” She then turned and started busying herself with collecting the array of things on Kenma’s list. Really the only thing they cared about was the bright yellow powder that was spooned into a clay pot no bigger than Tanaka’s fist. As the collection of other ingredients was bundled into a knapsack carried by Kindaichi, she held up the small clay pot of sulphur powder.</p>
<p>“I assume your friend has a particular use for this?”</p>
<p>Tanaka nodded, remembering his lines like his life depended on it. “Uses it to treat scars of wounded people.”</p>
<p>She raised an eyebrow. “Hm, there are better ways but each to their own.” She handed over the clay pot. “That’ll be one hundred gold.”</p>
<p>Nishinoya snorted, even as Tanaka showed no objection and handed over the money Kenma had given them. Once outside and on their way back to the manor, he let his feelings be known. “There’s no way all that cost that much.” He scoffed.</p>
<p>“Eh, whatever, we got what he needed.” Tanaka shrugged. “Any idea how he’s gonna turn this powder into acid?”</p>
<p>Nishinoya nodded. “There’s a process, takes a while and I dunno where he intends to do it.”</p>
<p>“Wait you mean he’s <em>not</em> taking over the kitchens? I think the staff would love a bit of alchemy to spice up their day.”</p>
<p>Kindaichi started laughing as Nishinoya cracked up. Tanaka beamed as his joke landed and lightened the mood a little. Their trip back to the manor was uneventful, handing over the ingredients to Kenma immediately despite him being mid-conversation with Kunimi.</p>
<p>“So it’ll take at least this evening.” Kenma stated to the other. “Because it’s a delicate process that in my usual set up wouldn’t be too hard.” He glanced into the knapsack and nodded at the pots of herbs. “Here though, I’m gonna have to clear a room and make sure I don’t get—” he paused, bringing out a bushel of red flowers and frowning slightly. “Ah. I see.”</p>
<p>“Problem?” Kunimi asked.</p>
<p>“Not really, just didn’t expect it to be quite so...” Kenma sniffed the flower in question, wrinkling his nose. “Might be a tad potent, easily noticeable…”</p>
<p>“Is that going in the acid?”</p>
<p>Kenma laughed. “No this is for something else, a favour for someone else.”</p>
<p>Kunimi shook his head, not really caring what else Kenma was planning. “So it’ll be tomorrow then.”</p>
<p>“Yep.”</p>
<p>If he was dissatisfied with the answer, Kunimi didn’t show it outwardly. He nodded, turning and leaving Kenma to get started in peace. He had plenty to do before he set off on this latest escapade. With Yaku’s suggestion that the walls of the city could provide passage, he needed to plan ahead and figure out how to neutralise any threats. He was wrapped up in his thoughts when he rounded the corner and collided with Tobio. He panicked slightly before realising Tobio wasn’t in a foul mood. He nodded in greeting, mumbling an apology out.</p>
<p>“You’re going to get him out, right?” Tobio asked abruptly, already disregarding the apology.</p>
<p>“Uh, yes.” Kunimi replied, nodding more confidently. “As soon as Kenma’s got the acid to melt the lock—”</p>
<p>Tobio took him by the shoulders, making him stiffen. “Don’t get him or yourself killed.”</p>
<p>“I tend to try to avoid dying.” Kunimi remarked with a smirk. “And I’ve succeeded thus far.”</p>
<p>Tobio didn’t smile. “I mean it. Get him killed and I won’t be merciful.”</p>
<p>Kunimi shoved Tobio’s hands off his shoulders. “I get it. Fucking <em>crystal clear</em>.” He uttered. “You’re not the only one who cares for him you know. He was our friend before he even met you.”</p>
<p>He didn’t wait for the other to say anything, shoving past him and continuing on his way. If he wasn’t determined before, he was now. The nerve of Tobio to say that kind of shit to him got his blood boiling. He wasn’t doing this because Hinata was some ‘protector’ of a royal family.</p>
<p>He remembered what it felt like to not be given a chance to argue his innocence all those years ago. He got a shot at redemption through the Brotherhood and so now it was high time for him to repay that favour for them.</p>
<p>Tobio could go fuck himself if he thought Kunimi was doing this for him and his kingdom.</p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0030"><h2>30. Shrieking Skulls</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>XXX</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Shrieking Skulls</strong>
</p><p>The day was still young when Suga found Kiyoko outside. The courtyard behind the manor was a quiet place, somewhere where one could collect their thoughts and not feel exposed. Beyond the garden were more large manors but they hadn’t seen anyone since they arrived. The privacy it offered compared to the front courtyard meant it had become a popular place for the more active members of the party to let off steam and keep their sword skills sharp. This wasn’t the first time he had found her out here in the five days they had been in the city, but it was the first time she didn’t immediately stop when he let the door shut behind him. There was no practice dummy to strike, but he could see in the way she moved that she was imagining a foe in front of her; ducking out of the way of invisible swings, slashing at nothing but air, pausing as if to anticipate another rush of parries. He vaguely wondered about offering to join her but decided against it as she caught his eye. There was a sheen of sweat on her forehead as she adjusted the grip on her katana and stepped into a flurry of strikes, blade glistening in the sunlight.</p><p>He waited until she relaxed her posture, sheathing her blade as her breathing evened out, before approaching her. She offered a small smile as she adjusted her hair tie; a cut of thin rope still secure despite the activity, though loose strands caught the gentle breeze.</p><p>“So, what’s eating at you?” He asked with a calm smile.</p><p>“That obvious?” She remarked.</p><p>He raised an eyebrow. “I mean, would you rather I took you to ‘check on the horses’ before asking?”</p><p>She laughed. “Not necessary.” She glanced around the garden, the wildflowers were coming into bloom slowly; their vibrant shades bringing much-needed colours to the bland beige and brown colour scheme of the manor, bees bumbled around the opened buds showing no interest in the two of them. “That meeting with Yachi and the twins…something was off about it.”</p><p>“Yeah?”</p><p>“What I saw in that throne room was a young girl thrust into a seat of power before she was ready, but there was more to it, there was…” she shook her head, discarding the rest of the sentence. “None of it makes any sense in my gut. Yachi had told Tobio that she had bigger problems than Hinata breaking treaties, so why arrest Hinata <em>now</em>?”</p><p>Suga hummed. “Because she was told to?”</p><p>“Then we need to put an end to it.” Kiyoko met his gaze. “Because we’ve been in this position before; of rulers being poisoned by others, manipulated and pushed to make choices that end up with others dead.” She paused for a moment. “We need to be smart about it, not just acting without thinking.”</p><p>Suga read between the lines. As much as she was obviously talking about what happened in the south between both kingdoms, but she was getting at something else as well. “You don’t like Kunimi’s plan either?”</p><p>“Of course not.” She scoffed, expression serious as she placed her hands on her hips. “It’s borderline suicidal. Assuming he can get in, assuming he succeeds, assuming he can get Hinata out of there. That’s all fine until someone notices and—” she began to pace as she continued, “he didn’t even <em>try</em> to hide it! He straight up told the twins and Yachi that we—well <em>he</em> would break Hinata out. I don’t understand what he was thinking!”</p><p>“I get it.” Suga nodded. “And I don’t like it either.”</p><p>“Then we can tell him not to, surely?”</p><p>He shrugged. “We can, but whether he’ll listen…” he trailed off. “Look, we know how Tobio feels about Hinata. We know that Kenma and Nishinoya care for Hinata. We know that Hinata is a valued member and has done so much for us.” He took a few steps towards her, reaching out and taking her hands in his. “We’ve seen how Kunimi has gone from despising Hinata for being a mage to actively protecting him, but we don’t <em>really</em> know how deep that goes, do we?”</p><p>She let him hold her hands, smiling slightly as she let his question hang in the air. “Are you suggesting—”</p><p>“I think Kunimi cares about Hinata a lot more than most of us realise. I don’t think he cares in exactly the same way as Tobio, but I think it’s just as strong.” He squeezed her hands. “Who are we to tell him not to act on it?”</p><p>“But he’s putting the rest of us in danger.” She shook her head slightly. “Koushi, he hasn’t thought this through. He’s—”</p><p>He brought a hand up to cup her face. “And that’s why we’re going to help him think it through. Telling him not to do it will only drive him to strike out alone. Just because we don’t approve of it, doesn’t mean we’re going to let him go it alone. The Brotherhood is stronger together.”</p><p>As much as the sentiment was repeated a lot, it rang true. She couldn’t deny that it was the strong bonds of friendship and trust that held true and fast in times of struggle. They were what enabled the Brotherhood to help her after all. Without that same mindset, she would still be cursed and unable to live the life the gods granted her. She wouldn’t be stood in the gardens of a manor with him, a nervous energy rising between them between the calm, soft smiles.</p><p>She leaned into his hand, nodding ever-so-slightly. “Yeah, yeah it is.”</p><p>He gently bumped his forehead against hers, the pad of his thumb brushing over the rise of her cheekbone. There were no more words left to say that wouldn’t just feel like repeating old points, so they remained in the garden alone enjoying the brief respite from the storm brewing overhead.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Walking to the old city district quickly, Akaashi noted the slight shift in the air. Glancing up, the skies that had been mostly clear and calm the last few days were beginning to darken. It wasn’t unusual, there had been rainstorms already this growing season but this felt different. He tried to shake it off as they walked the empty streets of the once-bustling district. By now he was used to the feeling of being watched, the stench of smoke and death on the breeze. He barely reacted to the sounds of scuttling rats and flapping of bird wings in the rafters. Shirabu seemed equally used to it, but he kept glancing to Akaashi as they turned the corner and the plaza opened up to them. They came to stop amongst the ruined trading stalls and rubble from the surrounding buildings. Quiet filled the air, the distant drone of the city felt further away than it was, something Akaashi put down to the strange warding veil that cloaked this district.</p><p>“There they are.” Akaashi nodded to the pile of bones. They hadn’t been disturbed in the slightest, still resting where they had been found. Shirabu approached first, a certain amount of caution in his movements as Akaashi hung back and took in the eerie feeling in the air.</p><p>Shirabu crouched down and took a closer look at the piled-up bones. They were charred, but also showed signs of general wear and tear from being exposed to the elements. An educated guess would indicate they belonged to an adult, but that was as far as his anatomy knowledge went. The lack of a skull was troubling. He glanced over his shoulder at Akaashi.</p><p>“So you can’t read the area like Kei, can you?”</p><p>Akaashi shook his head. “Not as potently. But I can sense there are weird feelings in the air.”</p><p>Shirabu beckoned him over, waiting for the other to crouch down next to him. “What kind of weird feelings?”</p><p>“Like we’re being watched, but not by someone…alive.”</p><p>There was a sharp inhale. “You think it’s them?” He gestured to the bones</p><p>Akaashi held out his hand, hovering his palm over the bones. There wasn’t any strong emotional tug as he did so, though the air felt a little colder. He let his eyes slip shut, clearing his mind of other thoughts for a moment. He kept his breathing slow and steady. After a few moments of nothing, he stood up and glanced around the plaza.</p><p>“Anything?” Shirabu asked.</p><p>The smell of smoke was stronger like a nearby fire had just taken hold. He wrinkled his nose as he slowly paced to the centre of the plaza in silence. There was a gentle tug deep in his subconscious. Ignoring Shirabu’s question, he sat down on the dirt, crossing his legs, and setting his hands on his knees. With another slow exhale, he closed his eyes once more, letting the tug pull him to wherever it needed him to go.</p><p>
  <em>Smoke. Dark, heavy, eyes are burning. The tavern is on fire. The tavern was attacked. Screams fill the air, confusion, fear. Where is the exit? Why are there carts in the way? Where is the guard?</em>
</p><p>He gripped his knees, nails digging through the fabric of his pants. The emotions were flooding in faster now, the panic was buzzing in his mind like a swarm of bees.</p><p>
  <em>The fire is everywhere. How did it spread so fast? Why is it blue? What is happening?! People are screaming, crying, some have fallen in the rush to run. The gates are closed, why are they closed? Buildings are creaking, wood popping, glass shattering. </em>
</p><p>He could hear the sounds of destruction echoing through the empty district, but they were not really there. He swallowed as panic gave way to defeat.</p><p><em>I don</em> <em>’t want to die.</em></p><p>Tears were trickling down his face as he pulled himself out of the swirling emotions. He exhaled heavily as he returned to himself. Shirabu had followed him over and was giving him a concerned look.</p><p>“That was more than I anticipated.” He said, wiping at his cheeks.</p><p>Shirabu was at a loss, dumbly nodding along. “Yeah?”</p><p>“A lot of panic, fear and…sadness.”</p><p>Shirabu nodded again. “Anything else?”</p><p>Akaashi sniffed, rubbing at his damp eyes. “Uh, something about the gates being closed, carts in the way…”</p><p>“So more of that conspiracy that this wasn’t an accident.”</p><p>Akaashi’s gaze moved to the pile of bones. There was a strong sense of sadness in the air as his gaze lingered on them. It didn’t feel right that they were still here whilst many of the other bodies had been cleared away.</p><p>“Speaking of conspiracies.” He tore his gaze away. “Did you want to go to the academy and see the ward for yourself?”</p><p>Shirabu gave him a measured look of concern, unsure if Akaashi was really in his right mind still after such an abrupt experience. “If you’re up for it.”</p><p>Akaashi stood up, dusting himself down and wiping at his face again. “Yes. Yeah.” He nodded. “Let’s go.”</p><p>Shirabu wasn’t entirely convinced Akaashi was okay, but he shrugged it off. They left the plaza, not uttering a word to each other until the large manor that was the academy loomed in front of them. Shirabu wrinkled his nose as they passed through the thin barrier, the static feeling prompting his arms to break out in goosebumps. He wasn’t freaked out by it but chalked it up to a minor point in comparison to what else could be lurking further in.</p><p>They bypassed the ground floor and headed straight up to the upper floor. Shirabu following Akaashi’s lead as they stood in the hallway. He saw the ruined wing for the first time and understood the other’s scepticism now; the roof beams weren’t burnt through like so many other buildings in the district but instead were splintered at each end. The walls were blackened as if there had been smoke at least but nothing compared to what had happened in other buildings.</p><p>He looked a little closer at the beams, sitting on his heels as he picked at the splintered end. “They were hacked at.”</p><p>Akaashi nodded. “And that’s not an easy feat; collapsing a roof with brute force.”</p><p>“I mean,” Shirabu snorted, “we’re in a mage academy, anything is possible here.”</p><p>“So why do it?” Akaashi stood beside him, looking out across the rubble of wooden beams and roof tiles. “What could be gained from this?”</p><p>Following Akaashi’s gaze, Shirabu could see the wing turned left and carried on following the floor plan from the floor below. If they were careful about it, they could pick their way through and see what lay beyond the corner. He shrugged in response to Akaashi’s question.</p><p>“Show me this ward?”</p><p>With a nod, Akaashi gestured for Shirabu to follow once more. The dorm room seemed mundane all things considered, but he didn’t pay attention to anything besides the door that stood at the other end of the room. He let Shirabu approach the door without offering any insight into what he might experience. As he reached the door, Shirabu felt the charged feeling in the air; the same Nishinoya and Lev had picked up on, the same that Akaashi had felt drawn to. Closing his hand around the door handle, the abrupt force repelled any attempt to move the handle. He narrowed his gaze as he placed his palm against the wood. Vibrations greeted him. He hummed softly, splaying his fingers wider before applying pressure. His hand was forced back like the door had gently shoved him away.</p><p>“I see what you mean.” Shirabu stated. “It’s like someone wants to keep us out.”</p><p>Akaashi nodded. “The harder you hit it, the harder it hits back.”</p><p>“Not surprised.”</p><p>“You said you never came here, but do you have any idea what would’ve happened after the fire?”</p><p>“As in, if anyone would stick around?” Shirabu stepped away from the door and turned to face Akaashi. “I mean, if the scholars who taught here got arrested or killed…I imagine the students fled.” He glanced around the room. “It’s hard to say really, unless you were enrolled or you knew someone here, most of what went on inside this place was a mystery.”</p><p>A brief moment of silence fell before Akaashi asked; “Is it possible that someone wanted to stay here to…protect this place?”</p><p>Shirabu shrugged. “Possibly. There might be something here that’s worth protecting from nosey scavengers.”</p><p>Given how little they knew about this place, the idea of there being some dark secret to the academy wasn’t completely unfounded. However Shirabu was certain that those who practised magic in this manor were the more responsible class of mage. He couldn’t see them conducting forbidden rituals or shady dealings with criminals. The damaged wing came back to mind, that was something deliberate and there had to be a reason for it.</p><p>“I want to go through the ruined wing.” He stated. “If only for my own curiosity.”</p><p>Akaashi smiled slightly. “Right behind you.”</p><p>Back in the hallway again, Shirabu picked through the first few pieces of rubble to get to the doorway. From here, the roof gave way to the open air and the elements. The solid oak frame of the door was the last stable piece of the wall before the rest crumbled inward; having been brought down with the roof. He could peek over the top and see across a courtyard. Trees and shrubs had been left to grow wild, ivy had crawled up the outside of the building blocking out windows in the process. He could see an entire section to the manor that they hadn’t seen before.</p><p>“Oi, this wing wraps around, I think…” He called back to Akaashi was just starting to pick his way through the rubble.</p><p>“I had figured that might be a possibility.” Akaashi replied. “Still, making an entire wing collapse is a big deal for one room’s security.”</p><p>Shirabu continued ahead, reaching the end of the inner wall before the room continued left. The outer walls were still standing in varying capacity; most had been partly torn down or crumbled but they still stood despite being buffeted by the elements for the last few years. The open roof hadn’t protected the floor whatsoever, leading to sagging floorboards and ruined furniture. Ivy and moss had crept in through the cracks and former windows giving the place a strangely alive feeling considering all the damage.</p><p>Given what he could make out, Shirabu figured this part of the manor was another dorm. Bed frames had been buried under roofing and rubble, cabinets and chests had rotted away in the damp, remnants of drapes that had once covered windows fluttered in the breeze. Halfway down the room, the roof hadn’t quite fallen in; just like the tavern, wooden beams had splintered and remained in place whilst the rest collapsed. The lack of any fire damage just added more to Akaashi’s theory it wasn’t strictly linked to the events of that night.</p><p>“Huh. Another door.” Shirabu remarked as they stood on more stable flooring.</p><p>Akaashi stepped up to it first, opening it with ease to reveal a long, narrow hallway that turned left at the end. Doors lined the right-hand side and windows lined the left. Through the windows, some missing more panes than others, the courtyard was visible. They paused at one of the windows to take a better look at the overall scene below; it appeared that once the courtyard used to be a hive of activity with many stone benches lining cobblestone paths that linked the four sections of the manor together. Once neatly trimmed shrubbery and well-kept flowering bushes had grown out of their confines and spread across the pathways, claiming the benches for their wild vines and vivid flowers. Ivy clung to most of the walls, ensnaring the doorways and windows, seeping into the building like ink spilt onto a wooden table.</p><p>“Four years feels so short, yet for nature it seems like a blink of an eye.” Shirabu mused as Akaashi leaned on the window frame and peered down. “This courtyard would’ve been immaculately kept, probably used to grow herbs and ingredients. Now it’s as wild as a forest.”</p><p>“It’s strangely beautiful I feel.” Akaashi hummed, already turning to carry on down the hallway.</p><p>Shirabu lingered for a few moments, taking in the scene before following quickly. The doors along the hallway were in varying states of disrepair, some were jammed shut, others lay broken inside their small rooms, a few were barely scratched. The rooms themselves were like the library below; mostly intact except for broken windows from storms gone by, leaky roofs or the occasional sign of nesting rats. Turning left, the hallway continued for a few more paces before another door greeted them. Akaashi opened this one with ease too, revealing a small study of sorts that also housed a section of the tower. A spiral staircase both led up and down. What threw him off slightly was the door to his left, the door that logically would lead to the room blocked by a ward, and what was on it.</p><p>“What the fuck.” Shirabu beat him to the punch with his remark.</p><p>Hanging on the oak door, cradled by a thick, worn, braided rope was a human skull, picked clean of flesh and muscle. It seemed charred by fire but otherwise in fairly good condition. Across the wall next to the door were words in what appeared to be paint or some other inky substance, though it was hard to read at first, Akaashi understood it to be in a runic language.</p><p>They exchanged an uncertain glance.</p><p>“You don’t think this is <em>the</em> skull, do you?” Shirabu whispered.</p><p>“I would…say so?” Akaashi whispered back.</p><p>Shirabu’s composure was quickly slipping as they stood rooted to the spot. “What the fuck is it doing <em>here</em>?”</p><p>Akaashi glanced over the painted words again. They reminded him of the language in some of the books in Kēpu yōsai’s vault but he could tell the two were different. This one seemed older, like the texts Moniwa would spend evenings translating for clients. He wasn’t entirely fluent in the dialect but he could understand the word ‘danger’ and that gave him enough to go on to know it would be unwise to linger.</p><p>“I think we should go.” He told Shirabu.</p><p>“At least let me try the door.” Shirabu pouted.</p><p>Akaashi got a very uneasy feeling but he nodded, hand reaching for the hilt of his whip-blade. Stepping up to the door, Shirabu found himself staring into the eye sockets of the skull. An uneasy feeling stirred in the air as he reached for the door handle. As soon as he closed his hand around the handle, he felt his stomach drop. Fear gripped him as he stared into the empty eye sockets of the skull.</p><p>Akaashi watched and waited, sensing something shifting in the air. As Shirabu remained still and silent, he dared to step forward and place a hand on his shoulder. An ear-piercing scream ripped through his subconscious followed by rapidly flashing images. It rattled him, he pulled his hand away and clutched his head as the scream echoed through his thoughts. He felt like throwing up as he panted, almost like he was winded. Shirabu had stepped back from the door, he seemed more puzzled than terrified.</p><p>“We should leave.” He uttered.</p><p>Akaashi glanced at the bottom of the door, there was a light source on the other side but a dark shadow blocked out some of it. Dread filled his senses as he pulled himself together. Not knowing where the staircase would take them, they decided to retrace their steps back through the other wing. Neither said a word as they picked their way through rubble and ruin. He could feel the mother of all headaches coming on, and Shirabu looked queasy to say the least. Once outside and on the street once more, they glanced back at the abandoned academy before meeting each other’s gaze.</p><p>“Okay,” Shirabu’s shaky voice broke the silence, “so something is <em>definitely</em> fucked up in there.”</p><p>Akaashi nodded. “I…I don’t know if I want to find out what.”</p><p>Shirabu swallowed. “I mean, we have to. Surely, it’s gotta have something to do with—” he broke off, shaking his head. “Whatever. Let’s get out of here for now.”</p><p>“Agreed. We can tell the others and see…what they think.” His gaze flickered back to the building, it felt much more sinister now with the dark storm clouds gathering overhead. They didn’t hang around admiring the eerie beauty of the area, setting off back towards the manor house before they completely lost their minds to whatever they had just experienced.</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0031"><h2>31. A Gathering Storm</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>XXXI</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>A Gathering Storm</strong>
</p>
<p>Sitting in the parlour of the manor, Kunimi found himself under the scrutinising watch of Suga and Yaku. The two had not so subtlety told him that they wanted to talk to him about his current plan to get Hinata out of the palace dungeons. The room had been cleared, no-one else was allowed to overhear the conversation, they even went to the extreme of posting Tanaka and Daichi at the doors to dissuade eavesdroppers. Kunimi knew this was going to be a borderline lecture, but he wasn’t going to roll over and let them talk him out of it. Kenma was almost done making the acid compound he’d need to sabotage any lock he came across that was unable to be picked, so he wasn’t going to stop just because the other’s thought he’d finally lost his mind.</p>
<p>Yaku leaned forward in his seat as he asked, “First of all, how are you planning to get in there?”</p>
<p>“Scale the inner wall, drop down. Find a back door.” Kunimi shrugged. “Every dungeon has a ground entrance.”</p>
<p>Yaku frowned, clearly not satisfied. “And what was your plan for neutralising the guards?”</p>
<p>“You assume I was going to get caught by them?”</p>
<p>“Dammit Akira take it seriously.” Yaku snapped. “This isn’t sneaking into some noble’s house to gut them and skip town immediately. You’re planning to help a prisoner escape the imperial palace dungeons.”</p>
<p>Suga gently set a hand on Yaku’s shoulder, a silent cue. He too leaned forward slightly. “You know where Hinata’s cell is, right?”</p>
<p>Kunimi was unfazed by Yaku’s outburst. “I do.”</p>
<p>“So, you know how to get there from the palace side?”</p>
<p>Kunimi nodded, glancing between the two. “Unless you have any better ideas?”</p>
<p>Yaku inhaled sharply, nodding as he leaned back in his seat. “I noticed that in the district next door, the outer walls have a door in them. Got me thinking, maybe the walls have tunnels.”</p>
<p>“Tunnels that would no doubt lead to the palace.” Kunimi expanded. “I guess there’s a door somewhere in the old district?”</p>
<p>Yaku nodded. “Possibly, but that makes the trip longer, and more dangerous.” He gave Kunimi a no-nonsense expression. “The longer you’re in the tunnel, the higher the chance of getting spotted is.”</p>
<p>Kunimi shrugged. “And the longer he stays in that dungeon, the higher the chance is that Kei or Akiteru is fucking with him.”</p>
<p>Suga exchanged a glance with Yaku. “Okay. So assume you get in, grab him and get out in one piece.” The former said. “What then? You explicitly told Yachi and Atsumu that the Brotherhood would bust him out, but they didn’t exactly give you their blessing, did they?”</p>
<p>Kunimi shook his head. “Well no, of course they wouldn’t.”</p>
<p>“So what’s your plan?”</p>
<p>“By the time they realise he’s gone, Tooru will be here.” Kunimi simply put. “They’ll forget about Hinata soon enough with Tooru kicking up a storm. And that’s <em>before</em> he gets told about what Akiteru’s responsible for.”</p>
<p>There was another glance exchanged between Suga and Yaku. Yaku shook his head. “That’s gonna be some precise timing though. We don’t know how far out Tooru is. Best estimate was two days but with this weather blowing in, he might get delayed—”</p>
<p>“Then I’ll hide Hinata myself.” Kunimi cut in. “If everyone’s so paranoid it’ll lead back here, I’ll take him and hide him myself, just like you did with me.”</p>
<p>Yaku realised now where Kunimi got the inspiration for this crazy scheme. “This isn’t Tanishiti and he’s not just a palace servant. He’s a wanted mage and you made it far too fucking obvious that you’re about to pull some stupid shit to get him out of her clutches.”</p>
<p>Kunimi snorted. “You’re forgetting that the twins and Yachi didn’t exactly tell me <em>not to</em>. At no point did they say they’d try to stop me.”</p>
<p>“Because they’ll just arrest you anyway!” Yaku rose to his feet. “Gods above Akira, we got you out of royal shit once before—”</p>
<p>“And I’m prepared to deal with it all over again.” Kunimi curtly replied, remaining seated for the moment. “Yeah, I might get caught, yeah, I might be killed for it, but at the end of the day I’m just some stubborn asshole who ran away from home to become an assassin. Hinata isn’t.” He stood up so he was eye-level with Yaku. “Whether we like it or not, Hinata is more than just a mage, more than an aura mage, he’s important to Tobio. We haven’t gone through all this bullshit in the past year just for it to all go to hell because we were too fucking chicken to do what we do best and protect one of our own. He needs us right now and I’m not gonna let him down. ”</p>
<p>Suga waited for Yaku’s dismissive scoff, but it never came. The two maintained eye contact for a few moments, Yaku not uttering a word as the air felt thick with tension.</p>
<p>“So, are you going to help me or hinder me?” Kunimi asked.</p>
<p>Yaku sighed heavily. “If that’s your way of asking if I’m gonna put my own ass on the line—”</p>
<p>There was a wry smile from Kunimi. “You taught me everything I know, only seems fitting that you be the one to watch my back.”</p>
<p>Another sigh. Yaku glanced to Suga who gave no indication which answer he’d prefer. He still didn’t like this plan, the very idea of putting themselves in this much danger gave him bad feelings. But Kunimi spoke some sense. Yaku didn’t necessarily want to admit it, but in the short time he had known Kunimi, he had started seeing the other as a younger sibling. And hearing now that the other was prepared to risk everything he had, even his life, to go and save another gave him a sense of pride.</p>
<p>He folded his arms across his chest. “Fine. But we’re gonna be smart about this, not just winging it and hoping for the best.”</p>
<p>Kunimi’s smile grew. “I already have Kenma making acid to break the lock.”</p>
<p>Yaku raised an eyebrow, if he had any objections about acid production, he didn’t voice them. “Right. Well that’s great, except we need to figure out how to get there and get out again.”</p>
<p>“Well do you wanna go find that door you were talking about? Might be a good start?”</p>
<p>“Sure, should probably scope out some hiding places to lay low in once we get him out.”</p>
<p>Suga smiled as the two continued listing things to do before any attempt was made. The weight on his shoulders felt a little lighter as he excused himself from the conversation. He passed Tanaka and Daichi in the hallway and told them all was well now, at least for now. Tanaka grinned and playfully punched his shoulder before stating he was going to find Nishinoya and ask about the approaching storm. Once he was gone, Daichi pulled Suga into a hug, feeling the other sigh heavily in relief.</p>
<p>“You remember that thing you told me a couple of days ago?” Daichi murmured.</p>
<p>Suga pulled back a little. “Yes…why?”</p>
<p>Daichi gave him an amused smile. “I asked Kuroo what he’d do in the situation.”</p>
<p>Suga snorted. “I don’t need to know what Kuroo would do, we all know what he did. He was a pining idiot for a year before he did anything remotely direct about it.”</p>
<p>There was a shrug. “I mean, yes, but he still did something about it.”</p>
<p>“Daichi, I know I asked for advice but this isn’t really the right time.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I’d rather do it when there’s a lot less chaos—”</p>
<p>The door to the manor burst open, cutting him off. Akaashi and Shirabu stumbled in before freezing at the sight of the guild leaders mid-conversation.</p>
<p>“Shit, sorry.” Akaashi cussed, out of breath and face pale. Daichi raised an eyebrow as Shirabu didn’t even feign remorse. “I, uh we just…is Kenma around?”</p>
<p>Suga gestured to the staircase. “Busy finishing up Kunimi’s acid.”</p>
<p>With a quick nod Shirabu immediately took off up the stairs, leaving Akaashi to explain why they looked like frightened rabbits. He took the steps two at a time, accosting one of the manor’s staff to ask where Kenma was and being directed to a closed door. He didn’t knock as he entered, freezing where he stood as he processed what he was seeing now.</p>
<p>It was a small storeroom effectively, definitely not a bedroom. The shelves were stacked with linens and towels along with wash buckets and rags. Kenma had shoved some empty crates into the corner to clear a space to work in. He was sat cross-legged facing the door, around him were several glass vials, clay pots and various alchemical ingredients. His main focus was on a small iron pot being heated by a large red glowing runestone under it. He glanced up as Shirabu burst in, expression passive as he stirred a colourless liquid in the pot. His free hand was suspended above it, fingers flexing as a faint white mist swirled around like fog dancing on a cold winter’s breeze.</p>
<p>“Close the door.” He uttered.</p>
<p>Shirabu did as he was told. Kenma’s gaze went back to what he was doing. He showed no desire to hear whatever lunacy Shirabu had come to inform him about, his focus entirely on the mixture and the swirling mist. Nevertheless, Shirabu was going to tell him.</p>
<p>“We found the skull.” He said. “It’s in the academy.”</p>
<p>“Wonderful.” Kenma uttered, flexing his fingers and spurring the mist to grow. The runestone pulsed under the pot, the smell in the air made Shirabu feel slightly queasy.</p>
<p>“It’s fucked up.” Shirabu continued. “Like, when I touched it—”</p>
<p>“Even Hinata would tell you that was a dumb idea.” Kenma cut in, halting in his stirring momentarily to study how it bubbled.</p>
<p>“Hey I’m not an empath like Akaashi, I didn’t know it would deafen my mind!” He snapped.</p>
<p>“So why are you complaining to me about it?”</p>
<p>There was a pout. Shirabu was more than a little irked at how little Kenma seemed to care. “Because we think that it’s linked to what happened that night. And isn’t your Brotherhood trying to work out what happened?”</p>
<p>Kenma took the silver spoon out of the pot, setting it down on the floor, not paying any attention to how it hissed when it hit the wood. Now he used both hands to conjure the mist, finally glancing up again to meet Shirabu’s gaze.</p>
<p>“The Brotherhood’s priority is to get Hinata out of the dungeons.” He stated. “And right now, Kunimi’s plan is easier to execute than solving a four-year-old mystery. So that’s what <em>I</em><em>’m</em> focusing on.”</p>
<p>“Easier to execute?!” Shirabu laughed sarcastically. “You mean a suicide mission. He’s gonna get himself arrested and killed.”</p>
<p>“That’s sentiment has been expressed many times before.” Kenma’s fingers flexed, mist vortex growing even more until it covered the entire pot. “And still we persevere.”</p>
<p>Sensing this was going to descend into an argument, Shirabu dropped it. “So what are you doing?”</p>
<p>Kenma glanced down, peering through the mists. “This is going to melt the inner workings of any lock that they come across. It’s volatile and could lead to scars if they get it on themselves, but it’s gonna be a lot faster than trying to pick the lock.”</p>
<p>“Huh. Ever done it before?”</p>
<p>“Not really. I’ve used this before to destroy a few chains that held a tome shut.” Kenma shrugged. “It can be finicky. Hopefully Kunimi will have enough time to well, take his time.”</p>
<p>Shirabu wasn’t really sure what Kunimi’s grand plan was, but he didn’t want anything to do with it. He still reckoned the twins’ plan would’ve been a better avenue to go but the Brotherhood seemed hell-bent on ignoring logical solutions. Though that didn’t mean <em>he</em> couldn’t appeal to them.</p>
<p>“Alright. Well have fun.”</p>
<p>He turned to leave, halting momentarily as Kenma spoke up; “That skull. You said it deafened your mind.”</p>
<p>He inhaled sharply, not wanting to remember it so soon after getting back. “Yeah. Ear-piercing scream. Akaashi heard it too. It left us both feeling all sorts of…terrified.”</p>
<p>Kenma hummed in thought. “Curious. That’s an odd choice of warding magic. Usually it’s more macabre and…seeking to taunt.”</p>
<p>Shirabu glanced over his shoulder. “And what do you make of—”</p>
<p>“I’d have to experience it for myself. But this must be finished first.”</p>
<p>Shirabu could cope with that compromise. It was obvious that Kenma wasn’t going to budge until Hinata was out of the dungeons.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Recounting the entire ordeal to Suga and Daichi sent Akaashi into a full-blown meltdown. By the end of it, he was clinging to Suga as he wheezed, tears streaming down his face as he begged the other to make them stop. Daichi was regretting sending Kuroo out with Bokuto now.</p>
<p>“Kenma’s busy, so the only mage here is Nishinoya.” Daichi murmured aloud as Suga fought to keep Akaashi from slumping to the floor. He wasn’t sure how he felt about asking Nishinoya to deal with this, but he didn’t get a chance to object.</p>
<p>“Bring him up here.” Tanaka called from the top of the stairs, Nishinoya by his side surveying the scene. “Go find Kuroo.”</p>
<p>Daichi nodded, making sure Suga could manage getting Akaashi upstairs alone before quickly setting off. Nishinoya wasn’t going to claim he knew exactly what to do, but there were a few tricks up his sleeve as Akaashi was shepherded into one of the bedrooms. He told everyone else to get out, that Akaashi didn’t need an audience right now. His serious tone prompting no arguments from either Suga or Tanaka.</p>
<p>Once alone with the emotional mess that Akaashi had become, Nishinoya sat on the bed next to him and pulled him into a tight hug. He wasn’t an empath mage, but he could feel the waves of fear rolling off the other. That was how strong these emotions were for Akaashi; he couldn’t control them. Whatever had happened, it had fucked him up.</p>
<p>“N-Noya, Nishinoya…” He wheezed between sobs. “Make it stop, I don’t want to see it—”</p>
<p>Nishinoya swallowed. “I got you. I have you.” He replied, hugging Akaashi tighter.</p>
<p>He didn’t really know how empath mages worked, but he tried his best to keep his own thoughts positive.</p>
<p>
  <em>They were fine. Everyone was fine. They were gonna get Hinata out of danger. Tobio was going to negotiate the treaties and get them abolished. They were going to go home and live the rest of their days in peace. It was going to be okay.</em>
</p>
<p>Akaashi clung to him, hand clutching at his shirt as he buried his face in Nishinoya’s shoulder. The sobs kept coming, the muffled pleas to make it stop. Nishinoya wanted to ask what it was but at the same time he didn’t want to know. He could deal with rogue elements, he could deal with storms of ice, vortexes of fire, explosions of lighting. He didn’t have a way to deal with attacks on the mind, the heart and soul.</p>
<p>He never envied Akaashi for the way his powers worked. If anything he was always in awe at how the other could carry himself into hell and back so many times.</p>
<p>“You’re going to be okay.” He said. “I know you will.”</p>
<p>He tightened his hold on Akaashi, resting his cheek against the top of Akaashi’s head as he kept his breathing steady, his thoughts calm. The waves of fear and panic were subsiding slowly, but there was nothing to indicate this was going to stop anytime soon. Even if Akaashi seemed to calm down, there was no guarantee that he’d be ‘okay’ for a few days. This certainly shot down any ideas of him taking on Kei singlehandedly. Kuroo was going to hit the roof if Akaashi suggested it after this.</p>
<p>It felt like hours passed before Akaashi passed out, it was probably only twenty or thirty minutes. Nishinoya kept hold of him, the tension in the air had dissipated as the sobs faded. He wasn’t surprised Akaashi’s body had given up on him. Exhaustion was the most common side effect of any magical experience after all. It left Nishinoya time to think more frank thoughts without worrying Akaashi would pick up on them. He found it incredibly unfair that the Brotherhood had managed to all survive a full-on battle yet still found themselves going through shit like this. That wasn’t how this was meant to be. They were heroes and heroes were meant to be granted their happily ever after. This didn’t feel like one of those.</p>
<p>Outside he could hear the steady thrumming of rain, the storm had arrived. He sighed.</p>
<p>A gentle knock at the door made him glance over. It cracked open and Kuroo cautiously slipped in, closing the door behind him. He was out of breath, chest heaving as he looked between Nishinoya and Akaashi. The questions were on the tip of his tongue as Nishinoya brought a finger to his lips to signal to be quiet.</p>
<p>“What happened?” His voice was barely above a whisper as he remained where he stood.</p>
<p>“I don’t know the details.” Nishinoya replied. “All I know is that he and Shirabu went to the academy and…encountered something. He just kept pleading for me to ‘make it stop’.” He blinked slowly. “He was terrified, whatever it was.”</p>
<p>Kuroo swallowed, rubbing his face with his hands. “Great. Great…okay, ‘cause Shirabu left before I got back. So I guess…fuck I don’t know.”</p>
<p>“Don’t worry about that.” Nishinoya shook his head. “Just focus on him.”</p>
<p>Kuroo sat on the bed, gently coaxing Akaashi to lean against him instead and releasing Nishinoya. He pressed a kiss to Akaashi’s forehead, leaning back against the wall as he continued to slowly and gently position the other into a less awkward position. Nishinoya sensing his job here was done, stood up and approached the door.</p>
<p>“Hey Noya.” Kuroo whispered.</p>
<p>“Mhm?”</p>
<p>“Thank you. I know…it’s not easy to see him like this.”</p>
<p>Nishinoya shrugged, putting on a brave smile. “What are brothers for if not to pick each other up when we’ve fallen down?”</p>
<p>Kuroo regarded him with a thoughtful gaze. “Yeah, but that doesn’t make it any easier.”</p>
<p>With that, Nishinoya took his leave. He didn’t want to talk to anyone as he made his way downstairs. He slipped through the kitchen to avoid being accosted by anyone, ending up outside in the rainstorm.</p>
<p>Dark clouds hung overhead. Stepping out into the garden of the manor, the cool rain hit his skin. Holding out his hands, the familiar almost friendly feeling of sparks taking hold made him feel slightly more in control. Rain continued to fall. Flashes of blue arced between his fingertips as he stood rooted to the spot. The flood of emotions coursing through him seemed to rise up like an ocean swell.</p>
<p>This wasn’t fear or dread, this was helplessness.</p>
<p>He had buried it the last few days, but as Akaashi had pleaded for him to ease his suffering, he was reminded how powerless he was against foes like Kei Tsukishima. He was just an elemental mage. He couldn’t do anything to stop his friends being torn apart from the inside. All he could do was summon the basic elements with the click of his fingers. He gritted his teeth as the rain fell harder, soaking him to the skin. His hair had been flattened by now, water trickling down under his clothes. It helped mask the tears of frustration. Sparks arced higher, more sporadic in their forking. Mud squelched under his feet as he began pacing, wringing his hands together and generating more flashes of bright blue light. Above him the clouds were moving, shifting, morphing into bigger, darker masses. The daylight seemed so faint now as grey bled into black.</p>
<p>As one of his friends, brothers, was stuck in the dungeon, he couldn’t do anything to help him. He wasn’t a sneaky assassin. He wasn’t a noble. He wasn’t any type of negotiator. He was a court jester if anything. He wasn’t taken seriously by most until he threatened to bring the wrath of the heavens down on them. He ran his hands through his wet hair, sparks fizzling near his ears. He tugged on the strands harshly as he let out a yell of frustration. Clenching one hand into a fist, lightning cracked violently as above him, thunder rumbled.</p>
<p>He knew coming here was a bad idea. He knew Tobio challenging the empire was going to end badly but he didn’t anticipate this happening. None of them did. They had played right into whatever fucked up scheme the Tsukishimas were responsible for. They were chasing shadows and rumours in a vague attempt to gain political trust. They were dancing to the tune of those who didn’t care for them.</p>
<p>It made him feel physically sick.</p>
<p>He stopped pacing, bringing both hands in front of him and staring at them. He was capable of things many dreamed of, but he felt weaker than ever. His eyes welled up with tears again as he thought about how he had been hiding away all this time instead of doing something to help.</p>
<p>Well that was going to change.</p>
<p>He clapped his hands together, sparks exploding on contact before he threw his hand into the air. A fluorescent blue lightning bolt shot up into the black sky above him. He watched as it was absorbed before exploding outward. It crawled across the sky like a spider web as a ferocious roar of thunder echoed over the city.</p>
<p>“Give me strength.” He whispered, continuing to watch the sprawling lightning and listen to the rumble of thunder. “Spirits give me strength.”</p>
<p>The rain continued to fall as he felt a little more at ease. Like he had cast the heaviness that had been plaguing his soul up into the sky. The door to the manor opened. He glanced over, imagining he looked like a drowned rat; soaked to the skin, hair sticking to his forehead and neck.</p>
<p>“Hey,” Tanaka didn’t move to step out into the rain, “I’ve been watching you pacing back and forth.”</p>
<p>Nishinoya weakly smiled, sniffing loudly. “Yeah?”</p>
<p>Tanaka nodded, looking him up and down. “You looked like you needed to go through some stuff, so I left you alone until Suga started lamenting about how you’ll catch a fever.”</p>
<p>“Heh…” He shrugged as he started walking over. “I guess he’ll want me sat by the fire for the rest of the day?”</p>
<p>Tanaka smiled, stepping aside to let him inside and passing him a cut of cloth to dry himself with. “I mean out of anyone here, I reckon the thunder mage can withstand a storm or two without getting sick.”</p>
<p>Nishinoya smiled weakly. That was a title he hadn’t heard in a while. He let the cloth sit on his head for a few moments as he tried to think of a witty remark to reply with. Tanaka gently patted his head, understanding the raw emotions still coursing through him.</p>
<p>“They reckon Tooru’s gonna be here tomorrow.” Tanaka changed the subject. “So we better get ready for Tobio to kick up a fuss all over again.”</p>
<p>“Great? And how’s Kunimi’s plan coming along?”</p>
<p>“Well, Yaku is going with him now. Still gonna be gutsy. They need to sneak past a load of guard posts and then get out again. I dunno if Tooru’s gonna be a good enough distraction.”</p>
<p>If he was being honest, Nishinoya felt the same. He understood Kunimi’s logic, but Tooru wasn’t going to command that much fanfare. The feeling of helplessness was still lingering as he considered how much of a risk Kunimi and Yaku were taking by attempting this. No they needed another distraction. What could be a better distraction for the guards than another treaty-breaking mage? He made more of an effort to dry his hair before meeting Tanaka’s gaze.</p>
<p>“Say, do you think the guards know about…the rest of the mages?”</p>
<p>Tanaka gave him a concerned look. “Maybe? Why?”</p>
<p>He let the cloth hang around his neck. “I mean, Kunimi and Yaku won’t be able to avoid all the guards just by pure chance…”</p>
<p>“Are you suggesting you use yourself as bait? Are you insane?”</p>
<p>Nishinoya shrugged. “If it helps get Hinata out of there, I’m prepared to risk it. It’s not like I’m doing anything else right now?”</p>
<p>Tanaka took him by the shoulders. “Bro. Noya. I’ve always had your back, and I always will, but this is even more ridiculous than Kunimi’s plan.” He squeezed Nishinoya’s shoulders. “Like, if you’re caught, you’ll end up there too.”</p>
<p>“If.” Nishinoya repeated. “And besides, we’re all fairly sure Hinata’s there because he pissed off <em>Kei </em>last year. Not because of those treaties. And Tobio is gonna get them revoked anyway.”</p>
<p>“I…” Tanaka sighed heavily. “Bro, are you sure you want to? Cause there’ll be no going back—”</p>
<p>Nishinoya placed his hands over Tanaka’s. “What kind of mentor to Hinata would I be if I didn’t? I can’t expect Kunimi to be the only one risking his ass.”</p>
<p>Tanaka snorted, shaking his head as he pulled his hands away. “I’m not letting you do this alone.”</p>
<p>There was a grin from Nishinoya. “Heh, just like old times?”</p>
<p>Tanaka returned the grin. “Just like old times.”</p>
<p>“With the lightning,” Nishinoya presented his closed fist.</p>
<p>“Comes the thunder.” Tanaka finished, bumping his fist against Nishinoya’s.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0032"><h2>32. The Dark Before The Dawn</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>XXXII</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>The Dark Before The Dawn</strong>
</p>
<p>Shirabu didn’t bother telling anyone where he was headed. He figured they had enough things to think about and besides, he wasn’t part of the Brotherhood, he didn’t have to answer to them. The storm that had been brewing overhead exploded into existence as he travelled across the district. Rain thrashed down sending the general public rushing indoors unless they had to stay out and brave it. Thunder echoed through the emptying streets and flashes of lighting caught him off guard. He felt like they weren’t strictly organic.</p>
<p>Coming up on the familiar manor of the Miya family, he let out a small sigh of relief. The idea of sitting in front of a warm fire was a nice one. He was greeted by their head housekeeper and shown into the parlour. A roaring fire felt heavenly to his sodden self and he was invited to make himself comfortable until one of the brothers could talk to him. Outside the rain was thrashing down still, thunder rumbled occasionally but a lot less frequently. It gave him some time to think about how he was going to phrase any of this. What he even wanted to be told. As much as he wasn’t part of the Brotherhood, he didn’t want them to fail. This situation was volatile enough though, an empire on the brink of a coup, at least two rogue empath mages and now both kings of the southern kingdom wading into the ordeal.</p>
<p>He wanted to know what Atsumu and Osamu wanted out of all of this. What did they want to gain from letting this play out in front of them?</p>
<p>“Ah, Kenjirou.” Atsumu’s cheery voice indicated he wasn’t surprised at his sudden arrival. He entered the parlour alone, adjusting his thin jerkin before sitting down across from Shirabu. “Sorry to make you wait, I was dictating a letter to send home to our father.”</p>
<p>“Understandable.” Shirabu nodded. “Osamu busy?”</p>
<p>Atsumu smiled, leaning back into his seat. “Yeah. Busy.” He shrugged. “What can I do for you?”</p>
<p>The lack of detail didn’t go amiss. It suggested Osamu was putting plans into motion that he wasn’t privy to knowing just yet. “Just wanted some…clarification.”</p>
<p>“Clarification.” Atsumu repeated like it was a foreign word. “Hm, on what?” He linked his fingers together as he held his hands in his lap.</p>
<p>“What was said in that meeting, the one with you Tobio and Yachi?”</p>
<p>There was a raised eyebrow. “You’ll have to be more specific.”</p>
<p>Shirabu held his gaze, Atsumu was good at this game; not revealing too much or too little until he understood the cards on the table.</p>
<p>“Yachi said she’d release Hinata?”</p>
<p>Atsumu nodded. “As long as no formal charges are brought forth.”</p>
<p>“So he wasn’t arrested because of the treaty?”</p>
<p>There was a pause. “Not strictly speaking. She has agreed to discuss those treaties, so therefore acting upon them would complicate things further.”</p>
<p>“So <em>why the fuck</em> is he in the dungeon?”</p>
<p>Atsumu shifted his sitting position, fingertips pressed together in a steeple as he regarded Shirabu with an unreadable expression.</p>
<p>“As I said once before to Tobio, we were not at that court summons. That was Akiteru’s doing and I wouldn’t be surprised if he wanted to compromise Tobio’s composure.” He stated. “After all, who is going to take an overly-emotional king seriously? In many ways, Tobio’s attitude is going to be his undoing here.”</p>
<p>Shirabu scoffed. “And I thought it was in your best interest to keep Tobio on your side? From what I’ve heard, you don’t seem in a hurry to help.”</p>
<p>Atsumu didn’t flinch at the remark. “We’re not in a hurry to jeopardise our own reputation.”</p>
<p> “Sounds like you’re scared.” Shirabu boldly stated, appreciating the slight frown on Atsumu’s face. “Yeah? You’re scared that interfering too publicly in these affairs will have you branded as a traitor.”</p>
<p>“I would be careful how many accusations like that you throw around.”</p>
<p>Shirabu shook his head. “Where I’ve been the last few years, those are <em>mild</em>.” He leaned forward, smirking slightly. “Atsumu, you saved my life and for that I’m grateful, but if you don’t want to be caught up in the storm that’s about to get unleashed, you might want to make your family’s intentions more obvious.”</p>
<p>On cue, there was a rumble of thunder outside. Shirabu’s smirk grew a little.</p>
<p>Atsumu narrowed his gaze. “What do you know?”</p>
<p>“I’m not at liberty to say.” Shirabu shrugged, relaxing back on the bench. “But the only reason that I’m here right now is to…inform you that Hinata’s fate may be the least of your worries within the next day.”</p>
<p>“Is that right,” Atsumu didn’t seem rattled, more perplexed, “because Kunimi is going to break him out, correct?” He smiled. “He’s more than welcome to. It gives me one less thing to plan.”</p>
<p>“Would he face consequences? After all, he seemed to make it abundantly clear that was his intention?”</p>
<p>“I’ll say this; if your mild threat is as serious as you imply, we won’t care about some boy who likes playing the act of an assassin.” He blinked slowly, meeting Shirabu’s gaze with a much more serious expression. “Our priority has always been to protect Yachi from Akiteru’s influence.”</p>
<p>“Has it?” Shirabu couldn’t help the little sarcastic laugh. “You don’t seem to be doing a good job.”</p>
<p>“These things take time, as I’m sure you can appreciate.”</p>
<p>“Uh-huh.” Shirabu had heard all he needed to hear. He stood up and gave a half-bow in thanks. “Well time is a luxury some of us don’t have.”</p>
<p>Atsumu didn’t reply or even rise from his own seat as Shirabu saw himself out. The rain had subsided a little, but by now the dusk was creeping in. He resigned himself to returning to the manor to find out what lunacy had taken place in his absence. No doubt Kunimi would be nearly ready to execute his plan, maybe Kenma would finally be able to properly look into the crazy shit going on in the academy.</p>
<p>Though who knew how quickly all of this would go to hell once Tooru arrived.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>The storm could be heard even down in the dungeons. Hinata nervously chewed on his lip. The day had passed slowly, he was tired despite being confined to this cell all day. He had been trying to reach Akaashi since he woke up. Every so often he’d focus on seeking the other out, on connecting their thoughts again but there had been no response to his calls. He had taken off his runestone, running the leather cord through his fingers as he tried not to think too hard about what was headed his way. His last call to Akaashi had been exhausting, the storm didn’t make it easy. Thunder rumbled, it must be impossibly loud if he could hear it down here under the dirt and rock. The ruby-red stone felt warmer that evening as he grasped it in his palm.</p>
<p>Food had been served, a watered-down, half cold stew. He ate it despite how foul it tasted. It had helped ease some of his headaches but not the nerves building. He was getting worried, not for himself at this point, but for Akaashi. Sure they weren’t well-practised in talking at long distance, but this felt wrong. Akaashi wouldn’t leave him hanging. Akaashi would at least check in to inform him if anything had changed.</p>
<p>The dungeons were a quiet place for the most part, definitely not filled with howling screams of agony and anguish like he had feared. But in other ways it was more unnerving. It meant that aside from the guards addressing him, he was alone with his thoughts. It wasn’t necessarily bad, but he wasn’t often left alone for so long and it was starting to gnaw at him. Somewhere elsewhere in the tunnels, a bell tolled.</p>
<p>“Hey kid.” Ukai’s voice called from across the hallway.</p>
<p>He got to his feet, rising on tiptoes as he got to the door. “Yeah?”</p>
<p>“Guards are changing.” Ukai wasn’t smiling as he held Hinata’s gaze through the iron bars of the windows. “You got any way out of here?”</p>
<p>Hinata swallowed. “N-No, I can’t…something’s wrong.”</p>
<p>Ukai nodded. “So you have nothing. No tricks?”</p>
<p>Hinata shook his head. Nothing that wouldn’t result in death. To make a portal he’d need chalk and time, not to mention a portal to go <em>to</em>. He wasn’t going to go on a rampage to get out of here, he had faith in Tobio to get him out the right way. If the Brotherhood wanted to go out of their way to work faster, he wasn’t going to turn them down. Killing wasn’t in his blood though.</p>
<p>“I’ll…I’ll have to just deal with it.” He faked a brave smile.</p>
<p>Ukai didn’t return it. He shook his head dismissively. “What’s gotten so much attention on you anyway? Aside from being close to Tobio, why do they care about you so much?”</p>
<p>He figured there was no harm in telling Ukai some of what had happened. “I’m not really…a normal elemental mage.” He laughed weakly. “I’m what some call an aura mage.”</p>
<p>Ukai’s eyes widened.</p>
<p>“Some people say I’m a ‘once-in-an-age mage’ but eh, I’m just me…” He clutched the runestone tightly. “I made a pact with a…well, someone really important, and so now I’m sworn to protect Tobio and his family. So I guess…that’s why everyone thinks I’m a huge deal. They want him to feel weak.”</p>
<p>Ukai reached up and gripped the iron bars of his cell window. “You’re an aura mage…they—you actually exist?”</p>
<p>It was Hinata’s turn to seem surprised. “I…yes? I can wield the five physical elements…and some others.”</p>
<p>Ukai’s grip on the iron bars tightened. “Fuck sake…” He cursed loudly, hanging his head. “Don’t fucking tell anyone here what you are. I mean it.”</p>
<p>Footsteps echoed down the hallway. Hinata pulled back from the door instinctively. The guard peered through the window with an icy glare.</p>
<p>“Quit yapping both of you.” He scolded. “Save it for the Seeker.”</p>
<p>Hinata swallowed, slumping against the back wall. As the guard walked back up the hallway he clutched the runestone. It pulsed in his hands. He tried once more to reach Akaashi, squeezing his eyes shut and trying to focus on the other’s calming presence. Akaashi was always so calm in these situations. He wasn’t always cool and collected of course, but when it mattered most he was there.</p>
<p>Except this time it seemed. The plea for help went unanswered.</p>
<p>He sat there in the dark cell in silence, clutching his runestone as if it was his very life force. He had no idea what this Seeker would want from him, but he got the distinct feeling it wasn’t good. From what Ukai implied and the stories Shirabu told him, this wouldn’t be an encounter he’d want to remember.</p>
<p>It was a while before the guard returned, same icy glare being directed his way as the metal bolt was slid back. Hinata swallowed. Putting up a fight didn’t seem to make a difference to them. He was going to be dragged to see this Seeker regardless.</p>
<p>“Hey!” Ukai’s voice boomed, startling him as well as the guard. “I got a few words for this Seeker.”</p>
<p>The guard seemed confused but stopped short of questioning it. He looked back and forth between the cells before shrugging. Hinata heard the bolt on his door slide back into place. A split second later a different bolt was being moved and the jangle of keys was heard. Ukai’s door swung open and there were sounds of a minor scuffle. Hinata was frozen in place but from this angle he could just barely see Ukai being dragged out of his cell.</p>
<p>“I’m sure the Seeker will be very interested in what you have to say.” The guard grunted. “Better be worth it, for your sake.”</p>
<p>Ukai snorted, casting a glance to Hinata through his window before being shoved down the hallway. As the heavy door slammed shut behind them, Hinata felt a sinking feeling his chest. It took him a few moments to process what had just happened.</p>
<p>The stone in his hand pulsed as his grip tightened. His chest felt like it was on fire as he brought his shaking hands to his lips, cupping the stone. His heart was slamming in his chest as tears welled up in his eyes. Relief mixed with fear. If the others didn’t come through in the next day, if something had really gone wrong out there, he was doomed.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>On the horizon, the faint outline of the city spires could be made out in the gloom. Though dulled by the rain, signal fires could be seen sheltered by guard towers. Iwaizumi estimated they’d be in the city by mid-morning if they kept a steady pace. Tooru had pushed them to move quickly, not dwelling very long in any populated places. He wasn’t going all out with his presence, he had actually tried to avoid most of the major villages and chose to camp in the wilderness.</p>
<p>Iwaizumi had to smile a little at how unlike him it was, but it also spoke of how seriously he wanted this element of surprise.</p>
<p>“You reckon the storm will pass by morning?” Yamamoto asked, poking the struggling embers of the campfire. “Don’t really feel like riding in this rain.”</p>
<p>Iwaizumi shrugged. “Maybe? It’s not a massive issue.”</p>
<p>“Better hope it’s not an omen, the rains to quench the fire of the phoenix.”</p>
<p>Yamamoto received a glare from Iwaizumi for this comment. Tooru seemed unbothered by the suggestion, more focused on polishing his sword. The trio didn’t tend to make much conversation in the evenings, Tooru was always mulling over what could happen when he got to Hinode, Iwaizumi nearly always paced around the camp on an active lookout for threats until he was satisfied they weren’t being watched. Yamamoto often took the time to gather kindling for the next night’s fire and would fall asleep first so he could pick up the night’s watch later.</p>
<p>It was a lonely trip in some ways, but Tooru didn’t mind it. He was eager to see Tobio again, even more eager to see what kind of welcome he’d get in the empire. Unlike House Kageyama, the imperial family had no active quarrel with his family or his kingdom. He wondered if this would change anything, if they would greet him with more genuine smiles. How they reacted to his friendship with Tobio would also be entertaining to witness.</p>
<p>“Say,” Iwaizumi caught his attention, “when we get there, are we just heading straight for the palace?”</p>
<p>“As opposed to?” He replied, sheathing his sword. “Tobio didn’t give me any idea where he’s based right now.”</p>
<p>Iwaizumi shrugged. “We could send Tora ahead of us to find out.”</p>
<p>“We could. And risk the surprise being ruined.” He pouted playfully. “Hajime, I want to surprise her majesty.”</p>
<p>Iwaizumi didn’t bother fighting the smile playing on his lips. “Uh-huh. But things may have changed.”</p>
<p>“And I’m sure they’d send one of the many lunatics to greet us in that case.”</p>
<p>He wasn’t wrong, Iwaizumi could imagine some poor sod like Daichi being sent to the gate to meet them. He cast his gaze back to the city skyline, or what he could see of it anyway. There was a heavy feeling in his bones as he considered what was happening; they were walking into an entirely unknown situation purely because the name <em>Kei Tsukishima</em> had been in Tobio’s last letter. They didn’t know how influential he was. They didn’t know what was going on. They didn’t know how Tobio had fared in his encounter with the empress.</p>
<p>If the nobles back home knew how little they were prepared for this, he could imagine their astonishment. Some would call it reckless, others stupid. He thought it was a mix of the two. He hadn’t wanted to let Tooru do this but this was the last skeleton in his closet, finding Kei and getting answers for everything would put the final shreds of doubt in Tooru’s mind to rest. He could finally focus on the future, on being the grand king.</p>
<p>He hoped.</p>
<p>There was every possibility this could end in another war, but that didn’t feel likely just yet. They had to play their cards right, to call bluff at the right time and most importantly; know when to fold and walk away.</p>
<p>He wasn’t sure how easy it would be for Tooru to walk away now, but that’s what he was around for after all.</p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0033"><h2>33. Rolling Thunder</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>XXXIII</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Rolling Thunder</strong>
</p>
<p>Tobio awoke to Yamaguchi shaking him. He wasn’t exactly happy about this, but Yamaguchi’s concerned expression quickly made him forgive him. “Alright I’m awake.” He mumbled, swatting the other away. “What is it now?”</p>
<p>“Tooru’s here.”</p>
<p>Those two words was all it took to get him sat up. “Already?”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi nodded. “I had Daichi send some of the Brotherhood out at dawn’s light to check the road. Bokuto just returned leaving Kiyoko out there to liaise with Tooru.”</p>
<p>Tobio was already getting out of bed and pulling on fresh clothes. “Great, does Tooru have a plan?”</p>
<p>“As far as Bokuto could tell, not really.” Yamaguchi continued, moving to help Tobio dress himself. “Kiyoko is giving Tooru the lowdown on Hinata’s situation, including Kunimi’s plan.”</p>
<p>“Mhm.” Tobio nodded. “Good. When is Kunimi leaving?”</p>
<p>“Not sure. I overheard Nishinoya and Tanaka declaring they were going to ‘help’. I almost prefer to not know what lunacy they’re all cooking up. It’s better if we don’t get involved in that particular aspect.”</p>
<p>Tobio gave him a long look, shaking his head a little. “I told Kunimi to make sure he doesn’t get Hinata killed.”</p>
<p>“I heard.” Yamaguchi said. “In fact I also heard Kunimi loudly complaining to Kindaichi about <em>how</em> you told him. I’d appreciate it if you <em>didn</em><em>’t</em> start fights with the Brotherhood. They’re here to help us, not compete with you for Hinata’s devotion.”</p>
<p>Tobio’s face was red as Yamaguchi stepped back to look him up and down and make sure there weren’t any wardrobe malfunctions. Without another word, Tobio set his crown on his head. Despite it still being early morning, pretty much everyone was awake and preparing in varying degrees for the day ahead. As Tobio entered the parlour, he noted Kunimi and Yaku were already putting the finishing touches to their equipment for their daring mission; dark tanned leather attire covering every inch of skin from the neck down, buckles fastened and secured, weapons sheathed and the all-too-important flask of acid that Kenma had cooked up.</p>
<p>Kunimi glanced up at Tobio, face half-obscured by the navy-blue cloth covering his nose and mouth. His hair was tied back under his hood. Only his eyes were truly revealed but Tobio knew that glare anywhere. Yaku was dressed almost identically, his hair loosely framing his eyes and his tanned leathers a little more well-worn.</p>
<p>“When are you both leaving?” Tobio asked them, ignoring the rest of the activity around the room.</p>
<p>Kunimi raised an eyebrow. “When we know Tooru is in the city.”</p>
<p>Tobio nodded slightly, looking to Daichi. “How far out is he?”</p>
<p>“Bokuto said they were just outside the valley forest.” Daichi replied. “Kiyoko volunteered to escort them to the city gates and fill them in on what they needed to know. After they enter the city, she’ll return and let us know what Tooru’s plan is.”</p>
<p>“Assuming he has one.” Shirabu scoffed, Tobio hadn’t realised the other had stayed the night. He gestured for him to continue with his thoughts. “Don’t get me wrong, Tooru is smart, but I get the feeling you mentioning Kei might’ve gotten a knee-jerk reaction.”</p>
<p>Tobio wasn’t going to dispute that, he had sorted hoped that would happen. “Well hopefully Iwaizumi has convinced him to keep some sense about him.”</p>
<p>Shirabu let out a small sarcastic laugh. “Uh-huh. You keep that optimistic mindset Tobio, it’s cute.”</p>
<p>Before any further remarks could arise, Nishinoya and Tanaka declared they were ready whenever Kunimi was. The mage had donned the same circlet that he had taken from the vault, the bright blue gem glistened in the daylight that streamed through the windows. Tanaka wasn’t going in unprepared; his leather armour being worn for the first time since they got to the city. It felt more and more like they were heading into battle not ‘causing a distraction’.</p>
<p>“So what will you do?” Daichi directed the question at Tobio. “Are you going to be there when Tooru shows up?”</p>
<p>Tobio allowed himself to smirk slightly. “I intend to be.”</p>
<p>“Better get a move on then.”</p>
<p>It had been decided already that whilst Kunimi’s plan was in motion, the rest of the Brotherhood would remain in the manor. Inuoka was the next logical target for any attempt to further attack Tobio’s confidence. If Nishinoya was going to remind everyone of the treaties being broken, then there was no guarantee that certain factions of the city would wait long to strike. After all, there was no doubt some sort of bounty on Kenma’s head even if no-one strictly knew who he was. With the Brotherhood becoming more and more known to the authority figures, it wouldn’t take long for someone to start putting the pieces together.</p>
<p>There was also the minor issue that Akaashi was still out of commission. He had woken up with the mother of all headaches before slipping back into a restless sleep with Inuoka watching over him whilst housebound. Semi hadn’t slept tremendously well either, but he was doing remarkably better than expected. With Daichi’s firm order to those not partaking in the plan to get Hinata back to remain and be on alert for any retribution, it left Tobio with only Yamaguchi and Asahi to depend on for his protection.</p>
<p>Horses were gathered in anticipation for Kiyoko’s return with news, Tobio decided he didn’t want to fuck about with carriages and escorts. He was going to ride there himself, Ushijima and Aone be damned. Whilst he was waiting for Asahi and Kindaichi to finish readying the horses, he asked Shirabu if the twins had been any clearer in their intentions.</p>
<p>Shirabu snorted at the idea. “All I’ll say is Atsumu is gonna learn very quickly how much of a pain in the ass Tooru can be.” He chuckled as they stood in the porch of the manor waiting for the mounts to be ready. “And that I made my loyalties crystal clear to him.” He met Tobio’s gaze. “They may have saved my life, but Tooru gave me a chance to live.”</p>
<p>Tobio nodded, encouraging him to continue.</p>
<p>“Sure, I may not be especially close to him, or even like him that much, but he gave me a position in the royal court. He gave me a home, a place to better my skills without fear of death.” Shirabu shrugged. “Their father busting me out of a dungeon doesn’t mean I have to commit treason. The way <em>I</em> see it; Tooru is my king. Yachi is a child on a throne pretending to be a ruler. I don’t owe her <em>shit</em>.”</p>
<p>Tobio found it amusing how poorly Shirabu regarded her. But it still felt a little unfair. If she was under Akiteru’s spell as much as Atsumu implied the last time they all spoke, was it really called for to assassinate her character? He shrugged the thought off as approaching hooves on stone caught his attention. Kiyoko didn’t dismount as she halted, locking eyes with him immediately.</p>
<p>“Tooru is planning to ride straight there and demand an audience. You better hurry up.”</p>
<p>“Are you coming too?” Tobio asked her as he stepped forward to receive his horse.</p>
<p>“If you wish, yes.” She nodded to Shirabu. “Tell Kunimi he needs to get moving.”</p>
<p>Usually Shirabu despised being given <em>orders</em>, but he nodded and stepped back inside the manor. Tobio was quick to heed Kiyoko’s remark and get a move on. With Yamaguchi and Asahi following close behind, he rode side by side with her towards the Imperial Palace. Their presence didn't go unnoticed, the same people who had gawked at him arriving in the city were now curious at the procession briskly moving through the main streets. Along the way Kiyoko was quick to confirm that Tooru’s plan extended to demanding an audience with Yachi and then dealing with things as they happened.</p>
<p>Tobio wasn’t sure if he liked the idea of Tooru not having a plan. Shirabu’s remarks from earlier were feeling rather foreboding now as they began down the final street leading to the palace gates. The gates were shut, but Tobio wasn’t going to let that stop him.</p>
<p>“Halt.” The guard called, they heeded the command but refused to dismount. “State your business.”</p>
<p>Tobio rolled his eyes. “I’m here to talk to her imperial majesty about a proposition made.”</p>
<p>The guard glanced over the party, eyes narrowing. “You have a summons?”</p>
<p>“No sir.” Tobio replied. “But she desired that I returned as soon as I had an answer for her.”</p>
<p>There was a pause as the guard exchanged a glance with his fellow guard on duty. There was a bit of mumbling before he inhaled sharply. “Very well.”</p>
<p>He signalled for the gates to open. Once inside Tobio smirked slightly. “The best part about that was it wasn’t exactly a lie.”</p>
<p>Kiyoko raised her eyebrows but said nothing as they got to the steps. After a similar conversation with the guards at the doors, they were allowed in and given an escort to the throne room. It was empty except for the empress herself and two guards flanking her. She raised an eyebrow as Tobio entered with his entourage and a calm smile on his face.</p>
<p>“Ah, sorry to burst in without warning.” He bowed.</p>
<p>She glanced around at the others, almost like she was trying to get a measure for what the real reason for their visit was. “It’s fine. I was about to summon the court anyway.”</p>
<p>That was music to Tobio’s ears. “Oh? Well don’t let me stop you, I actually want to address them myself.”</p>
<p>She shifted her sitting position slightly, drumming her fingers on the armrest of her throne. “Is that so.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, I think they’ll be most interested in this information we have.” He exchanged a glance with Kiyoko. “The Brotherhood have been very busy and they want to share their findings with you.”</p>
<p>Kiyoko was alarmed. They hadn’t told Tobio any of their theories yet, in fact she wasn’t even sure how solid it was anymore with the latest expedition into the district ending in Akaashi’s breakdown. However she understood this was Tobio’s ploy to have Tooru’s entrance have the desired effect.</p>
<p>She played along.</p>
<p>“Yes,” she did a sweeping bow, “My superiors have entrusted me to deliver our current findings. We are still working on gathering physical evidence as we speak.” She smiled at Yachi. “So I hope this isn’t too abrupt.”</p>
<p>The guards either side of Yachi shuffled slightly, exchanging a glance as Yachi cleared her throat. “I see.” Her voice was nervous, that was easy to tell in how it shook. “Well, I’ll summon the court and you can tell us what you have found.” She directed her attention to Tobio. “I trust if there were any unpleasant surprises, you would wish to tell me in private rather than in front of my court?”</p>
<p>Tobio’s smirk faded. “Your imperial majesty, I would <em>never</em> seek to embarrass you.” He lied. “I merely want to speed up the process of revealing the truth.”</p>
<p>He knew all too well how uncomfortable that truth may turn out to be, he didn’t strictly know what the Brotherhood had found. He knew whatever it was had spooked them, and if it spooked the guild of assassins and lunatics, it was going to tear through the noble families in spectacular fashion.</p>
<p>He couldn’t wait to see their reactions.</p>
<p>Then again, he wasn’t necessarily intending on letting all of that slip just yet. He was simply using this as an excuse to call the entire court forth in time for Tooru to march in and ruffle everyone’s feathers. And oh boy were feathers going to be ruffled.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Upon hearing the news that Tooru was on his way, Kunimi and Yaku set off immediately. There was a loose plan afoot in regard to Nishinoya and Tanaka being a distraction. Loose in the sense that no-one actually knew what it entailed. Nishinoya and Tanaka seemed to be on the same page, and that was all that mattered. </p>
<p>Once in the old city district, finding an entrance to the tunnels was the next priority. Yaku wasn’t entirely sure if such doors would exist here, but they followed the curtain wall around, keeping an eye out for any buildings that seemed built a little too close to not be linked to it. They were aware of how long they had; in a good scenario Tooru would enter the court and keep them busy, in a bad scenario he would be denied and only the gods knew what his reaction would be.</p>
<p>Kunimi put that firmly out of his mind as they found a door. Carved into the grey stone of the wall was an opening, a large door stood defiant, wood had splintered in the years of disuse and stormy weather but it didn’t budge easily. They had the foresight to listen for a few moments for any signs of life on the other side before trying to break through. It took both of them working in tandem to bust through. The tunnel beyond the door wasn’t that wide. Yaku estimated it could give enough space for fully armed guards to pass through in single file or unarmed folk two abreast. It meant that if they encountered anyone, they’d have to run or kill. The former would be preferred, but the latter would ensure their chances of succeeding would remain higher for just a little longer.</p>
<p>“I got your back.” Yaku whispered, revealing his runestone and activating it, a small silvery glow pierced through the darkness. “Stick to the inner wall.”</p>
<p>Kunimi nodded. As easy as it would be to sprint through the tunnel, they didn’t know how long it would take to stumble across the active guard post. Just because this section of the city was ignored and shunned, that didn’t mean they could be careless. He kept close to the inner wall as Yaku advised, eyes scanning the gloom ahead as they moved at a fast walking pace. Every so often they’d pause and listen for footsteps or voices, when none came, they continued. They passed several ladders and steep staircases that led up to hatches above; no doubt above them the guards were patrolling but down here it seemed they were absent.</p>
<p>The tunnel curved with the city’s boundary, the silence being broken slowly as the low hum of civilisation crept upon them. Yaku snuffed out his runestone as they caught a glimpse of the first lit torch. They ducked into an alcove of one of the many staircases. Peering around the corner, Kunimi could see the torch in a wall sconce. The tunnel straightened out beyond it, more sconces holding torches lined the wall.</p>
<p>“We must be getting close to the west gate.” Yaku murmured.</p>
<p>Kunimi nodded, peering around the corner again. He could see at least three guards ahead, close enough that getting the jump on one would be hard without alerting the others. He cast his gaze back down the dark tunnel, it curved to the left slightly, giving him an idea.</p>
<p>“You got anything you don’t mind losing?”</p>
<p>Yaku patted himself down before finding a small pouch. Inside were several ball bearings one would use with a slingshot. He passed them to Kunimi wordlessly. Kunimi rolled one of them with his fingers, getting used to the weight. He glanced around the corner once more before aiming his throw back down the tunnel they had just come from. The clang of metal striking stone echoed down the tunnel, followed by a squawk of confusion.</p>
<p>“What’s that?”</p>
<p>Kunimi readied another ball bearing, hearing the shuffling of feet but not quite footsteps yet. He aimed for the tunnel where it curved just out of reach. The clang echoed out again. He held his breath as footsteps approached, fingers moving to his throwing knife.</p>
<p>Yaku slowly moved to ascend the steep stairs, putting himself out of sight as the guard passed the alcove. Kunimi waited until he passed before grabbing the hilt of his knife and unsheathing it. The guard walked around the bend of the tunnel, out of sight of his comrades but firmly in Kunimi’s range. Metal zipped through the air at a frightening speed. The point found exposed skin at the base of the helmet. Crimson stained the formerly purple jerkin.</p>
<p>He slumped to the ground, a faint gurgling coming from him.</p>
<p>He waited, glancing around the corner to see the other two guards looking down into the darkness. Before he could begin to plan his next move, there were shouts from further up the tunnel. They echoed off the stone too much for him to make out what they were saying, but whatever it was made the two remaining guards turn and run in the opposite direction. Thunder rumbled overhead slightly dulled by the thick stone walls.</p>
<p>“I’m guessing that’s our distraction.” Yaku remarked as he moved next to Kunimi.</p>
<p>“Now the question is,” Kunimi glanced at him, “how long do we have?”</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Putting himself in danger wasn’t necessarily on Nishinoya’s agenda. Sure, he could <em>easily</em> walk out in the street and cause a commotion big enough to attract every guard’s attention within the district. But doing that would almost certainly get him arrested and that wasn’t going to be very helpful in the grand scheme of things. No, he had to be sneakier about this. He had to strike the fine balance between distracting and hiding. With Tanaka by his side, he had a plan to create chaos without having to be seen.</p>
<p>“Are you sure about this, like, you’ve not done anything on this level before.” Tanaka murmured as they entered the old city district.</p>
<p>Nishinoya shrugged. “Now’s a good a time as any to find out just how much I can do.” He shot Tanaka a confident smile. “I told Kunimi that I’d have his back, that I’d make sure he gets to Hinata. I intend to keep my word.”</p>
<p>They continued in silence, following the road as close to the inner-city wall as possible. Behind the stone and timber that made up the shoddy wall lay the western road out of the city. It was obvious to most that this wall was designed to hide the district from guests, whether that was before the fire or after was unclear. But it gave Nishinoya the proximity to the western gate he needed.</p>
<p>“Locked tight.” Tanaka remarked as they came to a set of iron gates. Between the rusting bars they could see an alleyway that appeared to lead directly to the road. If they squinted in the daylight, they could see the guard towers that flanked the gate.</p>
<p>“Alright.” Nishinoya looked down to the dirt. “Should be close enough.”</p>
<p>Tanaka took a few steps back to allow him to work. Nishinoya grabbed a stick and started carving a circle in the dirt. He muttered aloud as he drew three circles that the outer line intercepted. Each of them had a fresh line connecting them to one another. Within one circle, he carved the two diagonal lines that represented lightning in the runic language of House Kageyama’s scholars. In another, he carved the two horizontal lines for the air element. The last, he carved a singular straight line for ice.</p>
<p>Tossing the stick aside, he stepped into the circle. The clear skies above were about to get a lot more turbulent. He clapped his hands together and let out a long, heavy exhale. It was true that he hadn’t done anything like this, he was the master of conjuring weapons and summoning single bolts in a ride or die situation. During the Battle of the Dynasty he had exhausted himself just by summoning the bolts he needed at will. But this was bigger than a few bolts of lightning.</p>
<p>When he had joked about the guild specialising in forbidden rituals, he hadn’t intended to add another notch to his belt. But it was for a good cause, at least in the Brotherhood’s mind. The quiet of the district helped him focus, helped him channel the energy deep within his core. He had been born with the power to summon storms and now he was going to finally live up to his birthright.</p>
<p>Sparks arced between his fingers as he brought his hands away, the lightning rune started to glow. Keeping his breathing steady, the surge of power in his veins felt familiar to him but this was going to be a big ask for him. He hadn’t actively tried to wield more than one element and he sure as hell wasn’t Hinata. He hoped this wouldn’t backfire. He raised a hand to the sky, palm facing up and fingers splayed as if he was holding a plate. Sparks crawled up his arm from his shoulder, crackling and making his hair stand on end. His other hand reached towards the air rune. With a short exhale he snapped his fingers, commanding the wind to obey his will. At first he felt nothing, but glancing up at the sky he saw the first few grey clouds beginning to drift from seemingly nowhere.</p>
<p>“You got this.” Tanaka supplied, hand on the hilt of his sword as he stood ready to defend him from any intruders.</p>
<p>He gritted his teeth as he snapped his fingers again, the carved lines lit up with a bright green glow. A more obvious response from the elements came as dead leaves around them whipped up in the strong breeze. Lightning was flashing in the darkening clouds above them now, a faint rumble of thunder could be heard in the distance. Hand still reaching up, he extended his other to the final rune. Ice was easy to summon but he needed something different. Bright blue light flashed like lightning as a swirl of snowflakes appeared from nowhere. He snapped his fingers and watched them vanish just as quickly as they arrived.</p>
<p>“Alright.” He uttered, finally lowering his arm and bringing both hands together again. “Watch your ears, it’s gonna get loud.”</p>
<p>He clapped his hands three times, each time one of the elemental colours burst forth from his fingertips. He sucked in a breath before ducking and slamming his palms into the dirt. Above them the sky turned black as clouds large as mountains rolled over the city. Upon his head, the circlet pulsed and sent flashes of energy through him, his arms felt like they were on fire as lightning crawled up from the now fully aglow circle to his elbows. Wind whipped around them, howling and whistling through the empty buildings. Wood creaked and groaned in protest at the element ripping through. A deathly chill began to be felt in the air as the skies opened and rain poured down.</p>
<p>He wasn’t done yet.</p>
<p>Beyond the gate, there were shrieks of confusion at the sudden downpour. Tanaka cast his gaze around warily as if expecting them to be found out. Nishinoya stood up within the circle and collected his thoughts. Rain lashed down around them, soaking them both to the skin but he didn’t show any sign of caring.</p>
<p>He turned his gaze upward, the clouds were swirling around the district. He wondered if a similar sight had occurred on that night four years ago. He wondered if someone like him could’ve stopped the fire. Shaking that thought from his mind, he focused. He needed to keep his word to Kunimi. A sudden downpour wouldn’t distract the guards enough.</p>
<p>He glanced to Tanaka. “You ready?”</p>
<p>Tanaka nodded. “I’m here.”</p>
<p>“If it gets too intense, you pull me out.”</p>
<p>“I got your back.” Tanaka bumped a closed fist to his chest.</p>
<p>With the reassurance, Nishinoya looked down at his hands. With another sharp intake of breath, he summoned his sparks in both hands, took a step back so his left foot was just inside the circle and braced all his weight on his right leg. A brief flicker of fear rose up. He could kill himself right here and now with this act, he could give himself a heart attack or be burnt alive. This was a Hēishān level of power being summoned but felt like he needed to. He had one shot to get it right, he had created the perfect storm for it to succeed.</p>
<p>Literally.</p>
<p>The clouds swirled faster, winds picking up until he could barely hear himself over the racket. Rain was soaking him, sparks fizzing and crackling as water tried to quench them.</p>
<p>“Roooolllllling Thunder!” He shouted, slamming his wrists together as he directed his palms towards the sky. A blinding blue light exploded into existence and left his hands, soaring into the sky.</p>
<p>Tanaka watched in awe as the bolt connected with the clouds and scattered like shards of glass shattering on the ground. Thunder roared in reply, eerily reminiscent of Hēishān’s roar. Within moments lighting was crashing around the neighbouring district. Wind howled between the crashes of thunder. It was an impressive display of power from one mage; the ability to summon a storm of his size and keep it from going out of control.</p>
<p>Though it was that latter point that would be Nishinoya’s greatest challenge. Summoning freak weather events was one thing, <em>controlling</em> those same events was what made them so dangerous. There was a reason that it was taboo, but as he had once said; the guild’s pastime was doing forbidden rituals.</p>
<p>And this was the best time to break the rules again.</p>
<p>Still, Tanaka’s reason for being present wasn’t just to protect Nishinoya from interfering locals, it was to protect him from himself. He watched his best friend slam his palms into the dirt, each rune glowing brightly as lightning continued to crawl up his arms, encasing his upper torso and now creeping up to his neck. It was remarkable, even more so when he caught the bold smile.</p>
<p>“I think we should start calling you ‘storm summoner’ or something!” He called over the wind and thunder. “You look so fucking cool bro!”</p>
<p>Nishinoya laughed, lightning flashing above them. He didn’t reply, focusing more on the tug of the storm. It was like a hungry wolf on a chain; it wanted to run wild and be free but he had to hold fast. He couldn’t let this storm go. He just needed to keep control of it long enough for Kunimi and Yaku to get to the palace. The stone in the circlet was glowing brightly as the power thrummed through it, the buzzing in his veins of power beyond his wildest dreams.</p>
<p>Beyond the gate, Tanaka caught glimpses of the guards trying to get people to safety, but the thunder and wind were drowning out their attempts to keep people calm. It was the perfect distraction in two ways; it got the guards busy and also generated a lot of noise.</p>
<p>Nishinoya just had to hold out long enough.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Tooru held his posture as they rode through the streets. He had made the extra effort today to wear his full royal robes and that his golden crown gleaned in the light. Pure white stood out against the grey clouds that had rolled in from the west. Each horse bore the red phoenix of his house, Iwaizumi and Yamamoto’s shields too. He kept his gaze straight ahead as the crowds parted before them. Whispers and murmurs of confusion could be heard; ‘<em>another king from the South</em>?’ ‘<em>The Phoenix of the West? What</em><em>’s he doing here?</em>’ ‘<em>Is he a rival to Tobio?</em>’. As amusing as some of these murmurings were, he ignored them, smiling confidently as the palace came into view.</p>
<p>“You wanted an entrance, I guess you got it.” Iwaizumi remarked, casting a wary glance around.</p>
<p>“Gotta make that first impression a good one.” Tooru winked at him.</p>
<p>Iwaizumi kept quiet as they approached the closed gates of the palace. The guards had watched them coming with a mixture of confusion and dread. As Tooru halted his horse, he stared down at them, taking the time to adjust his crown.</p>
<p>“Uh st-state your business.” The guard glanced between Tooru and Iwaizumi.</p>
<p>Tooru smiled sweetly as Iwaizumi replied on his behalf; “King Tooru Oikawa, King of the Southern Kingdom and Phoenix of the West wishes to talk to her imperial majesty immediately.”</p>
<p>The guards exchanged a nervous glance. “Uh, she’s busy.”</p>
<p>Tooru scoffed. “Even if it’s a matter concerning these treaty-breaking mages?”</p>
<p>The nervous glances didn’t disappear, but the captain of the guard seemed rattled enough by Tooru’s question to decide it was better to let them in. He signalled for the gates to open for them. Tooru smiled a little too innocently as he rode past. Iwaizumi and Yamamoto quickly following. They were quickly greeted by a servant of sorts and told that a court meeting was in session.</p>
<p>“Perfect, I can meet her entire court at the same time.” Tooru beamed. “Please do show us.”</p>
<p>The servant shook their head. “I can’t. It’s strictly—”</p>
<p>Iwaizumi glared at them. “We have ridden for two weeks to get here to talk to her about this serious threat to our realm and you’re telling me that a court meeting is going to delay us further?”</p>
<p>“I-I-I guess when you put it like that…”</p>
<p>“Show us, please, I will make sure that you are not punished for our pushiness.” Tooru beamed at them.</p>
<p>Whether they believed Tooru or not, the young servant led them down the main hallway towards the throne room. Iwaizumi cleared his throat as the doors were heaved open. The large room opened up to them; extravagant artwork adorning the walls and chandeliers lit the area. There was a considerable crowd of people in the room; men and women of varying age sat either side of the ornate throne in the centre of the back wall.</p>
<p>Upon the sound of the doors opening, Tobio turned and saw the familiar figure. He smiled slightly as Tooru strode into the room with Iwaizumi and Yamamoto a step behind. The former announcing his king’s presence to the entire court of bemused nobles.</p>
<p>“Presenting King Tooru of House Oikawa, King of the Southern Kingdom, Phoenix of the West.”</p>
<p>Yachi’s eyes widened at the sight of this stranger commanding such a presence in her court; pure white robes striking against the polished wooden floor, the golden crown on his head fitted with rubies, the fire in his eyes as he strode forward until he was level with Tobio. A smile was exchanged between the two kings before Tooru met her gaze, bowing slightly in greeting.</p>
<p>“And you must be her Imperial Majesty.” He greeted, voice smooth and confident.</p>
<p>Tobio glanced to Atsumu and Osamu who were sat with the rest of the nobles. Neither looked particularly enamoured by Tooru’s arrival but they didn’t look disgusted, there was a certain excitement in the air at the unexpected visitor. He then glanced to Yachi’s other side where Akiteru Tsukishima seemed extremely unimpressed. The empress herself seemed at a loss as to how to handle this interruption.</p>
<p>“Hitoka Yachi, Empress of the Summer Vale.” She nodded in return, breaking tradition by introducing herself.</p>
<p>Tooru smiled. “Pleasure to make your acquaintance on this overcast day.” He remarked.</p>
<p>Her gaze darted between the two kings. “Quite.” She murmured. “Although I would’ve preferred you to have sent word of your visit.”</p>
<p>“Ah, it’s fine.” Tooru was still smiling as he glanced to Tobio. “The people who needed to know, knew.”</p>
<p>Akiteru snorted, gaining the attention of the court. “Why are you entertaining this interruption? We were summoned to talk about supposed findings. Tell this boy to wait until later.”</p>
<p>Tooru met Akiteru’s gaze. There was a pause as recognition passed over the former’s face. “Ah.” He remarked. “I see I have interrupted something important.”</p>
<p>“You don’t say?” Akiteru replied. “You have no power here boy, and you’re of no use to us.”</p>
<p>“Oh really?” Tooru clasped his hands behind his back as he shot Tobio a glance. “Did Tobio forget to mention to this court that there is an alliance still active?” He returned his gaze to Akiteru, squarely ignoring Yachi for the moment. “House Oikawa stands beside House Kageyama, and if you have an issue with them, you have an issue with us.”</p>
<p>Kiyoko noted the uncertain glance between Iwaizumi and Yamamoto. Quickly, she deduced Tooru was making this up as he went along. The limited information she had given him barely half an hour ago was already being put to work as he then looked to Yachi with a calm smile.</p>
<p>“I hear you’ve put a fairly important individual in your dungeon.” He stated, not beating around the bush. “On what count?”</p>
<p>Yachi inhaled sharply. “That isn’t what we’re here to discuss.” She clasped her hands in her lap amongst the folds of her blue robes. “Your majesty, I appreciate that you no doubt have strong feelings, but you did just march into my court without so much of a request to see me.”</p>
<p>He snorted. “People do that to my court all the time. As a fellow monarch, I’m sure you’re aware that improvisation is a valuable skill to hone.” He paused for a moment, gaze flickering around the court as he smirked. “I’d consider this a valuable learning experience.”</p>
<p>Iwaizumi slowly blinked as there were scoffs and complaints about Tooru’s tone. He wasn’t going to get involved, he was there in a protective role, not a political advisory one. In their home kingdom, he wouldn’t hesitate to chew Tooru out but this was a much more dangerous game. If the likes of Hinata wasn’t safe, then no-one was.</p>
<p>“So I’ll ask again,” Tooru continued, “on what charges is House Kageyama’s mage in your dungeon?”</p>
<p>Yachi straightened her posture, her expression neutral as she stared Tooru down. For a few moments, she didn’t reply, drawing out the silence. There were glances exchanged between other nobles as their leader seemed to mull over her response. When she eventually replied, her voice was quiet but firm.</p>
<p>“The charge that put him there is primarily a public disorder complaint. However,” she glanced to Tobio momentarily, “the fact he broke the Treaty of the Eagle hangs over his head.”</p>
<p>Tooru nodded slowly. “Ah the treaty.” He tilted his head to the side. “So when are you arresting the mages from the Northern Territories then?”</p>
<p>“They are dead—”</p>
<p>“How can you be sure?” Tooru cut in, getting glares from the likes of Akiteru and some other nobles. “Has anyone actively looked for them? We surely didn’t slaughter <em>all</em> of them in our act of defence.” He shrugged. “And there were other mages on our side, why haven’t you arrested them?”</p>
<p>Tobio wanted to interrupt, he really did. He didn’t want the attention being drawn to Inuoka if he could help it. Kiyoko held her tongue too, knowing full well Nishinoya was up to something that could end with his arrest that same day.</p>
<p>It was at this point that Atsumu stepped forth from the stands. He bowed slightly to Yachi before speaking; “May I?”</p>
<p>“You may.” Yachi nodded, relief obvious as she relaxed her posture slightly.</p>
<p>Atsumu smiled and stepped forward once more, looking Tooru up and down, he had a few inches on the other but he didn’t use them to look down on Tooru. “Atsumu Miya, joint interim head of the Miya family.” He nodded in greeting. “Your majesty, why do you care about this mage business? If the reports I’ve read are true, your court mage had nothing to do with any of it.”</p>
<p>Tooru glared slightly at him. “As I already said, there’s an alliance between my family and Tobio’s. And as the root of this conflict stems from the actions of my father and his father before him, I saw it fit to be present.”</p>
<p>Atsumu seemed to consider it for a moment. “That’s very noble of you.” He smiled. “To answer your question, we’ve been slow to respond to the conflict as we’ve been dealing with internal issues.”</p>
<p>“Internal issues.” Tooru repeated back with a small smile. “So <em>that</em><em>’s</em> why you let the north rise up.”</p>
<p>There was a loud scoff from the other side of the throne. Akiteru rolled his eyes. “Are we really going to let these children throw these accusations around?”</p>
<p>Atsumu shrugged. “I think it’s a valid remark from the south.”</p>
<p>“<em>You</em> would.”</p>
<p>Yachi rose from her seat, prompting silence to fall. “Gentlemen, this isn’t helping.” She glanced both to Atsumu and Akiteru before meeting Tooru’s gaze. “I will permit you to remain a guest of the court but understand that things up here are a lot more intricate than your kingdom. Throwing accusations and assumptions around will not end well for you or your allies.”</p>
<p>Tooru chuckled slightly. “I thank you for the hospitality.” He bowed, there was a certain air of mockery to it. “But the same goes back to you. Do not assume anything about us and certainly do not accuse us of anything without evidence.”</p>
<p>Outside the walls of the palace, thunder rumbled as the rain began to lash down. Kiyoko hoped with every essence of her being that the storm brewing was more under control than the actions in that throne room.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>As they travelled through the tunnels the thunder and rain got louder. Kunimi could barely hear himself think as the cacophony of sounds echoed off the stone walls. Whatever Nishinoya was up to, it was working. Despite getting closer to the palace, going past the heart of the guard’s barracks, they barely saw another living soul. Those they did were rushing past on their way to lend assistance to whatever chaos the others had concocted.</p>
<p>Soon they found themselves no longer in the tunnel but in a room that had several doors branching off and a staircase leading down. They didn’t need to state the obvious as Yaku immediately peered down into the dark depths. With a simple nod, they quickly darted down before anyone could see them. Now below ground, the thunder was a distant rumble and they could rely on their hearing again. The stairs had brought them to a storeroom; shelves were full of stacked bowls and buckets. Chains and leather straps were hung from hooks, rope was coiled in piles beside the only door that lead out of the room.</p>
<p>It was gloomy down here, but it was too risky to activate Yaku’s runestone. Using the wall as his guide, Kunimi made his way to the door, the faint light coming from beneath it giving him the impression a brazier or torch lay beyond. Yaku darted to the other side of the door, hand finding the bolt that secured the door in place.</p>
<p>With a silent nod, Yaku slowly slid the bolt across, letting the click echo out. When there was no response from the other side, he pulled the door open enough to peer through. Through the crack he saw the cavernous room open up, a large brazier sat in the centre of the room fully ablaze. Shadows danced against the stone walls but there seemed to be no guard present.</p>
<p>Kunimi slipped through the door first, diving behind a wooden crate as Yaku pulled the door shut behind him. They waited a moment, getting a feel for the room they were in. It was carved out of the stone that the palace sat upon, rugged and ugly. It served its purpose; housing the cells that kept their prisoners. It wasn’t meant to be seen by visitors of prestige.</p>
<p>“So, now what.” Yaku breathed.</p>
<p>Kunimi glanced over the crate, there were three doors. He didn’t know which one would lead them to Hinata and they didn’t have time to waste. He knew that Hinata’s cell wasn’t a long walk from the stairs that led down from above, so that was something to go on at the very least. He also knew it was in a fairly well-made part of the dungeon, not the ugly, hastily carved section that they seemed to be in.</p>
<p>“Let’s see if any of these doors lead down, if they do, then they’re not our door.”</p>
<p>Yaku nodded. “I’ll take the left, you take the right and we’ll meet at the middle?”</p>
<p>“Sure.”</p>
<p>They split up, sticking to the shadows still as they went their respective directions. Kunimi was a little unnerved about the lack of guards, but firmly put it out of his mind as he came upon the door to the right. He pressed himself against the wood and listened. After a few moments of silence, he stood up properly and peered through the small barred window.</p>
<p>Beyond the door was a dark room, a faint glow came from a window that felt like it had been squashed into the upper right-hand corner of room by force. Given they were below ground, it seemed odd to say the least. He tried to ignore it as the light revealed a chair with leather straps attached to it. He concluded he didn’t <em>want</em> to know what that chair was for, but that it definitely wasn’t the room he needed.</p>
<p>As he backed away from the door, he turned to see Yaku already darting towards the middle door. Meeting him there, he got a short head shake in response to a question yet to leave his lips.</p>
<p>“Slopes downward.” Yaku bluntly stated.</p>
<p>“Then this is the door.” Kunimi glanced at the windowless door. “Except I know it’s locked from the other side and I don’t wanna use the acid until we’ve found Hinata.”</p>
<p>Yaku snorted. “You and I both know that won’t stop us.” He reached into another leather pouch and brought out some simple lock-picking tools. He squinted as he looked through the crevice between the door and the doorframe. For the palace dungeon, it was a sloppy fit and he found the issue easily enough.</p>
<p>“How bad?” Kunimi asked.</p>
<p>“It’s a bolt.”</p>
<p>“Fuck.”</p>
<p>Yaku poked a thin steel needle-like tool through the gap and tried jiggling the mechanism. “I wonder if…” He withdrew the pick and looked through the array of tools. Selecting a different tool, this one with a hook on the end, he returned to threading it between the door and doorframe. Kunimi waited, watching Yaku’s brow furrow as he worked. There was a gentle sound of metal shifting, clinking every so often. Time was of the essence but this was one aspect that couldn’t be rushed. There was a louder clunk before the door shifted slightly.</p>
<p>“That would be lock number two hundred and seven.” Yaku remarked as he returned his tools to his pouch.</p>
<p>Kunimi wryly smiled behind his mask. “And to think I’m still at a hundred and seventy…”</p>
<p>Falling back into silence, Kunimi gently pushed the door open, both of them still crouched to try and not be seen. Beyond the door was the more familiar sight of the hallway that Kunimi could remember. Now he just had to find the right door. As soon as they established the guard was elsewhere, he stood up and peered through the windows of each door he passed.</p>
<p>He stopped in his tracks when he saw Hinata. Before the other could say anything he put a finger to his face, signalling him to be quiet. Thankfully Hinata understood and nodded hastily. Kunimi was quick to examine the door’s locks. There was a bolt like the door they just passed through but there was also a keyhole.</p>
<p>And this was what Kenma had prepared the acid for.</p>
<p>“Alright,” Kunimi hissed through the window, “we wasted enough time getting past that other bolt so we’re gonna fuck this lock up.” He met Hinata’s gaze. “As soon as it’s done, we’re running. No stopping. Got it?”</p>
<p>Hinata chewed on his lip momentarily. “I…just us?”</p>
<p>Kunimi raised an eyebrow. “Yes?”</p>
<p>“You gotta get Ukai out.”</p>
<p>Kunimi was confused, as was Yaku. A voice behind them spooked them before they realised it wasn’t a guard.</p>
<p>“What? Are you insane? Kid no, just get out of here.” The older man hissed.</p>
<p>“Not without you! You need to help us fix this mess.” Hinata replied.</p>
<p>“It’s too dangerous!”</p>
<p>Kunimi wasn’t in the mood to debate this, he just shrugged. “Morisuke, if you can pick that lock before the acid burns through this one, I’ll give you fifty gold.”</p>
<p>Yaku snorted. “Little shit.” He immediately withdrew his tools again. “You’re on.”</p>
<p>Regardless of whether he wanted to be broken out, Ukai watched as Yaku stooped to his knees and immediately set about picking the lock. Meanwhile Kunimi produced the clay pot of acid Kenma had given him, the colourless solution was splashed into the ageing mechanism, hissing on contact with the rusting metal.</p>
<p>It took a little while, Kunimi estimated about two minutes in total, before the lock felt like it could give way. He unbolted the door before motioning for Hinata to step back. He wasn’t trying to be subtle as he kicked the door near the now broken lock. It took more effort than he would’ve liked, but the door gave way soon enough. As it fell into the tiny cell, he saw Hinata’s spooked expression more clearly now. He offered a nod of reassurance as he gestured for Hinata to follow him. He glanced over his shoulder to see Yaku sticking out his tongue in concentration as he fiddled with the lock. With a satisfying click, Yaku got the other door open.</p>
<p>The noise had caught the attention of other prisoners, and it was only a matter of time before a guard would come to investigate.</p>
<p>“We need to go, now.” Kunimi told Hinata.</p>
<p>“Y-Yes!”</p>
<p>Seeing Ukai for the first time, Hinata was a little caught off guard at how much older he was, it was easily pushed aside as Kunimi grabbed his hand and tugged him to start moving. Rather than go back they way they came, Kunimi and Yaku had agreed to find their way into the tunnel that would take them to the eastern side of the city and away from the chaos Nishinoya was creating.</p>
<p>It would be riskier with two additional people, but it was the plan they were sticking to now.</p>
<p>Yaku took point this time, being the slightly more experienced in this field. Hinata was a mess of nerves as Kunimi kept hold of his hand, it was both in an attempt to be reassuring and also make sure that he didn’t leave himself out in the open. Finding the entrance to the tunnel of the eastern city wall wasn’t easy, but there was clearly something keeping the guard’s attention from the dungeons.</p>
<p>Either Nishinoya was really creating a problem, or Tooru had basically stormed into the empress’ court. Or both. Yaku wasn’t saying that both wasn’t an option but it would be a miracle if all their plans actually fell into place properly for once. Once they were in the narrow tunnel leading away from the palace, Kunimi let go of Hinata’s hand. They took a moment to stop and catch their breath in an alcove. Hinata let out a heavy sigh, practically tackling Kunimi in a hug and squeezing him tightly.</p>
<p>“Thank you.” He breathed as he buried his face in Kunimi’s chest.</p>
<p>Kunimi returned the hug. “I told you we’d have your back.”</p>
<p>Hinata wasn’t letting go, leading Yaku to exchange a glance with the newcomer. “So, what’s your story?”</p>
<p>Ukai rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s a long one.”</p>
<p>“We have time.” Yaku wryly remarked. “But I’m guessing you did or said something to him in order for him to be so stubborn about not leaving you behind.”</p>
<p>“Something like that, yeah.” Ukai glanced back down the tunnel they just came from. “Shouldn’t we keep moving?”</p>
<p>Yaku nodded, glancing to Kunimi. “He’s right. We can’t stay here, we should at least get out of the tunnels.”</p>
<p>Hinata understood the danger they were still in. He let go of Kunimi so they could continue their escape. He wanted to ask what had happened since he was taken away. What had Tobio said? What was going on? What was the next stage of the plan? Had they made any progress with the mystery of the old district?</p>
<p>Some of those questions would be answered sooner than others.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0034"><h2>34. The Journal</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>XXXIV</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>The Journal</strong>
</p>
<p>With Tooru’s interruption, the court was getting restless. The promise of an announcement about something significant had been forgotten by most as the new issue reared up. The subject of the Treaty of the Eagle was once again at the forefront of everyone’s minds. Tooru stood his ground, refusing to be escorted away, for that Tobio was both thankful and amused. The stubborn nature of both kings was going to become a headache for those trying to disregard their experience. By all accounts, between him and Tooru, they had more experience being a ruler than Yachi and they were going to make it clear that no amount of threats against them would have them yield.</p>
<p>“So, I would assume that you both want to renegotiate the treaty?” Yachi stated, having sat down again as the conversation drew on.</p>
<p>“Correct, that’s all I’ve been asking for since I got here.” Tobio replied curtly. “You just made it worse by having Hinata arrested.”</p>
<p>She frowned. “Tobio, we’ve been through this. And I gave you my word that we would discuss the treaties, both of them, when I had time.”</p>
<p>Tobio snorted, holding his hand out to gesture to the court of nobles. “And now?”</p>
<p>She glanced around her court, many of the nobles seemed caught between dismissive and angered. Akiteru met her gaze and shook his head. She swallowed, returning to hold Tobio’s gaze.</p>
<p>“I will have someone pull the original treaty from the archives. From there, the two of you will read it, debate it and once you have a formal appeal, you may present it to the court and—”</p>
<p>“And what?” Tooru interrupted, already tired of this back and forth. “You’ll turn it down. Why bother? Just tell us right here and now if you intend to change anything. From where I’m stood, you have nothing to gain from appeasing us, yet everything to gain from ignoring us.”</p>
<p>Tobio inhaled sharply, casting a glance to Kiyoko. “You didn’t tell him?” He whispered.</p>
<p>“I didn’t have time to.” She whispered back. “He knows nothing of the old city.”</p>
<p>Yachi didn’t seem rattled by Tooru’s accusation. She let out a small sigh. “Your majesty, do you think I <em>like</em> being in this position? Surely you, as a fellow monarch, should know that we have to abide by rules our predecessors made.” She rose from her seat once more. “You said so yourself, you feel like you have to right the wrongs of your father and his father before him, so let me try and do the same.”</p>
<p>Tobio caught her gaze, there was a subtle nod to him. He nodded in acceptance, stepping forth and giving a sweeping bow.</p>
<p>“Thank you for your time, your imperial majesty.” He cut in before Tooru could argue back. It succeeded in cluing in Tooru to the fact there had been a message that couldn’t be spoken out loud. She gave him a small nod in reply. Tobio took it as a dismissal and immediately turned to leave, beckoning Tooru to follow. After all they had no intention of telling the court anything they had found so they needed to leave before anyone could bring it up.</p>
<p>Only when they were outside the palace, did he turn to address the other.</p>
<p>“We will tell you everything we know.” He stated. “The Brotherhood has been busy.”</p>
<p>There was a small smile from Tooru as the horses were gathered. He exchanged a glance with Kiyoko before nodding and remaining silent. Tobio was already beginning to brace himself for the reaction to Akaashi’s current working theory. Once Tooru found out that the person potentially responsible for his father’s death was in that throne room, there was going to be little that Tobio could say to stop him.</p>
<p>As the horses were brought over, Kiyoko’s attention was on the storm clouds that were swirling over the western part of the city. There was an uneasy feeling about her as she considered how long the storm had been brewing. Mounting Amaya, she decided that there was going to be enough people at the manor to explain things to Tooru, she could afford to skip this debrief.</p>
<p>“I’m going to see how the others are getting on.” She stated to Yamaguchi.</p>
<p>“Understandable.” He too was looking towards the storm clouds. “Be careful.”</p>
<p>With a curt nod, she spurred Amaya to a trot. The central circle was busy but there was clearly something amiss. Many were cautiously glancing towards the road out of town, the wind was stronger here and blowing a gale as she made her way to the entrance of the old city district. Clouds above her opened up, rain lashed down as she seemed to pass through a veil. Beyond the invisible barrier, she felt the full strength of the storm summoned. Shutters banged against the buildings in the wind, rain poured from the sky above, lightning crackled and thunder boomed. She cast her gaze through the gaps in the poorly maintained wall between the two districts still chaotic scenes of people fleeing into doorways and the guards shouting over the din.</p>
<p>As she rounded the corner, she spotted the duo. Nishinoya was within the ritual circle his eyes closed and murmuring something. She couldn’t hear what he was saying even as she got closer as the wind and thunder drowned out everything else. Tanaka saw her and nodded in greeting as she dismounted and walked close enough to talk.</p>
<p>“Tooru and Tobio are done with the empress.” She told him.</p>
<p>“Any news from Kunimi?”</p>
<p>She shook her head. “There hasn’t been any uproar yet, but that could just mean they succeeded and no-one’s noticed yet.” She looked over to Nishinoya who was concentrating. “I dare say you both did a good job of distracting the guards.”</p>
<p>Tanaka grinned. “Yuu’s the real mastermind here, not me.”</p>
<p>“Either way,” she smiled at Tanaka, “I think he can rest now.”</p>
<p>He nodded, cautiously stepping up to the glowing circle. He crouched down in front of Nishinoya, cocking his head to the side as he sought to catch his gaze. The rain had soaked him to the bone, his hair was flat and sticking to his forehead as both hands were still planted on the ground. Wisps of elemental magic were twisting and swirling around his wrists and up his arms as his eyes were vacant.</p>
<p>Tanaka snapped his fingers a few times. “Hey, Yuu, you good?”</p>
<p>Nishinoya didn’t respond at first, blinking a few times before he seemed to register Tanaka in front of him.</p>
<p>“You can dispel it now.” Tanaka grinning. “Kiyoko reckons we’ve done enough.”</p>
<p>Nishinoya nodded, looking down at his hands. He let out a short breath. As he closed his eyes he had to focus on the swirling elements he had called forth. Conjuring them had been hard enough, now he had to work backwards or else the storm could spin out of control. He slowly withdrew his hands from the ground whilst still focusing on the pull of the storm above. He snapped his fingers to dispel the lightning first. The crackling in the air ceased as did the rumbles of thunder.</p>
<p>His head was spinning a little as he kept his feet planted inside the circle. Rain poured unforgivably around them. Slowly he reached out a hand towards the ice rune still aglow with bright blue light. Letting out a low whistle as he splayed his fingers, the rain began to lighten. His brow furrowed as he concentrated on halting the rain slowly, doing so too quickly would arouse suspicion. After what felt like several minutes, the rain let up to a light downpour, then to a gentle drizzle and finally stopped entirely.</p>
<p>He lowered his hand, reaching out his other towards the wind rune. He repeated the same action of splaying his fingers and focusing on slowly lessening the element’s effect. As the wind died down and left an eerie silence, he took a moment to meditate and reflect on how his body felt. The effects of this would be felt almost immediately and last for the rest of the day no doubt, possibly into the next. He clapped his hands together and muttered a small prayer of thanks to whichever deities and spirits were watching over him. As the single clap rang out, the glowing runes deactivated.</p>
<p>He sunk to his knees with a loud, heavy sigh.</p>
<p>Tanaka was quick to haul him to his feet and then help him over towards Kiyoko, assuring him that the circle would be broken. Kiyoko accepted him into her hold as Tanaka immediately set about doing just that. She caught Nishinoya’s tired gaze and smiled.</p>
<p>“You did well.” She said, it was a simple statement but one that brought a wide smile to Nishinoya’s face.</p>
<p>“What can I say,” he murmured, “I <em>am</em> the thunder mage.”</p>
<p>“That you are.”</p>
<p>They waited for Tanaka to destroy any evidence of the circle being drawn into the dirt before slowly making their way back to the manor. Along the way she filled them both in on what happened in the imperial court and how things were looking promising yet dangerous all at once. It all hinged on how well Tooru reacted to Akaashi’s theory. Assuming of course Akaashi was in any fit state to explain. Akaashi hadn’t been seen that day by most of the Brotherhood, effectively bed-bound after whatever experience he had in the academy. There was a feeling of concern hanging over them as they entered the manor.</p>
<p>Kunimi and Yaku were not back yet. Daichi and Suga weren’t overly concerned, Yaku had expressed the idea was to lay low somewhere in the city until they could be sure that the manor wasn’t going to be searched. Of course that also meant there was no word on how successful they had been, which in turn made Tobio more anxious. Nishinoya didn’t particularly care about what happened in the throne room with the empress. Well, he <em>did</em>, but he also cared about not passing out. Before he could be bombarded with information, he excused himself to find a bed to fall into. When he got to the top of the stairs, he was greeted by Kuroo leaning against the wall beside one of the many bedroom doors.</p>
<p>“You look wrecked,” Kuroo remarked.</p>
<p>Nishinoya gave him a weak smile. “Yeah? Good to know.” He glanced at the door closest to Kuroo, already guessing Akaashi was inside. “Any chance I can crash in there or—”</p>
<p>Kuroo reached around and pulled the handle, opening the door just a crack. “Sure, he’s asleep right now.”</p>
<p>With a nod, Nishinoya didn’t ask how Akaashi was, he slipped inside the dark room. He could see the bundle of blankets that was the other mage asleep in the bed tucked in the corner of the room. Part of him wanted to see if he was actually asleep or not, but his own exhaustion was eating at him. Kuroo followed him in and let the door close quietly with a slight creak.</p>
<p>“He’s been in and out all day.” Kuroo whispered as Nishinoya flopped into the nearest bed. “Lev was here for a while with him.”</p>
<p>“How is he doing?”</p>
<p>Kuroo shrugged in the dim light that was filtering through the gaps in the drapes, sitting on one of the empty beds and sighing slightly. “Honestly, I don’t know. Shirabu didn’t exactly give me much to go on and Keiji sure as hell isn’t saying much.”</p>
<p>As tired as he was, Nishinoya was prepared to stay awake a little longer if Kuroo needed him to. “The others are all back,” he yawned, “Kunimi and Yaku aren’t yet, but Tooru’s downstairs now.”</p>
<p>“Hm, maybe I should go and find out what amount of fuckery we’re about to be thrown into.” Kuroo remarked.</p>
<p>Nishinoya laughed weakly. “Old habits die hard eh?”</p>
<p>There was a smile from Kuroo as he glanced at Akaashi’s sleeping form. “I’ll be back later then, don’t stay awake on my account.” He stood up. “Get some rest Nishinoya.”</p>
<p>It was as good as a direct order, and whilst Nishinoya was notorious for being a troublemaker, he wasn’t going to turn down the opportunity to sleep. Once Kuroo left, he was quick to get comfortable in the bed, he could hear the distant commotion from downstairs where the others were but that wasn’t his concern right now.</p>
<p>He needed to rest. With things as volatile as they seemed, he needed to be prepared to do it all over again.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>When Shirabu entered the parlour and saw Tooru sitting by the fire, he thought he was about to get his ass whooped. Iwaizumi gave him a small smile but said nothing as Tooru’s gaze fixed on him immediately. “Kenjirou.” He stated, pressing his fingertips together as both elbows rested on the armrests of the chair. “I assume your ‘family business’ is all done?”</p>
<p>He snorted, glancing around the room at the others gathered; Daichi and Kuroo were joined by Kiyoko and Suga, the unofficial leadership unit of the Brotherhood were having a meeting in hushed tones about something mage related. Tobio and his entourage were nowhere to be seen, he assumed they were upstairs. He wasn’t sure where the rest of the Brotherhood were, given how Kunimi and Yaku weren’t back he figured they were out in the city searching for any sign of them or trying to keep out of the manor that was rapidly feeling more and more cramped. The only other person in the room was Semi, detached from any conversation and merely watching out the front window.</p>
<p>He took a seat on the wooden bench opposite Tooru. Looking across at the king in front of him, he remembered how it felt when they first met. How he had been borderline terrified that he was being summoned to be arrested for escaping from the empire. How the young prince - soon to be king - had asked him if he wanted a more stable life than being a travelling healer, a chance to be regarded as a mage of prestige. He had waited for the catch, the clause, the compromise to his morals. It never came.</p>
<p>Now he was thinking about how they had both changed so much in the brief time that they had known one another.</p>
<p>“I owe you an explanation.” He stated.</p>
<p>Tooru raised an eyebrow. He was still in his pompous court attire complete with his golden crown as he remained sat in a relaxed posture. “Do you?”</p>
<p>He shrugged slightly. “I lied. There’s no family business here. I came up here because I knew this situation was going to explode like this.”</p>
<p>“Yeah?” Tooru kept his tone calm. “And how did you know that?”</p>
<p>His gaze flickered around the room again, the others showed no sign of listening intently. With a heavy sigh, he began.</p>
<p>“You know I came from up here, that I had ties here before I arrived at your kingdom.”</p>
<p>Tooru nodded slowly. “I never pried though, I was simply told that you had more knowledge than most in alchemy and some sort of healing magic.”</p>
<p>Shirabu raised an eyebrow. “Well, they weren’t wrong. But obviously I have magic in my blood, it’s what aids my alchemy. I can summon small amounts of fire and…” He paused for a moment. “What do you know about healing magic?”</p>
<p>Tooru didn’t seem puzzled by this question. “Not a lot, I’m a king not a scholar.”</p>
<p>Shirabu tried not to be too irked by this fact. Tooru had almost gone out of his way to find someone with his powers and here he was saying that he didn’t actually know what he was capable of? He gave him the benefit of the doubt, after all he had been grieving at the time and dealing with ascending the throne.</p>
<p>Basically there was a lot of shit happening at the time so Shirabu couldn’t really hold it against Tooru for not knowing everything about his new mage.</p>
<p>“I may not exercise its true potential much, but I can heal wounds twice the speed that normal healing methods can. I can seal cuts and punctures by touching them. Any physical ailment can be fixed with half the effort it would take a regular person providing I know what it is.” He explained. “That last part is key. I can’t do anything about an illness I know nothing about. I can’t fix everything.”</p>
<p>Tooru nodded again. “So…”</p>
<p>“Put it this way,” he was starting to relive older memories as he sat there, ones he had buried for a while though not out of spite or fear, they just weren’t useful in his day-to-day life. He had used his own magic to box them away in his mind. He was no empath mage, but he wasn’t at the mercy of his thoughts either. “I’m not exactly a normal mage.”</p>
<p>“And I guess normal is desired up here?”</p>
<p>He snorted. “Uh, well, what’s desired up here now is anything non-magical. Four years ago, sure, an entire district of magic users and their families lived alongside the…normal folk.” He chose his words carefully. “The academy was a focal point for most magic users, I never went though. I wasn’t deemed…I wasn’t special enough I guess.” He shrugged. “The folk who attended were either one of the main schools of magic <em>or</em> they were unique in more unstable fashions.”</p>
<p>“And you just snuck underneath everyone’s watch?” Tooru smiled. “Unassuming yet powerful.”</p>
<p>“Heh, yeah…” Shirabu felt a little more at ease. This was the reasonable Tooru he was talking to, calm and collected and a touch on the side of unnerving in how he kept his gaze steady. “But people knew about it, those who couldn’t afford to see the proper healers would come to me and I’d do my best, sometimes it worked better than others.” He shrugged again. “But no-one hated me for it.”</p>
<p>“So why did you leave?” Tooru’s tone was friendly, all the usual air of authority dropped within a moment. It reminded him of how they used to talk over tea in his chambers during the early days of his residency. Tooru had always been curious about magic but his duties kept him from pursuing the knowledge he sought. “If things were good why did you leave?”</p>
<p>Shirabu inhaled sharply, sitting back on the bench a little. “There was…an incident. We still don’t know what actually happened.”</p>
<p>There was a confused look on Tooru’s face. He evidently hadn’t been told about the fire. That in itself wasn’t surprising but it meant this was going to need more explaining than he originally wanted. He didn’t even have all the answers yet.</p>
<p>“The district I mentioned? It was populated almost entirely by families with magic-users. Not all of them lived there, but enough to give it that reputation. The city grew around it, more…” he gestured to the air in thought, “your typical empire residents moved in. The types that didn’t like mages. The sentiment they brought in took root and…grew.”</p>
<p>“You felt unsafe.”</p>
<p>He sighed. “It exploded one night.” His tone was quiet, gaze on the floor as he saw the faded memories flash in his mind. “All I remember is the sky being alight with blue fire, the screams and panic coming from that area of town.”</p>
<p>Tooru was quiet, exchanging a glance with Iwaizumi as he let the pause sit for a few moments. “…did you leave out of fear?”</p>
<p>“If only.” Shirabu’s usual blasé demeanour had faded. “No I didn’t get a chance to run. The morning after, I get hauled away by the guards, thrown in a jail cell and told I’m being ‘investigated’. What followed…” He inhaled sharply, glancing over to the Brotherhood’s leaders who had begun listening in. He wasn’t too bothered by it, after all they knew most of this anyway. Hearing the rest of the story would only serve to deepen their understanding, to explain why he had been so hard on Hinata over the whole battlefield incident. He knew what would be waiting for the other if he got caught.</p>
<p>Tooru didn’t pressure him to talk any quicker. He was patiently waiting for Shirabu to elaborate.</p>
<p>“They made me wait for several days in their dungeon. I dunno how long had passed, all I know is that by the time they hauled me out, I was convinced they were gonna kill me.”</p>
<p>“But they didn’t.” Tooru stated the obvious.</p>
<p>“I wish they had, at least at the time.” He shook his head. “I was taken to a room, strapped to a chair and…” He clutched his knees, squeezing them as he felt the uneasy feeling rising within him from years ago.</p>
<p>He met Tooru’s gaze, the curious gaze of his king but also of one who had given him a chance to live. He had meant what he said to Tobio, he wouldn’t call Tooru a friend, but he had a deep-rooted respect for him. Tooru may not be a perfect king, but he was one who valued those who were loyal to him and Shirabu had done nothing but prove that time and time again. Conducting forbidden rituals wasn’t something for the faint-hearted, but after everything he had been through in his short life, it was child’s play.</p>
<p>“Remember what I said about healing magic, that I can make wounds heal over faster than normal?” He waited for a nod of confirmation. “They figured out that was my ‘gimmick’ and they uh…they wanted to figure out how it worked.” He squeezed his knees again. “I still have scars.”</p>
<p> There was a moment of silence as everyone pieced it together. Shirabu took a few moments to calm his racing heart. The memories of the not so distant past had been buried since he left were rising up, flashes of that tiny cell and the stomach-churning feelings that accompanied them, the press of steel against his skin. He had made peace with the fact it happened, that he couldn’t change it, but that didn’t mean he was completely over it.</p>
<p>If anything, it made the idea of Hinata being in their clutches that much more horrific to stomach. He knew what they’d do if they found out what he was capable of. He knew it wouldn’t be pretty.</p>
<p>He collected his thoughts and righted his posture. “I lost count of the days. But then the day came, the day I got out. All I remember was this guy dressed all in black appearing at my cell door, busting the lock and ushering me out. I thought I was gonna be killed finally.” He let out a nervous laugh. “I was taken across the city in the dead of night and into this huge house…a house belonging to a noble family.”</p>
<p>Iwaizumi and Tooru shared a confused look. Shirabu smiled slightly at the bafflement.</p>
<p>“The Miya family. The twins weren’t the heads of the family, obviously, but they were there. I met them briefly. Their father found me a travelling merchant to hitch a ride with south. Their family is the reason I’m still alive and the reason I ended up in your kingdom.” He turned his attention to Daichi. “I warned Hinata that doing anything to attract the empire’s attention would end badly, but I also told him I’d try and do what I could to help. So when that idiot pulled the stunt on the battlefield, I sent the twins a letter.”</p>
<p>“Which is how they knew our motto when they met Akaashi?” Daichi offered.</p>
<p>Shirabu nodded. “I needed to give them something to use in the banquet that wouldn’t draw attention.” He looked back to Tooru. “So I apologise for deceiving you, but I couldn’t just sit in our palace and—”</p>
<p>Tooru held up a hand. “You had your reasons. I…I never knew that you had been through all that.” He smiled sadly. “It never struck me that for a court mage, you seldom used your powers.”</p>
<p>Shirabu shrugged. “I mean I can use some elemental stuff just like most mages. My more unique skills weren’t needed most of the time. Besides,” he let a slightly coy smile play on his lips. “If the empire found out I was alive…gods only know what would’ve happened.”</p>
<p>Tooru raised an eyebrow, clearly wanting to ask more but ultimately deciding that could wait. He sighed slightly, glancing at Iwaizumi briefly before returning to Shirabu’s. “My question now is, what’s the next move?”</p>
<p>Shirabu inhaled sharply, glancing back to the Brotherhood’s leaders. “What <em>is</em> the next move?”</p>
<p>Daichi replied before any of the others could. “We wait.” He set his hands on his hips. “Kenma is still trying to get the journal open, and no-one is going anywhere near that academy. Hopefully we’ll hear from Kunimi within the day and we can focus on finding out the cause of that fire.”</p>
<p>“Once we do,” Kiyoko continued for Tooru’s benefit, “Tobio can present our theory as to what happened down south to Yachi and it’ll put some of the political squabbling to rest.”</p>
<p>Tooru wrinkled his nose. “And what good does that do?”</p>
<p>There was an uncomfortable pause before Semi cleared his throat. “I trust you're familiar with the name ‘Tsukishima’?”</p>
<p>Tooru stiffened. “Of course.”</p>
<p>“There’s two of them. One that you’ve had the pleasure of dealing with recently and his brother.” Semi stepped away from the window to walk around so he was in Tooru’s field of vision. “Both of them are nobles. Both of them are assholes. Both of them want Yachi dead. Both of them are on our hit list.”</p>
<p>Tooru looked Semi up and down, clearly confused as to who the hell he was and why he seemed so confrontational. “Brother?”</p>
<p>“Akiteru.”</p>
<p>Tooru’s brow furrowed again, frowning as he thought. Iwaizumi seemed puzzled too. Daichi was waiting for it to all click together. Kiyoko however, wasn’t. She figured that waiting any longer wasn’t going to do anyone any good.</p>
<p>“Akiteru is Kei’s older brother.” She stated. “He’s also an empath mage according to the twins.”</p>
<p>Tooru’s eyes widened. “That’s why I knew him.” He stood up abruptly, looking to Iwaizumi with wide eyes. “I <em>knew</em> I had seen his face before.”</p>
<p>Iwaizumi frowned. “Uhh…come again?”</p>
<p>Tooru grabbed Iwaizumi by the shoulders, squeezing tightly. “That bastard killed my father.”</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p> Kenma sat at the large dining table, journal resting in front of him. Lev was sat on the table, much to the servant’s irritation but they had long stopped trying to order the lion around. They were alone, occasionally they could hear the conversation in the parlour about the meeting with the empress, but no-one was bothering them yet.</p>
<p>He toyed with the hunting knife he had borrowed from Suga. He wasn’t sure how to get the journal open. Truthfully, he wasn’t sure if it was going to be worth the trouble, but equally it could hold valuable secrets. The leather buckle was refusing to budge, like it was stuck down. There was enough give in the fastenings for the blade of the knife to slip through between the leather flap and the edge of the pages.</p>
<p>It had no identifying marks on it, no name or sigil. Lev watched him as he slipped the knife back between the flap and the pages. He had been toying with the idea of saying ‘to hell with it’ for a while now. With Akaashi and Nishinoya both out of commission for now, it only left him to decide. Inuoka wanted as little to do with this as humanly possible and Kenma respected that. Besides, the Brotherhood were the ones who took this job on.</p>
<p>He let the jagged edge of the blade scrape against leather. Part of him wanted to wait for Hinata to return but he knew that could still be days away if Kunimi wanted to go underground and avoid being caught. No he had to do this himself and deal with whatever was held within these bindings. He had done all he could to ensure it wasn’t going to explode on him but he couldn’t be sure.</p>
<p>He had spent a while testing the only unlocking charm he knew, the same he had to use on the doors of the guild’s residences every time they returned from a trip. Nothing remarkable had appeared to happen, the journal didn’t <em>feel</em> different. It felt far too simple for something so mysterious, but nothing <em>bad</em> had happened yet so he guessed it wasn’t doing any harm. He had cast the same charm several times just to be sure that he had done it. Though the buckle was still stuck tight, meaning brute force was his only option now.</p>
<p>“Okay.” He stated, glancing up and meeting Lev’s gaze. “Ready?”</p>
<p>Lev nodded, adjusting his sitting position so he was ready to pounce. “Worst case scenario, take the journal and throw it in the ravine?”</p>
<p>“You got it.” Kenma uttered, focusing on the blade again, adjusting his grip on the hilt.</p>
<p>Bracing his other hand on the journal itself to stop it slipping, he gave a harsh yank on the blade, jagged edge bit into the leather. A few stitches snapped but the leather itself remained sturdy. He spent several minutes hacking and yanking at the hide, directing the blade away from him. Slowly it began to give way. He wasn’t sure if he was entirely comfortable with how nothing had happened yet, why go to the trouble of binding it magically if you had no failsafe? With a final rough tug, he got through the tough leather but didn’t expect the blade to snap. The momentum carried the broken half through the air and sticking into the doorframe with a zipping sound. He glanced down at the stump still attached to the hilt.</p>
<p>“Fuck Suga’s gonna kill me.” He cussed.</p>
<p>“I mean, it’s just a knife?” Lev relaxed his posture.</p>
<p>Kenma shook his head, he didn’t expect Lev to understand that people got attached to certain objects. He set the hilt aside and focused on the journal. Nothing had happened that immediately struck the fear of death into him. As he took hold of the front cover, he braced himself for any number of enchantments to be unleashed. Flipping to the first page, he soon relaxed, figuring that nothing was rigged to explode at least.</p>
<p>“What’s all the writing say?” Lev peered at the inked words. “Anything useful?”</p>
<p>Kenma scanned the first few pages, it was a daily journal like he had thought it was. The first two dozen pages were small accounts of the day’s activities, lessons and studies undertaken by the owner. Nothing stood out to him, some entries were smaller than others, some had pictures accompanying them. When he got to around ‘day 40’, a second author appeared.</p>
<p>Blocky writing that seemed to have been written with charcoal, as opposed to a quill-like the rest, often covered the original words. He had to look closer at the pages to make out the words properly, but he still wasn’t getting much telling him who the journal belonged to. He turned the page, eyes widening at the amount of charcoal scribbled over the inked words. He ran his finger over the ink, following the original wording as best he could. Alchemical recipes and notes were easy to read based on his own knowledge alone, there were names of people he didn’t know and references to things he didn’t care about.</p>
<p>“It’s just a student’s journal.” He answered Lev’s question. Turning his attention to the next entry, he paused. “Wait.”</p>
<p>Lev’s ears twitched as he peered up at Kenma’s concerned expression. “What is it?”</p>
<p>“Nutmeg…aster…” He listed off, running his fingertip over the scribbled words. “Cinnamon.”</p>
<p>“Sounds like you’re baking a cake.” Lev chirped.</p>
<p>“No…” Kenma shook his head. “These are ingredients for a potion.”</p>
<p>“What’s it do?”</p>
<p>“Well, I’ve never brewed it myself, but I’ve read texts talking about ways to make people forget things. These three things are the most common ingredients in those rumoured potions.”</p>
<p>“So what? Someone was testing it out? Seems reasonable for the academy of all places.”</p>
<p>Kenma wasn’t convinced, he read the charcoal writing that overlapped some of the recipe’s notes; ‘<em>is he mad????</em>’</p>
<p>He continued to the next entry, wondering if the two authors knew each other. The first word he read sent an unwelcome chill through him. Scanning the rest of the entry he quickly understood whose journal this was. Now he just needed to figure out who the second person was. Given where it was found in the academy, it could be the breakthrough they needed. Many excerpts concerned him, that he knew he’d have to run by the others, but he wanted to try and absorb as much as he could by himself without over-complicating it with speculation. Lev watched in silence, sprawled out on the table, tail swishing over the polished wood and making a gentle sound as it did so.</p>
<p>Flicking through more pages, He got to the abrupt end of the journal. The last entry was just two sentences in the scribe’s original writing before the second, much more aggressive-sounding author covered it: ‘<em>FUCK YOU. YOU DOOMED US ALL YOU BASTARD.</em>’</p>
<p>The rest of the pages were blank of writing, edges crumpled like the journal had been thrown across a room without being fastened. He stared at the last page. It was the entry before the last that piqued his interest.</p>
<p>‘<em>Akiteru said that the academy is holding me back, that I should leave and find a way to prove myself elsewhere. He suggested the new king in the south might need a mage of <span class="u">my calibre</span>. </em><em>← You mean INSANE?</em>’</p>
<p>Everything that he read pointed to one person. It proved Akaashi’s theory. He closed the journal and let out a heavy sigh. Lev tilted his head in curiosity.</p>
<p>“Whoever wrote over this journal knew Kei.” He stated. “They knew him and what he’s capable of but there’s a bigger problem here.”</p>
<p>“Yeah?”</p>
<p>“Kei’s departure apparently ‘doomed’ them.” He shook his head. “I need Akaashi to wake up.”</p>
<p>Lev got to his feet before jumping off the table. “Didn’t Semi have some sort of weird experience with Kei? Maybe he knows more than he realises?”</p>
<p>Kenma snorted, picking up the hilt of Suga’s broken knife. “Lev, for once you actually suggested something useful.”</p>
<p>“Hey now, you have no idea how useful I’ve been!”</p>
<p>“Being an entertaining lion doesn’t count.”</p>
<p>Lev let out an irritated growl but continued stalking out of the room, no doubt seeking a napping spot now that the excitement of opening the journal was at an end. Kenma remained in the dining room looking over the knife and wondering how he was going to replace it. He was deep in thought when Kiyoko stepped into the room, curious at his findings and even more so at the blade still embedded in the doorframe.</p>
<p>“Ah,” she said once he had explained what happened, “I’m sure it’ll be fine.”</p>
<p>“But it was his <em>good</em> knife.” Kenma uttered. “I didn’t anticipate this leather being so tough.”</p>
<p>She shrugged, grabbing the blade and tugging it out of the groove it had stuck itself in. “He’s got others. And…well he’ll be getting a new one.”</p>
<p>Kenma looked up and noted the calm smile on her face as she turned the broken blade over in her hands. He found himself mirroring the smile. “Yeah? You been planning something?”</p>
<p>She shrugged. “I saw one in the markets when I was walking with Akira the other day before the banquet…”</p>
<p>“And you were waiting for the right time I assume?” He remarked. “Well you can thank me later for giving you one.”</p>
<p>She laughed. It felt like it had been too long since he heard anyone laughing, things had felt too tense, too stifling. He let a small laugh leave him as he offered the hilt to her so she had both pieces. She gestured to the journal.</p>
<p>“You got anywhere with that then?”</p>
<p>“I have some leads.” He turned the journal over so the front cover was facing up once more. “But I don’t want to instil panic yet…” he trailed off. “Ideally, I want to run through it with Akaashi but he’s not ready. Semi might be able to piece some of it together—”</p>
<p>“Uh, now’s probably not the best time.” Kiyoko cut in. “Semi just enabled Tooru to put the pieces together for himself and realise that Akiteru killed his father.”</p>
<p>Kenma wasn’t surprised that Semi of all people was being impatient. He hadn’t been sat in the numerous talks between the two kings several months ago when the whole mess was being laid out in the first place. “Ah.”</p>
<p>“Mhm.” She looked down at the blade again. “Gods only know what Tobio’s up to. We’re trying to wait it out until we’ve heard from Kunimi but that could be—”</p>
<p>“Days. Yeah.” Kenma sighed. “Well, something’s gotta give somewhere…” He ran his fingertips over the leather cover. “Best hope that we can control it when it does.”</p>
<p>She nodded, turning, and leaving without a word, broken knife in hand. Kenma remained in the dining room alone again. As much as he applauded Kunimi’s intuition to keep Hinata out of sight for as long as possible to avoid being rearrested, with how quickly things were set to escalate now; the Brotherhood needed to reassemble quickly.</p>
<p>He had very little faith in Tobio’s remaining patience, and even less in Tooru’s. He reckoned they had a day at most before one or both of them would snap and go after the brothers themselves, empire be damned. And it was that kind of behaviour that the Brotherhood would need to use every trick up their sleeve to prevent. After all, the only ones with the balls to go against two kings would be a band of lunatics.</p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0035"><h2>35. Heated Reunions</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>XXXV</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Heated Reunions</strong>
</p>
<p>Yaku had been in two minds about what to do once they were out of the tunnels. Going straight back to the manor would be easier, but it would also put them right where the guards would anticipate them. Kunimi’s lack of subtlety hadn’t done them any favours. However, hiding out in the city would be harder, always on the move and unable to really rest. Eventually he had decided they could wait for nightfall before returning to the manor. It would give the guards enough time to give the manor a shakedown and realise they weren’t there, then never look again.</p>
<p>Of course that still meant there was an entire day of diving between hiding spots to get through. The tunnels had brought them out into a district they hadn’t ventured into yet. It seemed to be a district for the middle class; buildings and plazas were a mixture of well-kept and scruffy. He was reminded of home in a way in how some residents clearly took more pride than others. It was a lot less crowded than the markets and the central circle, but there were still plenty of people around. They had sought refuge in an overgrown garden, a disused stable gave them somewhere to sit and reflect on the day’s events so far. Kunimi was on watch currently, leaving Hinata and this new acquaintance with Yaku. Yaku honestly wasn’t sure what to make of Ukai. He was older than any of the Brotherhood’s members, older than most of their friends in both kingdoms. It wasn’t a bad thing, but it meant he was of a different time. Yaku wondered if he’d respect their way of doing things or seek to order them around like children.</p>
<p>“How long were you in there?” Yaku asked, tired of the silence. Hinata was asleep, he had passed out once they found a safe place to sit and no one had the heart to wake him yet.</p>
<p>“…lost count.” Ukai shrugged. In the light his hair was brighter, blond like Kenma’s but a lot shorter. He was sporting a stubbly beard that he kept rubbing in thought. “Must be at least four summers...given some of what Hinata let slip at least.”</p>
<p>“What were you in there for?”</p>
<p>He didn’t really look Yaku in the eye when speaking to him, choosing instead to take in the flora around them. The bright flowers and long grass must’ve been a strange sight after so long of being stuck in a cell. “In the wrong place, at the wrong time and I knew the wrong things.”</p>
<p>Yaku nodded slowly, sensing that prodding further into the stranger’s past wouldn’t get him anywhere. He glanced down to Hinata still passed out asleep. “What happened in there, like why did Hinata insist we break you out too?”</p>
<p>Ukai stiffened, he ducked his head and rubbed the back of his neck. There were a few moments of silence before he replied. “I took his place last night.” He sighed. “When I found out he was an aura mage, I couldn’t let them get to him like they’ve gotten to so many of us.”</p>
<p>Yaku’s confusion was clear on his face, prompting Ukai to continue after another heavy sigh.</p>
<p>“Every night they take one of the mages to a cell, once you’re there they strap you down so you can’t escape. Then the Seeker arrives.” He paused for a moment, squeezing his eyes shut momentarily. “It’s horrible.”</p>
<p>Yaku could hazard a guess at what this ‘seeker’ really was. “And you didn’t want him going through that?”</p>
<p>“Fuck no!” Ukai snapped, wincing at his own tone. “Sorry. I…I just know what having someone like him would’ve meant.”</p>
<p>Yaku had several questions but he decided to drop it for now. He was satisfied that Ukai wasn’t going to double-cross them. If Hinata trusted him enough to insist they broke him out of the dungeon, then he must’ve left an impression on him.</p>
<p>“Well, allow us to repay the favour.” He smiled. “You can come back with us. The Brotherhood will protect you.”</p>
<p>Ukai smiled, sighing in relief, and rubbing his face with his hands. “Gods it’s been so long since I’ve had any company.”</p>
<p>There was a slight chuckle from Yaku. “Believe me, you’ll have no shortage of that where we’re going. We have a…variety of characters.” He wryly smiled.</p>
<p>“I believe you.”</p>
<p>They fell back into a comfortable silence, appreciating the clear weather after the impromptu thunderstorm. Yaku was keen to keep moving but Kunimi hadn’t given any indication they needed to yet. The day was approaching its peak, the sun high in the sky. The other reason for not rushing back was to avoid the inevitable fallout that would follow their escape, plus whatever chaos Tooru had caused in the court. Yaku was <em>not</em> in a hurry to get involved with that.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>“You know, we were going to tell Tooru our theory when we had a few more solid clues.” Kuroo remarked to Semi. “You kinda lit the fuse before we finished laying out the oil.”</p>
<p>Semi shrugged. Tooru had marched upstairs and was now in a heated conversation with Tobio about the matter. Tobio hadn’t known anything about it so now there were accusations of hiding information being thrown back and forth. Old wounds had been ripped open and it was going to take a long time to calm both of them down. Daichi was refusing to get involved for now, staying true to his earlier stance of waiting for either Akaashi to wake up or Kunimi to return.</p>
<p>“At least they’re on the same page now.” Semi replied. “We’re all on the same page; Akiteru is a conniving asshole.”</p>
<p>There was a snort from Suga, shaking his head in dismay. “You’re both as bad as each other.” He sighed heavily, looking to Daichi for some semblance of order. Daichi was pouring over Moniwa’s notes on everything, trying to piece together what clues they had already and what was missing. It felt like they were on the cusp of understanding the chain of events, they just needed one or two more scraps of information.</p>
<p>“Suppose Akiteru knows that Tooru knows.” Kuroo remarked, setting his hands on his hips.</p>
<p>“I imagine he’d either keep quiet and wait for Tooru to confront him in a fiery rage, or…” Semi gestured to the air. “He’ll try and be sneaky about it.”</p>
<p>“Hinata’s not in the dungeon.” Suga stated. “Let’s assume that. So what would Akiteru do then?”</p>
<p>Kuroo hummed, mulling over everything. Given what they knew and could confidently assume; Akiteru’s main goal was to seize power. If anything threatened his quest to achieve the throne, he was liable to lash out and eliminate it no matter the cost. They could safely assume that the Miya twins were almost untouchable for now; starting fights with fellow nobles wouldn’t get him very fair. That left both Tooru and Tobio in the firing line, along with the Brotherhood.</p>
<p>The next question was how much did Akiteru know about the Brotherhood? He seemed to know enough to realise putting Hinata in the dungeon would cause a fissure in the group. Had Kei told him that? How deep was Kei involved? He hadn’t been seen at court at any point, so what was his role in all this?</p>
<p>“Would he just go after Yachi?” Kuroo quietly suggested.</p>
<p>Suga didn’t like that idea. He was reminded of Kiyoko’s concerns that something was very off with Yachi. “If he does, we need to do something about it.”</p>
<p>Both Semi and Kuroo gave him a puzzled look. Whilst it was true that they wanted to help bring peace wherever they went, this felt like a tall order for them with no obvious gain. The Brotherhood could easily slip into the shadows again, both kings could leave and seal themselves off from the empire once more. Getting even more involved in the muddy politics didn’t seem to have any benefit on a political level.</p>
<p>But Suga wasn’t seeing this as just a political crisis. “If she’s being manipulated just like Hayato was, just like <em>Tobio</em> was, then we need to stop it before it’s too late.” He lowered his voice. “If he kills her, or rather if she ‘dies due to a mysterious illness’, he could become one of the most powerful leaders in the land. And I don’t know about you two, but I don’t think I’ll be able to stomach knowing we sat here and hid in the shadows.”</p>
<p>“I agree.” A voice came from behind Suga. Kiyoko was holding the broken hunting knife as she stepped closer to the huddled group. She offered it to him with a small sad smile. “Kenma apologises for this, but he got the journal open.”</p>
<p>Suga blinked, accepting the fragments. “Ah, hm, oh well. It’s a knife, there will be time to buy a new one.” He shrugged. “How much of that did you hear?”</p>
<p>Kiyoko looked to Semi and Kuroo. “Enough.” Her tone had an edge to it. “Neither of you have seen it up close, but I have; the look in her eyes doesn’t sit right with me. I reckon Tobio has seen it too but doesn’t realise it.”</p>
<p>“You think she’s already under his influence?” Kuroo asked.</p>
<p>“I do. And I think Akiteru has every chance of panicking if Tooru challenges him. Not because he thinks he did wrong, but because if Tooru has figured out what happened, then it means he’ll know it can be stopped. Tobio is the shining example of how it can be reversed.”</p>
<p>There was the unspoken understanding that Akaashi would have to do something dramatic again in order to reverse any empath mage trickery. None of them said it aloud, exchanging glances in silence instead.</p>
<p>“So what do you propose?” Kuroo murmured. “Tooru and Tobio are way too volatile. Akaashi is out. Hinata is gods know where.”</p>
<p>“Well,” Kiyoko looked around the group, “as I said, I saw it up close first.”</p>
<p>Suga seemed confused for a moment before it clicked. “Are you sure about this?”</p>
<p>“Koushi,” she turned to him and placed a hand on his shoulder, “I’m not going to be doing anything dangerous. I’m just going to ask for a private audience with her. I’ll say I have a message from Tobio or something. I want to see if talking to a normal person will reveal anything.”</p>
<p>He inhaled sharply, shaking his head slightly. Kuroo and Semi stayed quiet, sensing this wasn’t their argument to get involved in. “If you’re certain, then I won’t stop you.”</p>
<p>“I am.” She nodded. “But I’ll give it a few hours. Tensions are probably running high enough as it is.”</p>
<p>There was a shared nod of agreement. Whilst it hadn’t solved all their problems, it gave them something to mull over. Upstairs the argument was getting more heated, Kuroo faintly wondered how Akaashi could sleep through it.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>“What do you mean you have no idea what they’re talking about?” Tooru scoffed. “They’re <em>your</em> entourage.”</p>
<p>Tobio snorted. “They’re also a fully functioning guild in their own right.” He scowled as Tooru stood in the middle of his room. It felt far too cramped in there with both kings, their royal guards and Yamaguchi. But Tooru didn’t seem to care, marching straight in as soon as everything clicked in his mind.</p>
<p>“Alright, so what <em>do</em> you know?”</p>
<p>Tobio looked to the small table next to his bed. Picking up his journal he flicked open to a page from a few days ago. “The short version; about four years ago the old city was destroyed overnight with no-one being held accountable. Old empress imprisoned a load of mages in response. Since then no-one’s shown any desire to find out what actually happened. Yachi came to power half a year ago and has been trying to wrangle the empire into some sort of order but she keeps getting push-back. So when…” he paused for a moment, glancing up and seeing Tooru looking expectantly at him. “When we had our battle with the north, when Hinata and the others got involved, someone inside the empire oh so helpfully reminded her of the treaties.”</p>
<p>“And she decided to make good on them to win back popularity?” Tooru finished. “So now what? How far have you gotten?”</p>
<p>Tobio scowled again. “I was getting to that.”</p>
<p>“Well hurry up.”</p>
<p>Asahi and Iwaizumi exchanged an uneasy glance. Tobio shrugged. “I told her I wanted to renegotiate the treaties. Publicly, she said no. But privately she said that with the mystery of what happened four years ago still hanging over the city, there’s a lot of distrust. She said if I could get to the bottom of it—”</p>
<p>“You’ve become her lapdog.”</p>
<p>“Will you let me <em>fucking</em> finish?” Tobio snapped, slamming the journal shut. “I haven’t become her lapdog. I said I’d help her figure it out in exchange for her cooperation. I’m smart enough to know that her calling her entire court forth to take votes on rewriting centuries’ old treaties is a big ask. I can’t expect her to do that without getting something in return.”</p>
<p>Tooru was quiet for a few moments, thinking over the situation at hand. Tobio could see he wasn’t happy about it, the frown etched onto his face said it all really. He shook his head at first before being more upfront with his displeasure.</p>
<p>“And what have you figured out so far?”</p>
<p>“The Brotherhood are the ones who were looking into it more.”</p>
<p>“Uh-huh.”</p>
<p>Tobio gave him a long hard stare. “Why don’t you ask Shirabu? He’s been more involved than me. I’ve just been trying to keep Hinata safe.”</p>
<p>Tooru snorted, folding his arms across his chest. “And how’s that gone for you?”</p>
<p>Tobio stood up abruptly. “Come again?” He uttered.</p>
<p>“You heard me.”</p>
<p>Iwaizumi stepped in. “Tooru. Don’t.”</p>
<p>Tooru shrugged. “All I’m saying is that—”</p>
<p>“You shut your fucking mouth.” Tobio snapped. “You weren’t <em>here</em>. You can fuck off with your holier than thou attitude.”</p>
<p>The door opened, breaking the flow of the argument. Kenma entered wordlessly, closing the door behind him. He looked at both kings in turn as he clasped his hands in front of him.</p>
<p>“Not to interrupt the no doubt wonderful conversation you were having, but there’s been a development.”</p>
<p>“What is it?” Tobio replied first.</p>
<p>“The journal we found in the academy has been opened, and I have reason to believe that it belonged to Kei. It implies that Akiteru’s been pulling the strings for years, that Kei showed reluctance to go along with his plans.”</p>
<p>“So?” Tooru scrunched his nose up in disgust. “He still fucked both of us over.”</p>
<p>Kenma showed no sign of disagreeing. “True. However I feel that we might be able to use this fact against Akiteru.” He glanced to Tobio. “You’ve not seen Kei at court, have you? The only person who has seen him is Semi. The only thing Kei desires is Akaashi’s death.”</p>
<p>Those gathered in the room exchanged glances of confusion. Kenma felt it wasn’t necessary to explain why Kei wanted Akaashi dead, not to either of these kings anyway. That was a Brotherhood problem, and there were bigger ones to take care of first.</p>
<p>“So you’re saying we should forget about Kei?” Iwaizumi spoke up.</p>
<p>“I think Akiteru has high ambitions, ones that Kei may not share.” Kenma replied with a slight smile. “If push comes to shove, I doubt Kei would willingly die for his brother’s goal.”</p>
<p>“Well that’s great and all, but that’s not much to go on.” Tooru folded his arms across his chest.</p>
<p>“Isn’t it?” Kenma tilted his head to the side. “The way I see it, Kei was ordered out of the empire by Akiteru. For safety? Maybe. Or maybe Akiteru wanted his achievements to be undeniably his and his alone.”</p>
<p>“Achievements.” Tobio uttered. “Destroying an entire district.”</p>
<p>“His reasonings may only be known to him, I don’t think Kei had any knowledge of it.” He shook his head. “He didn’t breathe a word of it to us, did he?”</p>
<p>Tobio shook his head. “No.”</p>
<p>“So what’s—”</p>
<p>“The next move,” Kenma cut in, “is to wait for Akaashi to wake up. Right now, he’s the only one who can piece any of this together properly. I recommend neither of you rock the boat. Backing Akiteru into a corner without a plan will end poorly.” He turned to leave, glancing over his shoulder at them. “And I didn’t survive one battle just to watch the world burn down afterwards.”</p>
<p>He left without another word, closing the door behind him. He found Kuroo in the hallway with a smug smile on his face.</p>
<p>“I remember when you were too timid to even talk to Suga and Daichi like that.” He remarked.</p>
<p>“Times change.” Kenma shrugged, mirroring Kuroo’s smile. “And they’re both way too heated to think properly.”</p>
<p>Kuroo nodded. “I hear that.”</p>
<p>“How’s Keiji?”</p>
<p>Kuroo let out a heavy sigh. “He’s got a fever, but Inuoka’s gone to sit with him. Nishinoya is just waking up so I think there’s talk of lunch being served soon.”</p>
<p>It was concerning, of course, how Akaashi was taking longer than usual to come around. With very little information about what had happened in the academy, Kenma was surprised Kuroo wasn’t panicking. Then again by now everyone knew Akaashi was capable of seeing himself through these aftermaths. Kuroo knew his role was to make sure he was able to rest and meditate accordingly.</p>
<p>“Any word from Kunimi?”</p>
<p>Kuroo shook his head. “I’m not worried, Yaku and Kunimi are the best at what they do. They would’ve massacred the entire guard patrol if they felt they needed to.”</p>
<p>There was a light chuckle from both of them. It went without saying that tensions were running high, but they had to have faith in each other’s abilities. The second they stopped trusting in one another was the moment that the bonds of Brotherhood fell apart.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0036"><h2>36. A New Approach</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>XXXVI</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>A New Approach</strong>
</p>
<p>With everything kicking off in the manor, Tanaka made his escape quickly. Once Nishinoya was back safe and sound, he didn’t hang around to listen to the bickering and deep thinking the others spent most of their days doing. He wasn’t the type to sit around mulling over mysteries, he like doing things. So he tagged along with Bokuto as he also looked to make a hasty getaway. Then again, Bokuto had an actual task to complete, one that came from Yamaguchi.</p>
<p>When Kenma had put the request to him, Bokuto honestly felt like he had finally been recognised for his talents. He made a big deal about being approached to complete a commission for the <em>king</em>, and how his father would be so proud of him, his brothers both jealous and awed by it. Kenma had rolled his eyes but let him ramble on for a while before shoving the two stones into his hands.</p>
<p>Crafting a headpiece for Hinata on behalf of Tobio was no small feat. He was lucky in the sense that Hinata had left the pure stone circlet behind before getting arrested, so at least he had that for reference. But it still required a high level of skill, patience and more importantly, a blacksmith willing to share their forge. He had managed to bribe a smithy, not with gold but with favours. And thus, whilst Kunimi and Yaku had been planning their daring journey around tunnels and dungeons, Bokuto had been hard at work helping the blacksmith with a few small orders. As yesterday had come to a close, the smithy had told him he could use the forge for a few days as agreed.</p>
<p>Now as the chaotic day of dungeon breaks, court drama and general Brotherhood-lunacy drew into the early afternoon, Bokuto was eager to get started on the commission. Tanaka tagging along just meant he had someone to talk to. After arriving at the forge, he was quick to start heating up metal and begin shaping it. Tanaka’s knowledge of blacksmithing wasn’t nearly as extensive as his, but he knew enough to be of use. It was easy to lose track of time as they focused on getting a rough circlet together; melting down silver ingots and then pouring it into moulds took up most of the afternoon.</p>
<p>They had more than enough time to talk about the current situation that the Brotherhood had found itself in, in the possible outcomes of that day’s events. However, there was an unspoken agreement that just for a few hours, they wanted to forget about the specifics, they wanted to talk about the much more normal and mundane. It had started with Tanaka asking Bokuto how he was so confident in making such an intricate headpiece, but quickly it turned into Bokuto recounting his entire childhood being taught how to work a forge and much more.</p>
<p>“So what, your pa had you making daggers?” Tanaka remarked, leaning against the stone wall of the workshop. Around them, tables and benches were cluttered with ingots, finished armour pieces, dull blades waiting to be sharpened. Their focus was on the iron tongs holding the silver circlet that they had been painstakingly moulding for the last few hours.</p>
<p>Bokuto wiped his forehead with a rag, huffing at the heat coming off the lit forge. “Yeah, by the time I was past my tenth nameday I had made my first sword.” He grinned, lifting the headpiece from the forge and dipping it into the trough of water. Steam rose as the metal cooled quickly with a loud hiss. Tanaka wrinkled his nose.</p>
<p>“Have you ever made one of those?” He nodded to the circlet.</p>
<p>“Not many.” Bokuto shrugged, slowly bringing the headpiece out of the water and dropping it onto the workbench to examine it. “We were more everyday things, horseshoes, nails, hinges and so on. My pa wanted us to get in on the weapons and armour business. By the time Kenji and Kazuo were old enough to begin being taught how to work the forge, we had a few loyal customers.” He tossed aside the leather gloves he had been wearing and picked up the silver headpiece with his bare hands, turning it over as the light caught the metal. “We’re not like famous or anything, but my pa has made a name for himself, for our family within Kōshi.” He smiled.</p>
<p>Tanaka nodded, stepping away from the wall to get a better look at the headpiece. It was just simple silver right now, intricate embellishments would have to be added later, and then they still needed to figure out how to add the gemstones Tobio gave them. It was this last part that still stumped Bokuto. The purple stone was big, bigger than most that he’d attempt to fix in a circlet that isn’t destined for a king’s head. However he didn’t want to cut it down to size either, that felt stupid considering how rare such large stones were.</p>
<p>“Have you ever felt bad for leaving home?” Tanaka asked, leaning forward on his hands pressed against workbench as Bokuto held the circlet up and seemed to be considering the next stage of the crafting process.</p>
<p>“Sometimes.” He replied quietly. “Being the oldest, y’know,” he shrugged, “but my pa was pretty excited for me to ‘get out and see the world’.” He chuckled, offering the circlet to Tanaka so he could admire their work. “And it’s not like I’ve never visited.”</p>
<p>“True, gods my ma was worried sick when me and Noya said we wanted to go exploring.” He set the circlet down. “With Saeko being so strong-willed and me not exactly being a pushover myself, she was worried I’d get my face rearranged or worse.”</p>
<p>They shared a laugh, circlet sitting between them. Bokuto reached to one side and found the leather pouch Kenma had handed him with the two stones inside. He held the purple one against the flat plate that would eventually be sculpted into a much more fanciful fitting. It was almost double the height and width. He then picked up the much smaller, daintier half orange half-transparent gem. It would require very little cutting and shaping to get it to fit and would be able to be the main focus of the piece easily enough.</p>
<p>“So Tobio wants both of these gems in a single piece?” Tanaka asked.</p>
<p>“Supposedly.” Bokuto frowned. “But I’d have to basically only use like…less than a quarter of this purple stone…plus orange and purple don’t really go together.”</p>
<p>They hummed in thought. Tanaka glanced around the workshop, there was a vast array of different armour pieces on display, some waiting for collection, others waiting to be sold. “Maybe the purple stone can be put into something else? Something bigger and grander?”</p>
<p>Bokuto nodded. “Maybe, hey you hang out with Noya a lot. What does purple mean to a mage?”</p>
<p>Tanaka chuckled. “I mean, put it this way Noya doesn’t wield it. I think Akaashi might have something similar to it but honestly, that’s waaaay outta my area of expertise y’know? I remember Noya talking about it, it’s some mixed-up version of all elements or something like that.” He gestured to the air dismissively. “I dunno, but like Hinata can wield it and it’s this weird ‘other’ element for him. The thing that makes him able to do freaky shit with dragons...”</p>
<p>Bokuto nodded again. “Right. So setting it in a pendant could work…hm. I’ll figure that out later, maybe talk to Kenma about it.” He held the small orange gem against the circlet. “For now, I’ll focus on making this work.”</p>
<p>Sweeping both gems back into the pouch for safekeeping, Bokuto pulled up a stool and began properly thinking about how to design a seat for the gem. Tanaka remained with him, enjoying the quiet as Bokuto’s more focused side came out and he fell silent. Scraps of parchment were scribbled on, vague designs being sketched with charcoal as he stuck his tongue out in thought. It was a side to Bokuto that Tanaka realised many didn’t see all too often. He was the loud-mouthed jester of the guild on many occasions, quick to suggest outlandish schemes on others, the supportive ‘bro’ figure that Kuroo leaned on heavily in hard times. The hard-working, quiet Bokuto wasn’t seen by many. Here in the workshop of a blacksmith, Bokuto was in his element, his happy place.</p>
<p>Regardless of the situation looming over the Brotherhood, he didn’t seem fazed by it. They lost track of time quickly. The forge had cooled in its disuse as the afternoon drew on. The resident blacksmith returned as the light of day was fading outside. She remarked at the silence between them as she paced over and took an interest in the designs Bokuto had drawn up, nodding in appreciation as he explained the idea to set the gem in the centre and keep the embellishments simple.</p>
<p>“Oh, be careful on your way back to your lodgings,” she told them as they prepared to leave, “word on the street is some prisoners escaped from the dungeons.”</p>
<p>They exchanged a glance, it sounded like Kunimi had been successful. “Prisoners?” Tanaka asked.</p>
<p>She nodded. “Mages. Volatile ones. The guards are patrolling now trying to find them, so expect to be stopped and searched.”</p>
<p>“Huh, okay, well thanks for the heads up.” Bokuto smiled warmly. “Is it alright for me to come back tomorrow?”</p>
<p>She smiled. “If you’re willing to help me sharpen some swords for the town guards, then yeah.”</p>
<p>He feigned having to think about it. “You drive a hard bargain ma’am, but sure.” He winked. After properly saying goodbye, they began to make their way back to the manor. Neither really wanted to start asking questions about what they were about to walk into, so they didn’t, continuing their walk through the city in peaceful silence as the sun continued to set.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Every time Tobio had gone to see Yachi in private so far, he had dressed up in his formal attire to assert his status. Kiyoko knew this. She also knew that Yachi was probably well versed in talking to nobles and royalty by now, even at this young age. She wondered how long it had been since the young empress had been able to talk candidly to someone and not worry about status and reputation. Putting the circumstances aside like the likelihood that she was compromised by magic, that the Brotherhood had a score to settle with the Tsukishima brothers, that Tobio and Tooru were causing her court to question their leader, that Hinata was still in danger despite Kunimi’s efforts. Kiyoko wondered what else there was happening behind the scenes.</p>
<p>She wasn’t going to talk to Yachi as a steward, a royal guard or even a spokesperson for House Kageyama. Sure, she was using that as an excuse, as a way in, but once that door closed behind her, she was going to drop the act and hope Yachi could do the same. There were enough smoke and mirrors at play in the overall situation, they needed to drop facades and work together if they were going to overcome this.</p>
<p>As the guard nodded and allowed her through the main doors of the palace, she nodded in thanks. There had been raised eyebrows at her polished armour; the steel plates nestled amongst leather strapping and fur layers, the way her hair was tied back as if she was heading into an arena battle rather than a meeting. Both blades were sheathed, clunking slightly as they bumped against her thighs. She was aware that suspicion was rising at the repeated meetings that House Kageyama was having with Yachi. They had to be careful. She had expected there to be more panic in the palace at Kunimi’s attempt to release Hinata, by now he should’ve gotten into the dungeon.</p>
<p>By now they should’ve heard <em>something</em>.</p>
<p>She was shown to a door, a plain unassuming sliding door. The guard stood to the side. As much as his hands-off nature was appreciated in some ways, it made her wonder why they were so trusting that she wouldn’t murder the empress. She shrugged it off for now, opening the door and stepping inside. She expected to find another guard, but Yachi was alone. Once the door was closed behind her, she slowly paced around the room into the empress’ line of sight.</p>
<p>The small study felt cosy, the roaring fire bathed it in a warm glow that the dreary overcast day did not. As she stepped into Yachi’s line of sight, she caught Yachi by surprise.</p>
<p>“Oh,” she closed the book that had been resting on her lap, “you’re one of Tobio’s people, right?”</p>
<p>Kiyoko smiled, bowing in greeting. “Kiyoko Shimizu. Battle maiden of the Silver Owl Brotherhood.” She straightened her posture. “And, a sort-of adviser to King Tobio, yes.”</p>
<p>Yachi’s confusion was clear in her expression, eyes wide and lips pressed together as she processed what Kiyoko just said. “…I have heard from the guards,” she said, “Hinata and one of our other prisoners have…gone missing.”</p>
<p>Kiyoko clasped her hands in front of her, making it clear she wasn’t about to draw weapons. “Ah.”</p>
<p>Yachi regarded her with caution. “You were there when your associate said he’d get Hinata out of the dungeon, with or without Atsumu’s help.” She too clasped her hands, resting them on top of the book in her lap. “I trust you understand how this looks.”</p>
<p>There was a small nod. “If I recall, no-one was present at that meeting aside from us and the twins. So unless you confess to your own court that you knew about this, how would they know?”</p>
<p>Yachi worried her bottom lip between her teeth, averting her gaze to focus on the fire. Kiyoko could already guess the answer to the question. However that wasn’t why she was here. Kunimi had been adamant he and he alone would deal with the consequences of his actions, not her. She had a different goal here.</p>
<p>“May I sit?”</p>
<p>Yachi nodded, still not looking directly at her even as Kiyoko sat in the opposing chair. She had to remove her blades to do so, setting them on the floor by her feet with care before relaxing into the chair. Yachi’s gaze moved to the exposed hilts, curiosity in her eyes. Kiyoko took it as an opportunity.</p>
<p>“One is a katana.” She broke the silence. “I’ve had it since I was taught how to duel.”</p>
<p>“Yeah?” Yachi’s voice was quiet, strained like she was about to start crying.</p>
<p>“Mhm. My village was on the southern coast and ravaged by pirates.” She kept her tone light and calm even as she continued to tell Yachi the not-so-light story of how her village was constantly in danger so she learnt to fight so she could defend it. She went through all the happier memories of beating the older boys of the village, earning the respect of the elders, and even being tipped to be Tooru’s royal guard. Throughout the entire recounting, Yachi was silent, yet her attention was captured by the tale. The cautious gaze faded into one of interest, hanging on Kiyoko’s every word. As she mentioned how fate seemed to have different plans to her being Tooru’s royal guard, there was a weak smile.</p>
<p>“I know that feeling.” Yachi murmured. “Having everything you know ripped from you.”</p>
<p>Kiyoko nodded. “At the hands of a mage no less.”</p>
<p>Yachi stiffened. “A mage?”</p>
<p>“An aura mage, or so we think…” Kiyoko sighed, pretending not to notice her reaction. “I don’t remember much now, it was a few summers back when it happened.”</p>
<p>Yachi swallowed, fingers moving to grip the spine of the book on her lap. “What happened?”</p>
<p>“To cut a long story short,” Kiyoko held her gaze, “a rogue mage was so intent on achieving his goal that he bonded my soul with a beast’s.”</p>
<p>There was a pause as Yachi blinked a few times. “Bonded…with a beast?”</p>
<p>This would require a lot more explanation, and maybe it wasn’t really going to help in the long run. Yet Kiyoko could see the beginning of an unlikely bond forming. “The village elder wanted to protect our home, he was going mad with grief and helplessness.” She delicately put. “He turned to more taboo magic in desperation. I was an unwilling participant. He cast a ritual that effectively…cursed me for a time.”</p>
<p>She waited a few moments for Yachi to nod in understanding.</p>
<p>“My soul was bound to that of a dragon, and thus I was turned into one.” She bluntly stated. “And my memories after that are…hazy.” She sighed heavily. “At least two summers I spent in the wilderness, alone, fleeing hunters and trying to survive. All I know from that time was loneliness and a yearning to return to my normal life.”</p>
<p>Yachi’s mouth was hanging open slightly, eyes wide and hands gripping the spine of the book so hard her fingers were white. “Y-You…what? That’s…” she glanced at the bookshelves. “That’s the stuff of stories.”</p>
<p>“And I lived it.” Kiyoko smiled slightly.</p>
<p>“How did you—what happened?”</p>
<p>“The Brotherhood happened.” Her smile grew, going on to recount the tale of how Nishinoya and Tanaka found her, convinced the rest of the Brotherhood to help her, the voyage to her home village. Yachi hung on every word even more fervently than before, leaning forward in her chair. “And so, between Kenma and the other mages, the ritual circle was set up.” She continued, the memories of that night were a little hazy but she remembered one thing clearer than anything else. “Akaashi stepped into that circle with me, a dragon, and he put himself in danger to help break the bond between my soul and the beast’s. He gave me the strength to fight it off once and for all.”</p>
<p>“Did…and it worked?”</p>
<p>“It did. I was once again human.” She looked down at the blade at her feet. “But the night had more in store for us. Before we could make our escape, the village elder came to kill us all.” Her smile faded a little. “Despite being up against a mage of vast power, the Brotherhood stood defiant. They fought tooth and nail for our survival.”</p>
<p>“What happened to the elder?”</p>
<p>Kiyoko allowed herself to laugh slightly, more at how it all looked in retrospect. “Kunimi landed the killing blow, and you know what he said?”</p>
<p>Yachi shook her head.</p>
<p>“He said, ‘I fucking hate mages’.”</p>
<p>Considering the time that had passed since that night, it was interesting to think that the one who was so adamant that he despised mages and would never trust one, was now putting his life on the line to rescue one from the imperial dungeons. This point seemed to hit Yachi quickly, a thoughtful expression gracing her face.</p>
<p>“He’s very spirited.”</p>
<p>“That’s…one way to describe him.” Kiyoko hummed in amusement. “So you see, pulling ridiculous stunts to help one another is in the Brotherhood’s blood.” She met Yachi’s gaze with a smile. “And dealing with rogue mages is one of our specialities.”</p>
<p>She didn’t push a new conversation to start, deciding to let Yachi mull over the hidden proposition whilst they enjoyed the warmth of the fire. As much as she wanted to outright ask the other if Akiteru was really using magic to influence her, she also wanted to see if Yachi herself would bring it up. They sat in silence for a while, Kiyoko watching the flames dancing in the fireplace as Yachi ran fingertips over the cover of the book still in her lap.</p>
<p>“Tobio told me how this same Akaashi person saved him.” Yachi stated abruptly. “He sounds powerful.”</p>
<p>Kiyoko slowly nodded. “He’s certainly good at what he does.”</p>
<p>Yachi leaned forward slightly, lowering her voice. “Can he block empath magic?”</p>
<p>Kiyoko honestly didn’t know the extent of Akaashi’s powers. She knew he could do a lot with memories and there were hints of <em>more</em> being possible but without talking to him directly, she couldn’t be sure. He had also been vocal in his intention to take on Kei in whatever capacity he could, that he was the only one who stood a chance of succeeding.</p>
<p>“Depends what specifically.” She replied in a hushed tone. “He’s pulled false memories out of Tobio, restoring his true self in the process. He’s calmed emotions, convinced others to spill secrets…”</p>
<p>Yachi bit her bottom lip momentarily. Letting out a small sigh, she stood up and set the book down on the chair. Kiyoko watched as she paced towards the window, daylight caught her blond hair and the dainty silver headpiece that adorned her head. It was different to her formal tiara, simpler in design but the diamonds that decorated it sparkled in the natural light.</p>
<p>“Can your friend stop Akiteru?”</p>
<p>Kiyoko needed more to go on really. “What’s Akiteru doing?”</p>
<p>There was a sharp inhale, Yachi’s gaze was on the view from the window. “Truthfully, I’m not sure. My memories are all…fragmented. It gets worse after every meeting with him. I make decisions, I forget why I made them.” She turned to meet Kiyoko’s gaze. “Truthfully, I don’t know why I arrested Hinata. I know he broke a treaty, but I didn’t want to tear him from Tobio. I wanted to settle it peacefully, in talks like this, not through blackmail.”</p>
<p>Kiyoko swallowed. This was worse than they thought. She slowly stood up, clasping hands behind her back as she stepped up to the window beside Yachi. Outside lay a small courtyard with an abundance of flora; small trees were blossoming, their light pink flowers bringing colour to the otherwise green surroundings, vines and ivy crawled up the side of the palace, shrubbery lined a stepping-stone pathway that weaved around the courtyard in a loop. At the centre was a small fountain, a tree carved in stone with an eagle sat on a thick branch. Water spouted from the centre of the trunk, trickling down and over the stone roots into the pool below.</p>
<p>“These…decisions, are not wholly yours then?”</p>
<p>“I…” She trailed off, shaking her head. “I don’t want to be a harsh ruler. I don’t want to resort to blackmailing Tobio into helping me. That’s why I said I’d release Hinata anyway, I want him to trust me.”</p>
<p>If Kiyoko understood properly, what was happening was Akiteru was ‘suggesting’ things through ill-used magic, Yachi would carry them out under some sort of trance and forget it ever happened. Then when she was more conscious, she’d try to undo what she did under duress. This was going to be a tough one to fix. And as far as Kiyoko knew, Akaashi was still recovering from whatever he encountered in the academy.</p>
<p>“Okay.” Kiyoko nodded. “I see.”</p>
<p>“Can your friend do anything?”</p>
<p>“Possibly.” She turned to face Yachi. “But not immediately. He’ll need to figure out what to do, and until then—”</p>
<p>“I can’t put up with it much longer.” She breathed, shaking her head. “It’s driving me mad.”</p>
<p>In any other situation, Kiyoko would whisk Yachi away and put her in the Brotherhood’s care. However, kidnapping an empress was definitely a suicide mission. She needed to figure out an alternative until Akaashi could do something.</p>
<p>“What about the twins?”</p>
<p>Yachi shrugged. “From what I know and can remember, Atsumu said that Osamu was searching for an empath mage they knew from their childhood. Though most mages left the city after the fire so I don’t know how far they’ll get with that. They don’t want to accuse Akiteru outright, they want barely anything to do with it really…at least…that’s what I think?” She shook her head again. “I don’t know anymore.”</p>
<p>“Hm, well they’re not really lending themselves to our cause by keeping things from us…” Kiyoko murmured. “They seem unwilling to be upfront with most people.”</p>
<p>Yachi nodded. “I wish I could tell you more, but—”</p>
<p>Kiyoko reached out impulsively and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry.” She smiled. “We <em>will</em> get this sorted, I promise.”</p>
<p>“I believe you.” Yachi visibly swallowed, nodding quickly as she clasped her hands in front of her. “And thank you.”</p>
<p>Kiyoko squeezed her shoulder. “Tell me one thing, Ushijima and Aone, can they be trusted?”</p>
<p>“Yes. Yes trust them. They, they’re actually probably more useful than you realise. They’re men of their word, they’ll follow any orders to the letter.”</p>
<p>“Good to know.” She slowly drew her hand back. “If you want, I can make it a point to visit you again. If that brings you some comfort.”</p>
<p>Her heart ached for Yachi. Much had been said about how she was a lost girl on a throne ahead of her time, how inexperienced she was. As everyone was focused on how good a leader she could be, not many were talking about how she felt; how her life had been turned upside down by this choice of her aunt’s. Maybe it was because Kiyoko could relate to the latter sentiment. The choices of others had consequences, and not all of them would be seen immediately.</p>
<p>“I…” Yachi’s eyes were glassy. “Yes. If you can spare some time, I would…appreciate company.”</p>
<p>Kiyoko didn’t feel the need to say anything else. She stepped back and gave a short bow before collecting her weapons. With a final reassuring smile and nod, she saw herself out of the study. The same guard was stood there waiting and he escorted her back to the main gates of the palace district. The daylight was fading quickly, dusk falling across the city. It had been an entire day since Akaashi became bedridden with exhaustion, she knew that many were worried, but given what she now knew, she needed him to recover quickly.</p>
<p>They didn’t have a lot of time to waste.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0037"><h2>37. The Return of the Nightmares</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>XXXVII</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>The Return of the Nightmares</strong>
</p>
<p>He could smell burning. The sky was red above him. The grass he stood on was drenched in blood, squelching under his boots with each step. Smoke clouded his vision. This wasn’t real. He knew this was a dream— no a <em>nightmare</em>. This was one of those terrors that kept him fearful of the night. Even being aware of it didn’t loosen its grasp on him.</p>
<p>Scanning the area, all he could see were broken bodies lying in the blood-soaked grass. Bright blue and orange tunics identified them clearly in the haze. Swords and shields lay scattered around, broken, splintered, useless. Fear was rising as he staggered through the carnage. Looking down at himself, he saw blood trickling from wounds. They felt so real, like he had lived them. His breathing quickened as he spotted a familiar figure in the smoke; Bokuto’s spiky hair was easily identifiable as he was crouched down examining something. He tried to call out but no words came, so he was left to stumble over to see what Bokuto was looking at.</p>
<p>He reached out and tapped Bokuto’s shoulder, spooking him.</p>
<p>Bokuto didn’t say anything as he stood up, looking at him with solemn eyes. He didn’t like seeing Bokuto look so miserable. He slowly glanced down at what the other had been focused on. He felt his stomach drop. An unfamiliar feeling swept over him, it felt worse than sadness, like he was being torn open and thrown into a freezing lake. Laying on the ground, motionless, blood still seeping from the slash to his neck, was Kuroo. His eyes were closed, but that didn’t give him the false hope that he was just sleeping. There was too much blood. His lungs burned as he forced air into them. There was silence around him as he couldn’t tear his eyes away.</p>
<p><em>“This isn’t real</em>.” He screamed at himself. This was a nightmare. There was no way this was real. They had survived the battle, they had all survived with only minor injuries. No-one had died. What the fuck was this? What was this sorcery?</p>
<p>Everything went dark abruptly. He was falling now. Falling into a deep dark pit. A cacophony erupted as his other senses were blinded. Screaming dominated the air, echoing like he was in a cave. Amongst the screams, he heard wood splintering, stone cracking and falling. There was sobbing, both of the helpless and frustrated variety. It all blended together as he continued to fall until he plunged into a pool of sorts.</p>
<p>“<em>Wake up. Wake the fuck up</em>”. His words had no effect. He couldn’t see anything as the sensation of floating on the water’s surface took over. There was a moment of calm, almost making him think the worse part was over.</p>
<p>A voice entered his consciousness. It sounded young, almost like Hinata’s but there was a much rougher edge to it, like a wounded animal.</p>
<p>“<em>Stay out. It</em><em>’s for your own good. Don’t fuck with me.</em>”</p>
<p>Before he could react, to plead his body to wake up from the slumber it had put him in, a bright white light burst forth. All he could make out was the skull from the academy door, eye sockets alight with fire as it stared him down.</p>
<p>“<em>I have been fucked with enough.</em>” The skull’s eyes grew more intense. “<em>I can sense it in you. He fucked with you too. So stay the fuck away from me</em>.”</p>
<p>The fire in the skull’s eye sockets flashed a vibrant blue colour, flames growing in intensity as he stared into their depths. Fear was washing over him again, gripping his heart as the flood of other emotions still coursed through him. His breathing quickened, panic now rising up as the fire almost seemed to reach out for him.</p>
<p>“<em>He</em><em>’ll destroy you like he destroyed me.</em>”</p>
<p>A sucker punch hit his gut. The skull vanished, plunging him into darkness. His pulse was like thunder in his ears as flashes of a battlefield passed through his mind’s eye; burning banners and broken bodies, the red sky overhead mirrored the blood-soaked ground. He felt dizzy, like he was going to throw up if this continued. He found himself back at Bokuto’s side, staring down at Kuroo’s dead body. Grief struck him in the pit of his stomach. Anger flooded his senses as purple wisps took hold around his fingers.</p>
<p>“<em>Wake the fuck up!</em><em>”</em> he screamed, unsure if it was directed at himself or Kuroo.</p>
<p>Everything faded in an instant. His eyes flew open as he sat up. The dark room of the manor was a welcome sight. He was panting as he gripped the woollen blanket, his shirt was soaked with sweat, his heart thundering in his chest. He blinked rapidly, trying to figure out what the fuck had happened.</p>
<p>He wasn’t alone in the room.</p>
<p>Nishinoya had sat up in a separate bed, eyes wide almost like he had been startled. Akaashi looked down at his hands and noticed the same purple wisps from his nightmare. He swallowed, trying to will them to go away. He didn’t notice Nishinoya had approached until gentle hands covered his. He let out a shaky breath as he started to calm his racing heart.</p>
<p>“How long has it been?” He whispered between shaky breaths.</p>
<p>“A day.” Nishinoya replied in an equally hushed tone. “You uh…you’ve missed a lot.”</p>
<p>“Is Hinata safe?”</p>
<p>Nishinoya shook his head. “Kunimi and Yaku have gone to break him out of the dungeons but—”</p>
<p>“What?” Akaashi exclaimed. “Are they mad?”</p>
<p>There was a weak laugh from Nishinoya. “A little? I mean…” He squeezed Akaashi’s hands. “It’s all in motion now. Just rest, I can get Kuroo if you want.”</p>
<p>The mention of the other brought back the horrific visions, Akaashi grimaced. “Yeah, please do.”</p>
<p>Without another word, Nishinoya left to seek out Kuroo, leaving Akaashi alone with his thoughts. Now he was more awake, he could try to make sense of what he saw. The battlefield was the first to come to mind, it felt so real, like it had happened before. The burning banners of both royal houses, the splintered shields and broken swords, it all felt so real. As he dwelt on the visual of Kuroo’s dead body, he felt his eyes tearing up. Grief rose up again despite him assuring himself that it was all just a terrible nightmare. It wasn’t like he hadn’t had night-terrors before after all.</p>
<p>But this one had been different.</p>
<p>This one had a voice talking to him.</p>
<p>The door opened slowly, he glanced up and watched Kuroo enter and close the door behind him. He remained silent even as Kuroo sat next to him on the bed and hugged him, burying his face in Akaashi’s shoulder. He didn’t know how to even start explaining what had happened. Yet it seemed Kuroo wasn’t looking for answers right now. Akaashi sighed heavily, leaning into Kuroo’s touch, letting his strong arms wrap around his waist and pull him closer. There were still too many thoughts and emotions running through his mind. He almost wished he could just let Kuroo see what he saw, but he couldn’t ask a non-mage to put themselves through that kind of trauma.</p>
<p>It was a miracle <em>he</em> hadn’t gone over the edge.</p>
<p>“You don’t need to tell me.” Kuroo whispered, lifting his head and planting a kiss to Akaashi’s temple. “Just rest.”</p>
<p>He hummed in agreement. He remembered a time when Kuroo would hound him for answers, when he wanted to know everything that was happening inside his mind. Over time there seemed to be an unspoken acceptance that sometimes he didn’t need to know what Akaashi did. Sometimes it was better he didn’t see the same horrors Akaashi had seen. Sometimes the best thing he could do was sit and hold the other until the violent night terrors faded. Sometimes Akaashi only wanted to see his face, to hear his voice, to feel his heartbeat under his fingertips. That was enough to ease the pain of what he saw in his dreams.</p>
<p>“I heard a voice.” Akaashi spoke quietly after some time had passed and he had shifted to lay in Kuroo’s embrace.</p>
<p>“A voice.” Kuroo echoed, voice calm but with a tinge of curiosity. “What did it say?”</p>
<p>“A lot of things,” he murmured, splaying a hand on Kuroo’s chest, “it wasn’t one I‘ve heard before.”</p>
<p>There was a slight nod as Kuroo pushed him back enough to meet his gaze. “You can tell me later, you’ve been asleep all day. You should eat.”</p>
<p>As much as he wanted to get it out of his mind already by telling Kuroo, he decided to let the other fawn over him. He wasn’t sure what time of day it was, but given the fact there were candles lit in the hallway he assumed it was at least the evening. Kuroo held his hand and linked their fingers together as they made their way downstairs. It was quiet, but not silent, he could hear the murmur of conversation in the parlour from the others, laughter and remarks about a card game. He smiled to himself, relieved that there were still high spirits within them despite whatever else was going on.</p>
<p>The dining room wasn’t empty, Asahi and Iwaizumi were sat at the table with empty bowls between them, Yamamoto was just returning from the kitchen with what seemed to be his second plate if the breadcrumbs stuck in his stubble were anything to go by. They greeted him and Kuroo with nods and a small wave from Iwaizumi. Asahi invited him to sit at the table with them as Kuroo said he’d fetch some food.</p>
<p>He figured it was probably a decent idea to ask what the current state of things in regard to the royalty was.</p>
<p>“What, you didn’t hear about our grand entrance to the court?” Yamamoto snorted, breaking off a chunk of bread.</p>
<p>Akaashi shook his head. “I’ve been…resting.” He delicately put. They knew exactly what that meant but they didn’t need to know details. “Last I heard, you were on your way.”</p>
<p>Iwaizumi raised his eyebrows. “Well, Tooru got his audience with Yachi.” He glanced down at his empty bowl. “And then some.”</p>
<p>“What did he say?”</p>
<p>“A lot of hot air,” Iwaizumi shrugged, “barking on about the alliance and how he stands beside Tobio, how Yachi should be imprisoning a lot more mages than just Hinata if it was really just about the treaty. Basically he was throwing his weight around, said a few scathing remarks that challenged her authority. Typical Tooru really.”</p>
<p>Akaashi nodded, it sounded like a typical Tooru encounter. Kuroo returned and set a bowl of stew in front of him with a chunk of bread to go with it. He smiled in thanks and began to eat as Iwaizumi continued filling him in on the court antics and then the arguments afterwards with Tobio about how the Brotherhood kept secrets. Kuroo took over to explain how the hypothesis right now was that Akiteru knew a lot more than they originally thought, how Kenma got the journal open to reveal that Kei was the owner but someone else had written over it. Someone who was pissed at Kei.</p>
<p>He finished the stew silently, wiping the bowl clean with bits of bread as he mulled over all this new information. When the matter of Kunimi deciding to bust Hinata out of the dungeons arose, he shook his head.</p>
<p>“They’re insane.”</p>
<p>“That they are,” Kuroo remarked, “but Kunimi was insistent.”</p>
<p>“So we haven’t heard if they were—”</p>
<p>Kuroo nodded. “Kiyoko went to talk to Yachi herself, again, insistent, but Yachi alluded to the fact Hinata and ‘another prisoner’ were missing. So <em>something</em> has happened.”</p>
<p>He clasped his hands together on the table. If Hinata was out, then that meant they could afford to make riskier plays. It also meant Tobio had no reason to bend the knee, with Tooru for backup, they could really let the empire know what they think. But it troubled him a great deal. The voice in his nightmare seemed to know a great deal about him without actually meeting him. The presence of the skull caused no doubt in his mind that the academy had something to do with it. Whoever was behind that damn door needed to explain a few things, but he couldn’t stomach the idea of going back so soon.</p>
<p>“So once Hinata is safe, I assume Tobio is going to let Yachi have it?” He glanced to Asahi.</p>
<p>Asahi had kept his thoughts to himself. Unlike Iwaizumi with Tooru, he wasn’t one to involve himself in Tobio’s schemes and plans. That was definitely Yamaguchi’s department. He sighed heavily, rubbing the stubble on his chin.</p>
<p>“Possibly. It depends what state Hinata is in.” He replied. “I can imagine if harm as come to Hinata, then yes. But if he’s fine, if he’s still the same, then there might be a reasonable call to exercise caution.”</p>
<p>“We dunno what Kiyoko found out.” Iwaizumi interjected. “She got back not long ago and immediately pulled Kenma into a private conversation.”</p>
<p>That didn’t sit well with Akaashi. That said to him that Kiyoko already had a plan and she was being quick to put it into motion. He rose from his seat, much to Kuroo’s curious gaze. “I’ll go talk to her then.”</p>
<p>Kuroo shook his head. “You just woke up from sleeping for an entire day after…whatever happened in that academy. Can you—maybe it would be best to wait til morning?”</p>
<p>Akaashi appreciated Kuroo not demanding or ordering him to do anything. He smiled a little. Maybe he was being too hasty, maybe he should just relax with the others in the parlour and not worry too much. However the last thing the voice said in his nightmare haunted him still. It wasn’t a taunt or threat.</p>
<p>It was a warning.</p>
<p>
  <em>‘He’ll destroy you like he destroyed me.’</em>
</p>
<p>He swallowed, everyone’s eyes were on him as he mulled over Kuroo’s suggestion. After a few more moments of deliberation, he conceded. “Alright,” he looked to Kuroo, “but can we at least sit in the parlour with the others and try to forget about it all?”</p>
<p>Kuroo’s face lit up with a smile. “Sure, I’m pretty sure that Bokuto’s on a winning streak in his card tournament.”</p>
<p>“Well he won’t be winning for long.” Akaashi remarked, much to the other’s amusement.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Kiyoko had been quick to find Kenma upon returning. Whilst Akaashi was really the one she needed to talk to, he had been asleep still when she got back as dusk fell. Besides, Kenma was liable to know exactly how he’d react to the proposition. Kenma, for the most part, wasn’t surprised it had come to this, given the working theory the Brotherhood had, it was only the matter of proving it that held them back.</p>
<p>“So she has no memory of certain things.” He summarised as he flicked through the pages of Kei’s journal. “And she thinks Akiteru is causing it by the power of telepathic suggestion.”</p>
<p>Kiyoko hadn’t heard the term before but it sounded like what Yachi described. “I think so. She’s not entirely certain.”</p>
<p>He nodded, stopping at the page where all the chaotic scribblings started. “Well, that lines up with something Kei mentioned, a truth serum. It’s possible that Akiteru wanted him to look into potions that had a similar effect so he couldn’t have to do all the dirty work himself.”</p>
<p>“Great?”</p>
<p>“It’s interesting.” Kenma stated evenly with a neutral expression. “Because Kei mentions how ‘he doesn’t need more power’.” He gave the book to Kiyoko to see for herself.</p>
<p>‘<em>Day 46: Akiteru has asked if the truth serum is still an option. I don</em><em>’t want him to have it. He’s already an empath, he doesn’t need more power like that.</em>’</p>
<p>Added onto the end of the entry were the charcoal comments from the mystery author; ‘<em>NO HE DOESN</em><em>’T</em>’. It certainly implied that this second person knew both the Tsukishimas and not just Kei. She handed the journal back to Kenma and began pacing the small room in thought.</p>
<p>“So what does that say, that Kei didn’t approve of Akiteru’s use of his powers?”</p>
<p>Kenma shrugged. “I’ve thought about it, that maybe Kei doesn’t share his brother’s ambitions. It’s not hard to imagine. I don’t have siblings, but there have been many times where Kuro or Bokuto have wanted to push for a certain course of action and I’ve been against it. I guess it would be the same situation.”</p>
<p>She hummed in agreement. “If we’re reading this right, then Kei has barely anything to do with this. This is all Akiteru and he’s the one we need to stop.”</p>
<p>“That doesn’t mean Kei is any less dangerous. He’s still got a vendetta against Akaashi.”</p>
<p>“Okay,” she sighed, folding her arms across her chest, “so would Akaashi be able to do anything about Yachi?”</p>
<p>Kenma didn’t take long to think. “It’s possible. He’s got the ability to pull memories forth after all, but if there’s a block put up then…” he trailed off. “Honestly, I’m not sure.”</p>
<p>“We’d need to ask him.” She concluded. “So we’re back to waiting.”</p>
<p>Waiting was starting to get tiring. The Brotherhood were impatient by nature, even the most calm and collected of the guild were prone to wanting to solve problems quickly. Kiyoko didn’t want to waste time, every day they spent dwindling their thumbs was another day that Yachi was in danger.</p>
<p>“Can we give her something, like a charm…something to protect her?”</p>
<p>Kenma raised an eyebrow. “You realise, if Akiteru works out she’s actively opposing him, he might lash out.”</p>
<p>“I can’t just hide out in the palace all day hoping to catch him in the act though.” She scoffed. “We’re treading a fine line as it is with all these private meetings.”</p>
<p>Kenma nodded. “No. But you can go back again tomorrow and see if anything has changed.”</p>
<p>“And tell her what?” Kiyoko huffed. “I promised her we’d sort this out. She’s <em>scared</em>. She’s going mad, just like Tooru’s father was.”</p>
<p>He thought for a few moments. He really didn’t want to tip Akiteru off to their direct involvement. He probably already knew they were behind Hinata’s escape and on their way to solving the old city fire. Right now he couldn’t touch the Brotherhood without proper cause, but if they baited him out at the right time, maybe he would end up being the emotionally compromised one. Maybe he would play into their hands.</p>
<p>“She told Tobio to trust the twins.” He murmured, already thinking about varying avenues of action. “And Ushijima and Aone. So what makes the Brotherhood different to them? Why were we brought in if they’re so powerful?”</p>
<p>“I dunno, we’re good at hiding in the shadows?”</p>
<p>He smirked slightly. “We do things no-one in their right mind would.” He stood up from the bed. “So what would a band of lunatics do?”</p>
<p>“…kill someone? Akaashi did mention that possibility to Atsumu when they first met.”</p>
<p>Kenma shook his head, smirking slightly. “Kidnap Kei.”</p>
<p>Her eyes widened. “Kenma, no, Tanaka suggested that in jest I’m sure—”</p>
<p>“But the stakes are higher now.” He reasoned. “And if we need a way to get Akiteru to lose focus, to slip up and reveal his tricks, it’ll be by endangering the only thing he cares about beyond that throne.”</p>
<p>“There’s no way Daichi and Suga will allow that.”</p>
<p>He shrugged. “It’s an idea,” he paced towards the door, “and in case anyone forgot; Kei is actually wanted for two counts of treason, amongst other things. So if anything, we’d be in our right to…acquire him.”</p>
<p>She didn’t feel like it was the best of plans. But his reasoning was sound. If the bonds of Brotherhood ran deep, then Akiteru would almost certainly lose composure over it. But they couldn’t do it without further plans in motion. Kidnapping Kei would do fuck all if they didn’t have demands to meet, and that was before they worked out <em>how</em> to kidnap him. Then the next problem was keeping the likes of Kuroo from killing him outright.</p>
<p>These were headaches she didn’t want, yet as Kenma left the room, she got the idea that he wasn’t going to be talked out of it easily. It didn’t get them any closer to making sure Yachi was safe, it certainly didn’t get them closer to solving any other problems. If anything it just caused another one. Though Kenma was right; Kei was technically still wanted. And if the empire wanted to try and arrest Hinata over centuries’ old grudges, then Tobio could ‘arrest’ Kei over much more recent crimes.</p>
<p>That still didn’t mean she approved of it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0038"><h2>38. Safe</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>XXXVIII</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Safe</strong>
</p>
<p>As night fell, Kunimi heard the guards moving through the city streets. He could faintly make out their conversations with citizens, asking if they had seen any ragged looking individuals, stating two prisoners had ‘escaped’. They had moved into a more discreet walled garden of the district. He had been sure to put Hinata and Ukai in the darkened corner, obscured from passing glances by shrubbery. He perched in a tree, solid branches not giving under his weight as he sat as still as a statue. From between the branches and foliage, he had a perfect view of the main street through a narrow alleyway. Yaku wasn’t too far away, lurking in the doorway of a shed and keeping an eye on the back road for curious gazes.</p>
<p>They needed to wait a little longer. There had been an argument to move whilst there were still people out and about, to return to the manor as dusk fell. He didn’t want to take the chance though. As easy as it would’ve been to slip into the crowds, Hinata was easily identifiable now and Ukai was still getting used to being outside again. There was no guarantee that they’d stay calm under pressure.</p>
<p>The guards continued on, armour clinking as they did so. He let out a small sigh. So the guards were aware of their escape, not a surprise really. But it was intriguing how calm they seemed. He wondered how big the bounty was. There hadn’t been an extensive search yet, for that he was thankful, but he was more interested in who ordered the guards to find them. Was this a Yachi thing? Was she scared that Tobio was going to freak out? Or was this someone else, someone more angered at this?</p>
<p>It was getting harder to see as the night drew in. He knew they had to move whilst there were still some torches lit, that waiting until <em>everyone</em> went inside was going to end up looking more suspicious than he wanted. With practised movements, he dropped out of the tree with little sound. Hopping over the wall, he landed in the walled garden and approached the shrubbery he had left the others behind. He wasn’t surprised to find Hinata had fallen asleep.</p>
<p>Ukai offered a small nod, the faint moonlight casting a silvery glow on his face. Kunimi crouched down and gently shook Hinata until he woke up.</p>
<p>“We’re making for the manor.” He whispered. “Keep close, don’t speak.”</p>
<p>Hinata wasn’t in any position to argue. Once both him and Ukai were on their feet, Kunimi made a short whistling sound. Within a few moments Yaku was perched on the wall, beckoning them to follow. What followed was a hasty journey through back streets, ducking out of the torchlight and hiding behind whatever was within reach whenever they heard the guards making rounds. Between Kunimi and Yaku, they kept a careful watch on their path ahead and behind them. Hinata trusted them both, he had no reason to doubt their skills. Soon the manor came into view, Yaku made a signal for them to halt, hearing voices ahead. Kunimi inhaled sharply as he watched Yaku go on ahead to check it out.</p>
<p>It was an agonising wait for him to return. He didn’t seem too bothered which gave Kunimi some peace of mind. “It was Ushijima.” He shrugged. “I think he was checking in with Daichi on whether he had seen us.”</p>
<p>Kunimi nodded. His gut instinct to wait until now to return seemed to be paying off. “Go in the back entrance.”</p>
<p>Yaku was about to suggest the same thing. He gave both Hinata and Ukai a reassuring nod before continuing to lead them. The walled courtyard of the manor was blissfully empty as they dropped down into the flora, avoiding using the gate for fear the squealing of hinges would give them away. Glancing through the windows, they could see most of the main torches had been snuffed out, indicating most of the others were asleep by now. The fireplace in the parlour appeared to be stoked, the orange glow was visible even from the far side of the courtyard.</p>
<p>“I’ll go.” Yaku told them. “Stay here until I’ve confirmed we’re in the clear.”</p>
<p>They watched him go, slipping into the manor with little noise to show for it. Hinata yawned, rubbing his eyes as Kunimi kept his wits about him. There were no audible signs of Yaku being seized by guards waiting in ambush, likewise there wasn’t an explosion of noise from the likes of Nishinoya and Tanaka. It seemed that only a few were still awake. The door opened again, Yaku beckoned them over. Hinata went first, completely at ease, Yaku ushering him in and leaving Kunimi to deal with Ukai’s sudden cold feet.</p>
<p>“What’s wrong?” Kunimi asked as the other hesitated at the door.</p>
<p>“Isn’t Hinata part of King Tobio’s entourage?” He asked, voice quiet.</p>
<p>“Yes, and?” Kunimi wasn’t really in the mood for sudden epiphanies.</p>
<p>“…that means Tobio is here?”</p>
<p>“Yes. And Tooru.” Kunimi gestured for him to enter the manor. “Look I’m sure someone can answer all the questions you have—”</p>
<p>Ukai inhaled sharply. “I’ve never met a king.”</p>
<p>Kunimi wanted to scream, they had all afternoon to entertain these questions and he was picking now of all times to voice them. “Okay, but I really doubt he’s gonna care. Trust me. Tobio gives very few shits.” He repeated his gesture for Ukai to walk into the manor.</p>
<p>After a few more moments of hesitation, Ukai stepped into the manor. He followed the sound of excited conversation into the parlour. The warm fire greeted him, he was aware of the curious gazes on him, but Yaku was quick to direct him to take a seat on the bench closest to the fire. He had almost forgotten how good it felt to sit beside an open flame, the cold he had come to accept in his bones was slowly thawing.</p>
<p>When the stranger had entered the parlour, Daichi felt a little intimidated. The guy was tall and had several summers on him. In a lot of situations, he was probably a lot more experienced than Daichi, but he certainly didn’t carry himself like that as he slumped on the bench next to the fire. Hinata was quick to be drawn into a hug by Suga, a tired, babbled apology came flooding out as Suga patted his head in a comforting manner.</p>
<p>“Uh,” Kunimi rubbed the back of his neck as he stepped forward to begin introductions. “Ukai this is Daichi, one of the Brotherhood’s founders. Daichi this is some guy who Hinata begged us to get out of the dungeons with him.”</p>
<p>Daichi had many questions of course, but it was also very late at night and there were a few slightly more pressing matters. He looked to Ukai; the ragged looking man who seemed in desperate need of a shave and a proper bed. His attention was fully on the fire crackling in the hearth, apparently oblivious to Hinata’s reunion with Suga.</p>
<p>“You want anything to eat?” Was his first question. Ukai perked up, meeting his gaze for the first time.</p>
<p>“If…you’re offering?”</p>
<p>Daichi smiled. “Of course.” He looked to Suga. “Are the—”</p>
<p>“I’ll handle it.” Suga interjected as Hinata pulled back with wide eyes. Daichi nodded in thanks as the other left to find food. Hinata flopped down on the bench with a tired sigh, getting sympathetic glances from Kunimi and Yaku. There were a few moments of quiet before the latter stated he was going to see if Suga needed help, leaving Kunimi to loosely explain how the entire day unfolded for them. Daichi listened to the very blunt explanation from Kunimi; the rundown of how they got into the dungeons and then how insistent Hinata was about getting Ukai out as well.</p>
<p>There would be more time for a thorough explanation. Daichi wasn’t particularly concerned for details right now, he was more focused on not waking the entire manor up with the news Hinata was back.</p>
<p>“Well, once you’ve eaten, I’ll get some baths drawn for you both.” He nodded to both of them in turn. “And Kenma can check you over.”</p>
<p>Kunimi raised an eyebrow. “He still awake?”</p>
<p>“He got the journal open.” Was all Daichi replied with before Suga returned with Yaku and two bowls of stew.</p>
<p>Ukai’s eyes were wide as he was handed the generous helping of warm food. Hinata didn’t bother waiting to begin wolfing it down, mumbling thanks between mouthfuls as Suga sat across from them. Ukai took a moment to nod in appreciation before slowly beginning to eat. Suga watched him carefully, anticipating him to be ravenous yet he seemed to be savouring every bite. Daichi was true to his word, recruiting Yaku to help him get two baths drawn in the backroom by the time the two finished eating.</p>
<p>Kenma hadn’t been asleep, much like Daichi had figured, but he was more than a little startled at Ukai’s presence.</p>
<p>His attention quickly shifted to Hinata. Relief washed over him at seeing the other unharmed. He smiled as Hinata tackled him in a hug. It had only been a few days but those days had been filled with uncertainty, with no idea if they’d see Hinata return in the same way he left. He had thrown himself into tasks to ignore the fear that had always been in the back of his mind but now he was here, now he was holding Hinata he felt the relief stronger now.</p>
<p>“I’m glad you’re safe.” He whispered.</p>
<p>Hinata nodded, still squeezing him tightly. “It was scary. But I knew…I knew you wouldn’t forget about me.”</p>
<p>He laughed breathlessly. “Akira is the one who wouldn’t give up on you. He’s the one who masterminded it all.”</p>
<p>Hinata pulled back and looked over at Kunimi who had returned to talking to Daichi. He wanted to barrel over and hug him again but resisted the urge for the time being. Kenma gently took his hand and nodded towards the door to the backroom.</p>
<p>“Come on, you should get cleaned up.” Kenma spoke softly, “I was told to check for injuries but really, you kinda stink.”</p>
<p>Hinata pouted slightly. “I mean, I’ve been in a prison cell for three days of course I—”</p>
<p>Kenma laughed louder, tugging on his hand as he stepped towards the door. He complied and allowed himself to be taken into the other room where a wooden tub was waiting for him. Kenma averted his gaze until Hinata was sat in the clean warm water, only then taking stock of the wounds on the other’s chest.</p>
<p>“Those still haven’t healed?” He frowned, kneeling beside the tub. The wounds were more defined than the bruises he had last seen on Hinata’s collarbone. He knew having runestones shatter was enough to leave scars but these looked a lot more serious; bruising had given way to scarring, the new skin a lot lighter than Hinata’s usual skin tone, almost pure white like snow. They weren’t in any defined shape like a tattoo or branding mark would be, they looked ugly like a knife had slashed at him.</p>
<p>“Yeah.” Hinata whispered, looking down at them, the ones he could see anyway. Some were too far up, near the base of his neck, for him to see them. The chain still hung around his neck, the single red runestone still intact despite what it had gone through. “They were really itchy.”</p>
<p>Kenma nodded, picking up a clean cut of cloth and dipping it into the water before dabbing it at the scars. Hinata winced slightly as they stung. Kenma’s gaze remained on them as he gently pressed the rag against each one individually. He counted twelve of varying size, impressive in their own right let alone how they differed in size.</p>
<p>“So, what happened?” He quietly asked, moving to help wash his back. “What did they do to you?”</p>
<p>Hinata swallowed. The entire experience felt so draining to explain. “I wasn’t allowed to argue with her.” He began, sitting forward so Kenma could work easier. “She said she only entertained Tobio’s demands because he was a king. Then I got dragged away.”</p>
<p>Kenma hummed in thought, gently rubbing oils into Hinata’s shoulders. “And once you were in the dungeon, they didn’t try anything?”</p>
<p>There was a pause, Hinata worried his lip between his teeth. “Uh, well they did, but Ukai stopped them.”</p>
<p>“Ukai.”</p>
<p>“The guy in the parlour.”</p>
<p>Kenma’s hands stilled momentarily. “What did they try to do?”</p>
<p>Hinata shrugged. “I was gonna be hauled off to see someone called the Seeker. From what Ukai said, they sound like an empath mage who…does what Akaashi does but worse…like, he mentioned being strapped to a chair. I guess it would be like an interrogation?”</p>
<p>That didn’t sound promising at all. Kenma returned to the task at hand. As he gently coaxed Hinata to sit back again, he offered a reassuring smile.</p>
<p>“Well, you’re out now. And once Tobio knows your safe, I’m certain things will move quickly.”</p>
<p>Hinata stared up at the ceiling, sighing heavily. Kenma wasn’t sure if it was general fatigue or something more. He decided not to jump to conclusions for now. The next day Hinata would be subjected to a cartload of information so he figured it was better to just let him enjoy some quiet. He knelt next to the tub once more, folding his arms on the side and resting his head on them.</p>
<p>“I’m glad you’re safe Shoyo.”</p>
<p>Hinata met his gaze. “Me too.” He huffed, a tired smile gracing his face. “I…it was so lonely.”</p>
<p>Kenma blinked slowly, offering him a smile in return. “Well, you’re not alone now.”</p>
<p>“I know.” Hinata sat forward again, glancing around the room illuminated by candlelight. “Is everyone else asleep?”</p>
<p>Kenma hummed. “In their rooms at least. It’s been a long day for some of us.”</p>
<p>“What happened?”</p>
<p>Kenma shook his head slightly. “We’ll tell you everything tomorrow. Just enjoy the quiet for now.”</p>
<p>If he had an objection, Hinata didn’t voice it. Truthfully, he appreciated the move by Kenma to refuse to tell him anything. It didn’t mean it was <em>bad</em> news, it just meant that there was a lot to take on. It was late anyway, and if past antics had proved anything, it was that getting caught up on everything would require four different people to explain it all. He nodded and let the warmth of the water seep into his tired body.</p>
<p>After some time, he voiced his desire to get out and finally sleep in a proper bed. Kenma was ready to oblige, fetching him some clean clothes and assuring him he could head on up and sleep in the room he was currently sharing with Nishinoya. After getting a puzzled look as to why he wasn’t coming with, he explained he needed to check Ukai wasn’t in need of any injuries treated. The answer satisfied Hinata and he was shepherded upstairs by Suga.</p>
<p>The other tub of water had gone a little cold, so Kenma set about warming it up again by setting a brazier next to it and lighting it. By the time Ukai was led in by Daichi, the water was nearly as warm as the hot springs usually were. Kenma expected Daichi to leave them to it, but he remained in the room, an unspoken measure of security. Hinata might trust Ukai, but Daichi had a duty to the rest of the manor to check him out for himself, and that started with how he reacted to Kenma. Like with Hinata, Kenma gave him privacy when undressing and only turned around when he was sat in the tub. Ukai let out a heavy, content sigh at the warm water, making both Kenma and Daichi smile a little.</p>
<p>“You have no idea how good this feels.” Ukai remarked as Kenma’s gaze moved quickly over him to establish if any immediate medical attention was required. “I’ve been locked up for about four summers.”</p>
<p>The number immediately struck a chord with them both. “Four.” Kenma echoed, kneeling next to the tub and picking up a clean rag. “What were you in for?”</p>
<p>Ukai shrugged, accepting the rag from Kenma to begin scrubbing himself down. “Wrong place, wrong time. Being a mage just made it worse.”</p>
<p>Kenma flashed a glance to Daichi before continuing. “A mage huh.”</p>
<p>“Mhm.” Ukai met Kenma’s gaze. They both paused for a moment as Kenma felt the familiar presence, the knocking at his mental barrier. It wasn’t invasive, it felt more akin to how Akaashi’s powers always made their presence known. It was enough for him to make an educated guess.</p>
<p>“Empath.”</p>
<p>Ukai gave him a half-smile. “Yup.”</p>
<p>Kenma smiled slightly in return. It intrigued him in many ways, but it also made him feel a little calmer. If Ukai proved loyal, it might take the pressure off Akaashi a little bit. “Do you know about Shoyo?”</p>
<p>“Hinata?” Ukai let out a breathless chuckle, shaking his head. “Told me he was an aura mage…”</p>
<p>Whilst he may not have appreciated how forthright Hinata had been, he didn’t blame him. Kenma nodded. “It’s true.”</p>
<p>Ukai’s eyes widened. “He was telling the truth? I-I mean, I believed him but I thought he was just saying he’s good at three elements—”</p>
<p>Kenma chuckled, shaking his head. “No, he’s an aura mage. The five basic elements…and some other things but you don’t need to trouble yourself with that. You’ll find out in due course anyway.”</p>
<p>Daichi watched Ukai’s reaction carefully, trying to get a measure on how he was reacting to this news. For the most part, it seemed he was just as baffled as most people would be when confronted with the craziness that was Hinata. It told Daichi that he wasn’t a spy for the Tsukishima’s, or if he was, he was an incredibly good actor.</p>
<p>“So, what happened?” Ukai asked, accepting the small bottle of oils from Kenma. “Why is this…King Tobio here?”</p>
<p>Kenma regarded Ukai with a neutral expression. “King Tooru is here too.”</p>
<p>“Who?”</p>
<p>“House Oikawa?”</p>
<p>Ukai blinked slowly, making an effort to recall something from his memory as he held the damp rag in his hands and wrung it out. “House Oikawa, when I went away I think it was some guy called Hayato on the throne, at least I know there was a King Hayato at some point...”</p>
<p>“When you went away, a lot of things were different.” Kenma stated. “Ukai—”</p>
<p>“You can call be Keishin.” Ukai smiled. “Ukai is my family name, it feels too formal sometimes.”</p>
<p>Kenma raised an eyebrow. He could understand the sentiment but he wasn’t going to drop formality just yet. “Okay. Well, there’s a lot that you…and a lot of people up here, aren’t aware of.” He carefully put. “If you want, we do have a scholar with us, he’s got journals you can read to catch you up.”</p>
<p>“A scholar?” Ukai repeated. “Journals? What the hell happened that needed journals to be kept?”</p>
<p>Daichi stepped forward, as amusing as Ukai’s lack of knowledge was, if he was going to be of any use they needed to get him up to speed quickly. “Long story short? Two kingdoms went from allies to foes, one got a bit power-hungry, the other went into hiding. Then Hayato died and it threw everything into chaos as Tooru wanted to know if Tobio was alive or not. After Tobio was talked out of trying to kill Tooru over past grudges, the clans of the north tried to wipe both kingdoms out, so a huge battle took place about a month ago and now we’re here.”</p>
<p>Kenma appreciated the dumbfounded look on Ukai’s face. “It’s been quite a saga.”</p>
<p>“Sounds like one.” Ukai huffed, leaning back in the tub and letting his arms hang over the edge.</p>
<p>It was at this moment that Kenma noticed the inked circles on his forearm; four small circles that had a line intersecting them all to make up a larger ritual circle. It struck Kenma as peculiar as whilst there were circles at the immediate top and bottom of the formation opposing each other, the other pair was on a slant. There was also a rune of sorts in the centre that he hadn’t seen before; a triangle with curved lines passing through each of the points. He raised an eyebrow as he looked at the tattoo for a few moments until Ukai took notice.</p>
<p>“You wanna know what this is,” he lifted his arm up, “don’t you?”</p>
<p>Kenma wasn’t used to being caught out, pressing his lips together in a fine line before nodding. “Haven’t seen a tattoo like this before.”</p>
<p>Ukai gave him a lazy smile. “It’s not a portable ritual circle if that’s what you were wonderin’.” He stifled a yawn. “It was more of a personal thing.”</p>
<p>“The rune in the middle?”</p>
<p>Ukai rotated his arm to look at it, running his fingertips over the faded inked lines. “You never seen a focus rune?”</p>
<p>“Not like this?”</p>
<p>He chuckled. “Man, the south must be very different then. It draws energy in and stores it up, like water in a jar, caps it off until the caster releases it all at once.” He let his arm fall back down. “It can be quite a powerful little thing, if used properly.”</p>
<p>Kenma raised an eyebrow. “Why have it tattooed on you?”</p>
<p>His lazy smile didn’t falter as he shrugged. “Seemed like a good idea when I was at the academy, it can work in a ward-sorta way. Anyone tries to throw fire at me and it would negate it somewhat.”</p>
<p>“Huh…interesting.” There were a dozen more questions Kenma had about this rune and even Ukai’s time at the academy. Daichi nodded towards the door, signalling for him to hurry up and finish up so they could all get some rest. He politely nodded and backed away from the tub. They allowed Ukai some privacy, passing the time by stoking the fire in the parlour. By the time Ukai joined them, Kenma was on his way to falling asleep.</p>
<p>“So, we’re actually somewhat full on rooms.” Daichi quietly explained. “Without waking everyone up to reshuffle, the only place we can offer right now is a small closet at the end of the hall or here.”</p>
<p>Ukai nodded. “I get it. And hey, as long as there’s some actual bedding, it’ll be better than where I was.” He smiled. “Honestly, you’re doing far more than I would ever expect a bunch of strangers to do.”</p>
<p>Daichi shrugged in return. “Trust me, this is far from the craziest thing we’ve done for someone we’ve just met.”</p>
<p>Kenma wryly smiled. “At least you’re not a dragon.”</p>
<p>Ukai looked between them, trying to work out if they were pulling his leg or not. When neither of them sought to clarify the statement, he let out a laugh. “Sounds like I got a lot to hear about.”</p>
<p>“Tomorrow. It’ll be nice to reminisce a little.” Daichi remarked, looking to Kenma. “You can go on up, I’ll sort out Ukai’s room.”</p>
<p>Kenma nodded in appreciation. He excused himself from the parlour and quietly made his way upstairs. Sliding the door closed behind him as he entered the bedroom, he was a little surprised to see Hinata sat up on the bed. Nishinoya was fast asleep, not at all aware of the success Kunimi and Yaku had achieved. Kenma gave Hinata a quizzical look as he stepped closer to the bed.</p>
<p>“I, didn’t want to…I mean,” Hinata looked between the two empty single beds, “it’s been a lonely few nights.”</p>
<p>Kenma understood immediately. “It’s okay Shoyo.” He murmured.</p>
<p>A sigh of relief left Hinata as Kenma gave him a reassuring smile. After a few moments of shuffling to get comfortable under the thick blankets, Hinata took Kenma’s hand in his. “I was scared.”</p>
<p>“Scared?” Kenma whispered.</p>
<p>“That I’d be stuck there forever.”</p>
<p>Kenma squeezed Hinata’s hand. He didn’t want to say he knew how it felt, or that he could even imagine how terrifying that sensation was, because he didn’t. “Well, you’re not.” He simply put. “You’re safe now. And this time we’re going to make sure you don’t end up arrested.”</p>
<p>Hinata nodded, sighing again as he finally let himself relax. He fell asleep quickly, something that made Kenma remember the first few nights in the old guild. It made him realise he somewhat missed this simple closeness the two of them had, the way they felt at ease around each other and could let thoughts run wild. There was an element of sadness to it, knowing that if Tobio really was going to confess soon then these nights were numbered. He tried not to dwell on it too much, to simply enjoy the time they had before Hinata would feel guilty about it.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0039"><h2>39. Reunions</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>XXXIX</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Reunions</strong>
</p>
<p>Tobio lay awake, the dawn’s light pouring in through the window. Going to sleep the previous night without any news on Hinata’s safety was agonising. It had been a long day, between the court appearance to Tooru yelling at him about keeping secrets, he had wanted to get on his horse and make for the border. He had briefly considered telling Tooru to go fuck himself if he was so butthurt over not being in the know, after all it wasn’t like <em>he</em> was the one who had been arguing with the empress for several days now or anything.</p>
<p>None of this made much sense. Yachi’s behaviour didn’t make sense. The twins weren’t being helpful in the slightest. He wondered if he had made the right choice marching up here, if there was any point to continuing to fight. The empire seemed to be a nest of snakes, resistant to any attempts to eradicate them. He wondered if getting hold of Kei would be worth it in the end. Yeah, he was still mad that he had been fucked with, yeah, he was still having nightmares occasionally, but really what was he going to do when he got hold of Kei?</p>
<p>Killing wasn’t in his blood, not like this. Killing on a battlefield in order to survive was one thing, but executing Kei was another. But if not execution, what kind of punishment would fit the crime? Would Tooru agree? Would he <em>want</em> Tooru to agree? What did he want to do about Yachi? Was solving the empire’s issues of any benefit to him?</p>
<p>He rubbed his eyes, groaning slightly at the heavy thoughts. He needed to tackle these problems one at a time but they were all interlinked like a spider’s web. Sitting up, he wondered if Tooru was still sulking. After Kenma gave them both a stern talking to, Tooru had left in a huff and refused to talk to him. Iwaizumi and Yamamoto were at a loss, the former telling Asahi over dinner that Tooru was furious at how Tobio hadn’t told him about Akiteru.</p>
<p>Tobio hadn’t even known that Akaashi had made some sort of theory regarding all of <em>that</em>. He had been busy himself and the next thing he had heard; Akaashi was passed out from exhaustion. It wasn’t his fault that the Brotherhood wanted to keep wild speculation to themselves for a few hours.</p>
<p>A gentle knock at the door preceded Yamaguchi’s arrival. The gentle smile on his face made Tobio raise an eyebrow in curiosity. “What’s happened?”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi sat on the edge of his bed, taking hold of one of his hands. “Hinata’s here.” Tobio was about to jump out of bed but Yamaguchi kept hold of his hand, keeping him sitting in place. “He’s asleep. They got back late last night, but he’s fine. There aren’t any injuries, no sign of torture. He’s safe.”</p>
<p>Tobio let out a relieved sigh. “Thank the ancestors.” He breathed. Relief washing over him as the news sunk in. Kunimi had succeeded. Hinata was safe.</p>
<p>“I think you owe Kunimi an apology and your gratitude.”</p>
<p>He nodded. “Yes. Yes of course.”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi warmly smiled. “Don’t bombard Hinata with questions or information. Just because he’s physically fine, doesn’t mean he’s not shaken up.” He squeezed Tobio’s hand. “Just, be gentle with him.”</p>
<p>Tobio snorted. “I am—”</p>
<p>“<em>Tobio</em>.” Yamaguchi remarked in a slightly stern tone. “You know what I mean. Just let him breathe, let him come to you. He knows you’ve been worried, that we’ve all been worried. He’s not going to give you a cold shoulder or anything.”</p>
<p>Tobio felt a little put out that he was getting a lecture but nodded along anyway. “Anything else?”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi let his hand go as he moved to get out of bed. “There is,” he waited for Tobio to pull his shirt over his head before continuing, “there’s another mage, one who was in the cell opposite Hinata. Apparently Hinata was insistent that Kunimi and Yaku break him out too.”</p>
<p>“Another mage?” Tobio repeated, fishing with the fastenings on his pants. “One like him?”</p>
<p>“No, he’s an empath.”</p>
<p>“Huh. Right, so?”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi figured that Tobio wouldn’t care so much about someone that wasn’t Hinata. He shrugged, letting it drop for now. In time he’d find out how Ukai had been in the city when the fire happened, how he might be crucial to figuring it all out once and for all. Right now though, Tobio didn’t care about that, and Yamaguchi knew this.</p>
<p>“What do you plan to do today?” He asked. “Once you’ve reunited with Hinata obviously.”</p>
<p>There was a small smile on Tobio’s face, the first Yamaguchi had seen in days, as he considered his answer. “Well, as you said, I need to thank Kunimi.” He picked up his crown and turned it over in his hands. “Is Akaashi awake yet?”</p>
<p>“I’ve heard he is, yes. Though—”</p>
<p>“I want to know what this theory of his is with Akiteru being the one to order my family’s death.” The smile faded. “If he’s right, then that’s both brothers wanted for treason in the south.”</p>
<p>“There have been other developments,” Yamaguchi stood up from the bed, “but I feel the Brotherhood should be the ones to tell you. They’ve been working tirelessly between them to try and work this all out.”</p>
<p>Tobio nodded. He really hadn’t given them enough credit for their efforts in the past. When they put their collective minds to one task, they were frighteningly efficient at gathering information and putting it together. Forget court advisers and spies, having a guild of assassins seemed like a much better investment. He smiled slightly at the idea of how his grandfather would’ve reacted to how his court looked.</p>
<p>“Alright, well considering what’s at stake here, I feel they should tell me and Tooru at the same time.” He sighed. “We are, after all, an alliance of two kingdoms.”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi certainly didn’t have an objection. As chaotic as the two kings could be, they were better together than working alone. He would rather see this alliance prosper through this hardship than be torn apart. Now more than ever they needed to stick by one another. The two of them went down to breakfast, finding some of the Brotherhood already there and some already gone after eating. Yamaguchi politely informed Daichi that Tobio wished to be properly briefed on what was the current state of affairs and that he wanted Tooru to be included in that.</p>
<p>“Tooru?” Daichi repeated, frowning. “Uh, he’s gone out for the day.”</p>
<p>“Gone…out.” Yamaguchi repeated. “Where?”</p>
<p>“I’m not entirely sure, but he took both Iwaizumi and Yamamoto.”</p>
<p>“Not Shirabu?”</p>
<p>Daichi shook his head. Yamaguchi sighed heavily, of course Tooru would do something like this right after he got Tobio to be reasonable. This didn’t bode well.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>It hadn’t been a choice made to be difficult on purpose, Tooru simply wanted to explore the city a little. Shirabu had offered to take him on a tour but Tooru politely declined. As much as having a full tour of the city would no doubt be fine, he wanted to take things as his pace. It was fine interrupting court meetings and all, but the manor felt somewhat claustrophobic with all the residents and staff. Besides, he wanted to get a feel for how this city felt, how they perceived outsiders. He liked to think Tanishiti was welcoming to all, being the trade hub it is. He hadn’t felt much animosity in Tobu Misaki-Mura given all that had happened.</p>
<p>Hinode however, there was something odd hanging over the city. He had heard mumblings about an ‘old city district’, but there wasn’t exactly a sign pointing him to it. Not that he <em>needed</em> one once he understood why there were mumblings about it. Standing at the gateway, he took in the blackened buildings that stretched out before him. The silence was deafening as he stood there with Iwaizumi at his side.</p>
<p>“This just tells me they have piss poor city management.” He remarked. “If this were Tanishiti I would’ve had this torn down and rebuilt.”</p>
<p>Iwaizumi wasn’t entirely convinced that the empress was to blame for the silent graveyard. Asahi had filled him in somewhat, the questions that hung over this particular district of the city, the formerly bustling home to many families, to mages specifically. He didn’t feel at ease as Tooru stepped through the gateway, exchanging a glance with Yamamoto.</p>
<p>“Tooru, I don’t think—” He began, getting cut off by Tooru’s dismissive hand wave.</p>
<p>“I just want to have a closer look.”</p>
<p>Yamamoto sighed heavily as Tooru continued walking. Iwaizumi caught up with him quickly, annoyed at Tooru’s headstrong attitude but not quite ready to haul him back forcefully. He allowed Tooru to walk further down the deserted street, past the former homes and businesses, between towering buildings that creaked and groaned in the wind. Rats scurried around, crows cawed overhead. There was an uncomfortable feeling brewing in the pit of his stomach as Tooru halted in the middle of the street.</p>
<p>“What is it?” He asked.</p>
<p>Tooru shrugged. “There’s just…I don’t know. It feels wrong here.”</p>
<p>“Well I could’ve told you that at the gateway.” Iwaizumi sighed. “Come on, we’ve gone deep enough. I can’t imagine they like visitors picking through here.”</p>
<p>Tooru wrinkled his nose. “Fine.” He let Iwaizumi take his hand and lead him out of the district. Yamamoto seemed relieved to see them and the trio continued their exploration of the city without uttering another word about it. That didn’t mean Tooru wasn’t thinking about it. He was bothered by it, and not in a ‘that’s an unfortunate thing to have happened’ kind of way, but in an odd sense of familiarity. He didn’t like this familiarity.</p>
<p>As they continued to walk around Hinode, he became more aware that he was being stared at. He wasn’t dressed up for a court appearance or anything, but it was like they could sense he wasn’t one of ‘them’. This wasn’t an unusual thing, but he wasn’t sure if it meant they were walking targets. He kept himself from staring at anyone, from attracting unwanted attention on purpose. Iwaizumi was less subtle in his suspicion, then again he had to be more alert, Yamamoto was showing his displeasure at the situation more and more as he dragged his feet.</p>
<p>“Should we return to the manor?” Iwaizumi asked Tooru.</p>
<p>As much as Tooru knew that was a wise idea, he didn’t want to be seen rushing to the safe haven. He was stubborn after all, and he wasn’t going to let some glaring peasants stop him. “I think that’s unnecessary,” he smiled, “besides, Tobio will no doubt have a few choice words for me.”</p>
<p>“You could be a bit more understanding.” Iwaizumi replied in a hushed tone.</p>
<p>“Akiteru murdered my father.” Tooru scoffed.</p>
<p>“Such accusations could get you killed up here.” Iwaizumi snapped in reply. “Don’t rock the boat until we know if there are sharks in the water.”</p>
<p>Put out at the scolding, Tooru pouted. “It’s not an accusation, I’m sure of it.”</p>
<p>“And I’m sure that he’s got more than enough evidence that he had nothing to do with it, false or otherwise.” Iwaizumi gave him a more sympathetic look. “Trust me, I’m pissed too, but we can’t let emotions lead our choices. Otherwise we’re no different than Takeshi and look how he turned out.”</p>
<p>Their conversation hadn’t gone unnoticed, Yamamoto stayed well out of it but he wasn’t quick enough to intercept the stranger crossing their path. He was tall, taller than Tooru, his imposing figure cast a large shadow on the ground behind him as he stepped in front of the king. His expression was emotionless, eyes focused on Tooru, white hair was shorted than Yamamoto’s and gave him a sort of strange vibe in a city of mainly dark-haired people.</p>
<p>“And who might you be?” Tooru asked as Iwaizumi’s hand went to the hilt of his sword.</p>
<p>“I have a message for you.” Was the blunt reply as he offered a folded piece of parchment. The white wax seal with a fox head imprinted on it was unknown to them on it as Iwaizumi watched Tooru accept the note. “Please read it.”</p>
<p>Tooru wasn’t sure what this was, but he complied, unfolding the parchment and finding neat handwriting.</p>
<p>‘<em>Tooru. You don</em><em>’t know us well, but we know you. </em></p>
<p>
  <em>We know you</em>
  <em>’re not here for Tobio’s sake, that you have your own desires. We know you have had dealings with the Brotherhood, that you’re not above less noble ways of achieving your goals.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>We would like to discuss how we can be of use to each other.</em>
</p>
<p><em>Please follow our courier, he will bring you to our manor and we can formally introduce ourselves in a less formal setting than her majesty</em><em>’s court.</em>’</p>
<p>He raised an eyebrow. The use of the term ‘we’ set him a little on edge. He glanced back up at the ‘courier’. He looked far too well-equipped to be a simple messenger. He returned the note to him.</p>
<p>“I didn’t catch your name.” He smiled sweetly.</p>
<p>“Aone.” Was the response.</p>
<p>“Ah,” Tooru continued smiling, “well Aone, as much as I’m sure your…client thinks I can be of use to them, I don’t play well with others.” His sweet smile faded into a more coy one. “I can fight my own battles, I don’t need the likes of them interfering.”</p>
<p>Aone raised an eyebrow. “As you wish.” He nodded in parting before turning and walking away immediately.</p>
<p>Iwaizumi wasn’t sure what to make of it. Tooru shrugged and stated they should get back to the manor before more sinister things began happening. He knew exactly who the note was referring to, but he would be damned if he went grovelling to nobles to solve his issues. He was a king, and kings don’t grovel.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>As Hinata slowly woke up, he had never been so thankful for a proper night’s sleep. As Kenma remained asleep next to him, he felt all was right in the world, even with the unanswered questions that still hung in the air. He knew he should get up, that he should go and see the others, go and see Tobio, but he just wanted a few more minutes of calm in the chaos that was his life. The murmur of conversation could be heard from downstairs, the active manor felt more and more like Kēpu yōsai with each passing moment. It would almost be weird to go back to being in a fort or a palace.</p>
<p>Nishinoya wasn’t in his bed, already up and gone. Hinata wasn’t sure if he even noticed that he was back. Then again, Kenma seemed to imply a lot had happened in the few days he was gone, so maybe Nishinoya had important things to do. Maybe he wanted to let Hinata rest. So that’s what he decided to do, rest. He curled up against Kenma, appreciating the warmth of another person and the peace of mind it gave him. He hadn’t realised how much he needed it to feel safe. It was sometime later when Kenma stirred, blinking slowly in the daylight that the half-open shutters let pour into the room. Hinata had been drifting in and out of sleep when Kenma sat up and stretched, a satisfying pop of joints broke the silence. Kenma glanced at him with a smile.</p>
<p>“How did you sleep?” He asked.</p>
<p>Hinata yawned, rubbing the sleep away from his eyes. “Good, well…better than in the dungeons.”</p>
<p>There was a small laugh from Kenma. “I bet.” His gaze moved to the closed door. “You ready to be bombarded by the others?”</p>
<p>Sitting up himself, Hinata grinned. “Honestly? Yes. I’ve…” he let out a nervous laugh. “I’ve missed everyone.”</p>
<p>“I expect some of them are out, Bokuto and Tanaka have been busy at a forge. Others are just walking around the city and seeing if anything dramatic has changed.” He shrugged. “But there’ll definitely be some of them around.”</p>
<p>That was all Hinata needed to hear. He quickly got up and got dressed, already raring to go and see what he had missed. There was a palatable excitement in himself at the prospects of doing something useful after the days of sitting in a tiny cell bored out of his mind, fearing for his life. Kenma smiled at his enthusiasm as they left the small bedroom. The smell of cooking food wafted up the stairs along with the sound of casual conversation, certainly nothing heated or heavy like Kenma had somewhat feared would greet them. They quietly entered the parlour where most of the voices seemed to be coming from, walking through the doorway to be greeted by Suga, Kiyoko, Akaashi and Kuroo all sat on the benches by the fire. Semi and Yaku were sat in the backroom playing chess, with Moniwa sat beside Yaku and observing the game.</p>
<p>Hinata felt a huge sense of relief wash over him as he saw them. He was quick to join those by the fire, asking where everyone else was and getting a variety of answers. Like Kenma had said, Bokuto and Tanaka were out doing some side work, Nishinoya had tagged along that day. Kindaichi and Kunimi were tending to the horses and Daichi was currently trying to find Ushijima and Aone in order to ‘ask them about something’.</p>
<p>Hinata nodded along, taking it all in as Kenma left to find out who was winning the game of chess. “So, where’s Tobio?”</p>
<p>Akaashi and Suga exchanged a small smile, the latter replying first; “he’s also gone out, just for a short while I think.”</p>
<p>“Oh, where to?” Hinata tilted his head.</p>
<p>Suga shrugged. “Yamaguchi wanted him to get some air I think. He’s…” he gestured to the air in thought, “he’s kept to himself whilst you’ve been away.”</p>
<p>That made sense to Hinata. He wasn’t really thinking too hard into speaking to Tobio again, he wanted to specifically <em>not </em>overthink what he was going to say. Whatever happened, happened. He was done trying to predict what Tobio thought or felt anymore, there were more important things to worry about right now. Before he could ask anything else, Akaashi rose to his feet.</p>
<p>“Could I bend your ear on something?”</p>
<p>Hinata nodded, stepping aside to let Akaashi choose where they were going to have this conversation. The foyer was deemed private enough for Akaashi as he closed the door to the parlour behind them. He almost expected this to be an interrogation on his feelings for Tobio given his last conversation with Akaashi on the matter. Yet Akaashi’s calm smile faded a little, indicating this wasn’t going to be a trivial conversation.</p>
<p>“I don’t really want to bring this up,” he sighed, “but I need to ask you about what I saw when I accidentally saw past your barrier.”</p>
<p>Hinata swallowed, he should’ve known this would come back up. “What, like…the first day we were here?”</p>
<p>“Yes, that,” Akaashi nodded, “uhm, so without getting into details, I’ve been having nightmares again. Nightmares that seen to centre on what I saw when—”</p>
<p>Hinata’s face paled. “What did you see?”</p>
<p>Akaashi gave him a curious look. “Uh, the battlefield but from what I gather, we had lost. And…” he took a moment to calm himself. “Kuroo died.”</p>
<p>Hinata had to keep calm. He couldn’t freak out now, not after everything. He had come too far to fuck up now. “Ah, I see…”</p>
<p>“What was it?” Akaashi asked. “You freaked out when I first saw it, so you must be aware of it.”</p>
<p>This was unfortunate. He had told Kenma it had all been a dream, a vision that Hēishān showed him to spur him to action. He wasn’t sure if Akaashi would buy the same story. Though he couldn’t tell Akaashi it was real, that would prompt questions and he still wasn’t sure what would happen if they all found out the truth.</p>
<p>He hated lying though.</p>
<p>“Uhm,” Hinata shifted his weight from one foot to the other, “well the short version is that Hēishān knew what would happen if we didn’t win. I-I don’t know how, he was always…” he gestured wildly to the air, “y’know?”</p>
<p>Akaashi nodded. “Guardian of House Kageyama?”</p>
<p>“Yeah,” he laughed nervously, “so he knew these things, and when he told me that only I could save the southern kingdoms…I didn’t believe him. So then he showed me a vision of it all.” He exhaled. “And that’s what you saw, sort of, kinda…and yeah?”</p>
<p>He waited for Akaashi to doubt him, for there to be another question. He knew it wasn’t that convincing of an answer but it seemed Akaashi was satisfied.</p>
<p>“I see…thank you for clearing that up.”</p>
<p>Hinata smiled. “I’m sorry that you had to see it.”</p>
<p>Akaashi shrugged. “I would say it’s not the worst thing I’ve seen…but obviously,” he sighed, “hopefully I won’t have to see it again.”</p>
<p>“I hope so too.” Hinata nodded. “Hey, we won that battle, don’t worry about what might’ve happened…just think about the future.”</p>
<p>Akaashi smiled. “Yeah, you’re right.”</p>
<p>Hinata didn’t want to dwell on this conversation, he quickly thought of a way out. “So, where’s Ukai?” Hinata asked. “Is he here?”</p>
<p>“Ah,” Akaashi gestured to the dining-room door, “he’s in there with Lev. Kuroo let slip that Lev can talk and well, you can imagine how Ukai reacted to that. Feel free to go and see how it’s playing out.”</p>
<p>Wanting to see this spectacle for himself, Hinata headed into the dining room. He found Lev lounging on the large table with Ukai sat back in one of the chairs looking thoughtful. At his arrival, Ukai looked over and gave him a warm smile. He looked a lot better already having been given proper food and a decent place to sleep.</p>
<p>“So,” Ukai gestured to Lev, “apparently when you broke the treaty to show up to that battle, you also managed to change a house cat into a lion.”</p>
<p>Hinata laughed nervously. “I mean, sort of. I enabled it, but…let me start at the beginning.”</p>
<p>He told Ukai of the Kirin of House Kageyama, of their majesty and power. How without their matriarch’s guidance he wouldn’t be half the mage he is. He recounted how the southern kingdoms banded together to defend their home, to battle their foes despite being outnumbered. He spoke of Hēishān and how his destiny was presented to him in the fiery heart of the volcano, that he needed to summon House Kageyama’s saviour one last time and how it took seven elements to do it all.</p>
<p>Ukai listened intently, not interrupting Hinata’s long-winded and sometimes nonsensical way of explaining things. As Hinata sighed when he came to the end of his tale, Ukai spoke.</p>
<p>“So, seven elements in total?”</p>
<p>Hinata nodded. “Yeah.” He brought out the solitary runestone. “I used to have five of these, but they…shattered.” His hand went to his chest. “The other two never had a stone, because they’re like…a mix of all of them?”</p>
<p>Ukai nodded, even if he didn’t fully understand. “So these others, you called them the void and its balance?”</p>
<p>“Mhm. I dunno, it just made sense because…they’re a mixture of things? And I was told by Hēishān that I couldn’t wield one without the other.” He shrugged. “I’m the only one who can? It’s hard to explain.”</p>
<p>“Can’t imagine it would be easy.” Ukai reached out and scratched Lev just behind his ear. The lion purred and rolled over, enjoying the attention. “So since this battle, have you done much with these powers?”</p>
<p>“Well, no.” Hinata sighed. “Because Yachi summoned us here, or…someone did on her behalf? I don’t know. It’s all so complicated.” Hinata scratched his head. “All I know is that it’s messy.”</p>
<p>Ukai nodded in agreement. “That it is. I certainly don’t envy Tobio.”</p>
<p>“How so?” Hinata perked up.</p>
<p>Ukai shrugged. “Well, dealing with Yachi, dealing with politics. It’s a tough ask of any outsider to waltz in and understand. Just like I wouldn’t expect her to be able to go down south and fully understand everything.” He sat back in the chair again. “Every kingdom has its history, the centuries of events, of leaders both good and bad. To cross a border isn’t just a matter of walking into an unfamiliar present, it’s walking into an unfamiliar past. You walk past areas that have been lived in for decades and continue to thrive, others that were abandoned and left to the elements.”</p>
<p>Hinata wasn’t sure where this was going, but he nodded.</p>
<p>Ukai continued his tangent; “Hinode is an old city, the district that is in ruins used to be a thriving centre of trade, of life. Just as I expect Tobio’s kingdom is also old, the kingdom to the south has long been known to exist in our empire’s books.” He pressed his fingertips together. “House Kageyama has been around for centuries, the crown that Tobio wears has been on many heads. Tell me, do you think he has what it takes to wrestle with the choices his predecessors made?”</p>
<p>Hinata frowned. “What do you mean?”</p>
<p>“The treaty.” Ukai stated. “That treaty that meant you got thrown in the dungeon. It was written up by one of Yachi’s predecessors after House Kageyama embarrassed the empire. And Tobio’s ancestor signed it.”</p>
<p>Hinata knew the Battle of the Black Mountain played into it a lot, but it did prompt him to wonder why the hell Tobio’s ancestor would sign a treaty like that. He also wondered how Ukai knew about all of this in such detail. When asked, Ukai gave him a coy smile.</p>
<p>“You catch on quick.” He chuckled. “The academy studied the treaty, not excessively, but a copy of it was kept on record in our library. Some said it was to remind us why some in the empire disliked us. I reckon it was to give us an idea of how other kingdoms used mages in a more ‘disposable’ manner.”</p>
<p>That didn’t feel right to Hinata, but he forced himself to accept it was just how the empire functioned. It still didn’t answer the question of why House Kageyama would sign it. Ukai gave him a curious look as he stood up.</p>
<p>“I’m just gonna get some air.” He smiled, it was a little forced, but it was believable enough for Ukai to return it.</p>
<p>“Alright.” He nodded in parting.</p>
<p>Hinata made his way towards the back of the manor, avoiding walking through the parlour directly for now. As much as he wanted to spend time with those he had missed, he also wanted to have some time to himself, to enjoy the quiet and figure out what the next challenge was. Without being told everything, he couldn’t think too hard about it, but that wasn’t going to stop him. The courtyard to the rear of the manor was empty, only the bumbling bumblebees greeted him as they buzzed between flowers. It was an overcast day, but it didn’t feel overly cold as he sat on the grass and sighed.</p>
<p>Given that he couldn’t think about what their next move was, he mulled over Ukai’s tangent instead. It did strike him as odd that they knew so little about the empire. He was aware that tensions between them and House Kageyama were high, that there were never any communications from the previous empress. Whenever the idea of the empire’s borders creeping closer was brought up, Tobio always reacted poorly. After learning about Hēishān and the battle that caused most of this tension, Hinata could understand it. Yukio’s journals hadn’t painted the empire in a good light after all, but was that all they were going to go on? Were they not going to at least <em>try</em> to learn more?</p>
<p>He wondered how the empire viewed the south. What twisted tales had they cooked up to scare their children, to build morale amongst soldiers. He didn’t remember many stories like that from his village. The worst he was ever told was about the large wolves that could roam the dark forest in the winter. Thinking of home made his heart ache. When he was a lot younger he always dreamt of travelling, of seeing the world beyond the forests. He always thought that he’d pack up a donkey one day and go to see the likes of Tanishiti, maybe even see the ocean. Now here he was further than he thought he’d ever go, in the company of so many that he called friends, that he called his second family.</p>
<p>He had made the vow several times recently, but he still meant it; he was going to see his family again; his parents, his sister. He was going to see them be it in their humble village or in the grandeur that is Hokubujōsai. They didn’t have to stay with him, but he wanted them to see how far he had come, how many people he had met. He got the feeling Natsu would love the Brotherhood, and they would treat her like a princess. He wondered how Tobio would react. The idea of Tobio being a natural older brother like Bokuto made him laugh to himself.</p>
<p>It was a while before he heard the door open, thinking it was Kenma or Suga asking if he wanted food, he stood up expectantly. As he turned to greet them, he found it was someone hugely different. It had only been three days, but it felt like it had been much longer as he met Tobio’s gaze. The king had returned from wherever he had been, Hinata noted that he was dressed in rather plain clothes and no crown in sight, almost like he had been trying not to draw attention to himself. They stood there in silence for a few moments, almost like there was too much to say at once, that no words could properly convey the mixture of feelings.</p>
<p>He smiled, taking half a step forward. It seemed to dissipate any doubts Tobio was having as he immediately closed the gap between them in a matter of paces and pulled him into a tight hug. Hinata felt the wind get knocked out of him as Tobio squeezed him. He could feel the other’s heart racing as he wrapped his arms around Tobio. They remained in the tight embrace, neither saying a word.</p>
<p>Tobio was the one to break the silence. “Gods I missed you.” He breathed.</p>
<p>“You missed me?” Hinata repeated, not meaning to make it sound like a question. “I missed you too. I thought I was gonna go crazy down there.”</p>
<p>“I’m sorry we didn’t get you out sooner.” He loosened his hold enough to pull back, his hands moving to Hinata’s shoulders. Now he was closer, Hinata could see the dark shadows under his eyes. “I…politics got in the way.”</p>
<p>“I know.” Hinata murmured. “But I know you did what you could.”</p>
<p>There was a small smile. “Kunimi is the one you should be thanking. Stubborn asshole wouldn’t let anyone talk him out of it.”</p>
<p>Hinata could definitely imagine that. But he didn’t want to dwell on the others right now, he had spent three days away from the one he was supposed to be protecting, the one he had defied the laws of magic to keep on his throne. Right now, only one person mattered to him.</p>
<p>“But I’m here now.” He smiled back. “And I’m not leaving you again. I’m going to be by your side, whatever you have to face,” he took one of Tobio’s hands off his shoulder and held it within his, “I’ll face it with you.”</p>
<p>Tobio’s eyes widened, visibly swallowing as he processed the declaration. “G-Good.” He managed to mumble out, Hinata’s smile didn’t falter even if it wasn’t quite the response he was expecting. “I…I’m glad to have you back.”</p>
<p>Hinata nodded, slowly linking their fingers together. He figured there wasn’t anything else to say, that drawing out the conversation would only end in Tobio feeling more flustered. He had enough to worry about, Hinata was fine with waiting.</p>
<p>“I haven’t actually eaten yet today.” He confessed.</p>
<p>Tobio seemed to snap out of his internal thought process. “Dumbass.” He coyly smiled, bringing his free hand up to playfully cuff Hinata’s head. “Come on, there’s bound to be something—and you can tell me who the random old guy in the dining room is.”</p>
<p>Allowing Tobio to lead him by the hand, Hinata laughed. “That ‘old guy’ is called Ukai and he’s actually pretty cool.”</p>
<p>“Uh huh.” Tobio snorted.</p>
<p>They made their way inside, Hinata feeling like a weight had lifted. Tobio seemed both at ease and wound up, caught in a strange balancing act. Though as he kept hold of Hinata’s hand, he seemed to visibly relax a little more, laugh a little louder. It certainly didn’t escape the attention of the others, but by now it seemed everyone knew it.</p>
<p>Tobio loved Hinata.</p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0040"><h2>40. All On The Same Page</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>XL</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>All On The Same Page</strong>
</p>
<p>It was a conversation that was long overdue, but it needed to happen. Now both kings were in the city, Hinata out of the dungeons and a new potential ally in their midst, an explanation was called for. Daichi had decided to delegate the matter to Moniwa as he was a much calmer and more analytical mind than most. He also happened to have all the written notes on every theory, suggestion, and shred of evidence they had gathered.</p>
<p>As soon as Tooru returned to the manor, he was told, politely, that he needed to be briefed on everything. Surprisingly, he wasn’t against sitting at the same table as Tobio. Moniwa would be lying if he said he wasn’t a little apprehensive about how some of this was going to go down. Tooru already knew of the theory that Akiteru murdered his father, but there was a lot more to it than that.</p>
<p>“Alright, so I think I’ll start with what we <em>know</em> and then what we <em>think</em> we know. And some of it might blend together, but hopefully I can get it all out in the open and we can see the bigger picture.”</p>
<p>He was met with nods of understanding from both kings. Hinata looked genuinely curious at what the others had been up to whilst he was away and Ukai was practically hanging on Moniwa’s every word already. Moniwa wasn’t alone in this task, he had Akaashi with him to try and provide some mage context to everything, and then there was Kiyoko who was on hand to offer further clarification if needed.</p>
<p>Between the three of them, they hoped this wouldn’t take too long.</p>
<p>“So,” Moniwa collected his newest journal and flicked back several pages, “the day Hinata got…taken,” he was already feeling awkward for even mentioning it, “Akaashi decided we needed to look into this old city district fire properly.” He looked to Tooru. “A significant part of the city was destroyed in one night and no-one strictly knows why—”</p>
<p>“Oh, that’s what it was.” Tooru remarked. “I saw it today.”</p>
<p>Akaashi was a little alarmed that Tooru had gone anywhere near it. He chose to keep quiet as Moniwa laughed nervously. “Ah, well yes, so we all went in there, in groups, to try and work out what happened.” He continued, reading off from his notes. “The only conclusive things we could deduce were that the tavern was the epicentre for the main fire, that carts were strangely placed in the streets surrounding it and would’ve made it hard for people to escape.” He glanced up to see if they understood the implication. “And the academy wasn’t destroyed like everything else. Someone was there that night and they stopped the fire. Who? We have no idea.”</p>
<p>Akaashi cleared his throat. “Without going into detail, some of us have experienced…visions of sorts.” He kept his voice even despite the fear rising within him at recalling the memories. “We think that the tavern fire was started through the use of a runestone igniting a cart full of alchemy ingredients.”</p>
<p>“So it was arson gone very bad.” Tooru stated. “Why?”</p>
<p>Moniwa turned the page of his journal. “That’s a question we’re getting close to answering, but there is more to this than just a fire.” He glanced to Akaashi. “You should tell them about Semi.”</p>
<p>Akaashi let out a small sigh. “Semi has been…baiting Kei Tsukishima.” He stated, getting the anticipated frowns from Tobio and Tooru. “Through this, he was able to learn that Kei claims he wasn’t in this city during the fire, that he had already left.”</p>
<p>“So…” Tobio continued frowning. “He was in the south?”</p>
<p>“Possibly, or at least on his way south.” Akaashi nodded, looking to Tooru. “Four years ago, you were nearly fifteen, correct?”</p>
<p>Tooru blinked slowly. “It’s my nineteenth nameday soon, so yes.”</p>
<p>Akaashi didn’t want to ask the next question, but he needed to. “Four years ago, was around the time your father ordered—”</p>
<p>“The attack on House Kageyama.” He finished, closing his eyes momentarily. “Yes.”</p>
<p>“And you suspect he wasn’t in his right mind, that he was being manipulated by a mage.”</p>
<p>Tooru sighed heavily. “Yes.”</p>
<p>There was a pause, Akaashi exchanged a glance with Moniwa and Kiyoko before he continued. “Tooru, we believe it was Akiteru.”</p>
<p>“Well duh.” Tooru breathed. “So he fucked with my father’s mind, caused an invasion and then what?” He uttered. “Skipped back here and burned down a district?”</p>
<p>“That’s what we think he did,” Kiyoko spoke up, “and given that we have Kei’s journal, we think he was planning something.”</p>
<p>“You have Kei’s <em>what</em>.”</p>
<p>Akaashi nodded. “Journal. We found it in the academy.” He stated, looking to Moniwa to explain the contents.</p>
<p>“In short; Kei was a student at the academy. He specifically states a time where Akiteru told him their father wished him to go south. Specifically to become a court mage of a king who needed him.” He looked to Tobio. “We think he meant you.”</p>
<p>Tobio was still frowning, trying to wrap his head around it. “So Akiteru knew I was alive?”</p>
<p>“Possibly. Or he was telling Kei to involve himself with Tooru. Either way, that explains why Kei left when he did and why he claims to have no knowledge of this fire.”</p>
<p>Ukai had been nodding along the entire time. He chose this break in the conversation to interject.</p>
<p>“So with this fire, you say it destroyed the entire district.” He stated. “Which I’m not denying, heck I saw it myself, but how do you explain <em>blue</em> fire?”</p>
<p>Akaashi replied; “That’s still a mystery, however there is more to the fire than I think most believe. Within Kei’s journal we found comments made by someone else, someone who knew both brothers enough to make remarks on their schemes.” He shook his head. “That someone is evading us, but there’s something more troubling in that academy.”</p>
<p>“What?” Ukai frowned.</p>
<p>“There’s a strong ward, an empath ward.” Akaashi bluntly stated. “A skull enchanted to inflict visions and nightmares.” This was the first Kiyoko and Moniwa were hearing of this, they gave Akaashi concerned looks as he continued. “Whoever enchanted it, they somehow know I’ve had dealings with Kei, and they’re trying to warn us off the scent.”</p>
<p>“Akiteru?”</p>
<p>“No.” Akaashi shook his head. “They said, ‘he’ll destroy you like he destroyed me’.”</p>
<p>Ukai’s frown deepened. “…I’d like to see this ward for myself.”</p>
<p>Tooru and Tobio exchanged a glance, the former speaking up first. “So, Akiteru?”</p>
<p>Kiyoko sensed it was time to air her findings. “I believe Akiteru is repeating what he did to your father with Yachi.” She stated. “Yachi is aware of it.” She met Tobio’s gaze. “She wants you to know she never wanted to blackmail you, she wanted to discuss things properly.”</p>
<p>Tobio scoffed. “Right.” He shook his head dismissively. “I really believe that.”</p>
<p>Kiyoko slammed her hands on the table, making him jump. She leaned forward, a serious look on her face as she held his gaze “I would’ve thought you of all people would understand her plight. You of all people would know how it feels to be at another’s mercy.”</p>
<p>Hinata hadn’t seen Kiyoko so irritated before. He looked to Tobio to see him nodding.</p>
<p>“You’re right.” He said, averting his gaze. “Sorry.”</p>
<p>She nodded, stepping back and sighing. “She’s scared. So I think we need to hasten our efforts.”</p>
<p>Tooru hummed in thought for a moment. “So, what are the options?”</p>
<p>Moniwa let out a sigh of relief that Tooru wasn’t seeking to cause a scene. “I think we need to gather the others and discuss it in more detail. There are several avenues we can go down but we need to make a united effort.”</p>
<p>It was an idea all parties could get on board with. Hinata wasn’t sure what he gained from sitting in on the discussion but having a broader understanding couldn’t hurt. Tobio seemed troubled as the others dispersed, resting his elbows on the table and holding his head in his hands. Once they were alone, Hinata reached out and set a hand on his shoulder.</p>
<p>“It makes sense now.” Tobio uttered.</p>
<p>“What does?”</p>
<p>“Why she seemed so…conflicting.” He raised his head, rubbing his face with his hands. “I snapped at her several times and…gods above I knew something felt weird.”</p>
<p>Hinata wasn’t sure what he was really talking about, but he squeezed Tobio’s shoulder. “You didn’t know. You couldn’t have known!” He insisted. “Like, this all sounds super crazy that like…one mage, well <em>two</em> technically, can do so much…”</p>
<p>Tobio laughed, it felt sarcastic and hollow. “Shoyo, you of all people should know how one mage can make a difference.”</p>
<p>“Yeah but, I’m super weird and gifted by gods.” He remarked, appreciating the wry smile on Tobio’s lips. “Akiteru sounds like an ass, <em>especially</em> if Kei is anything to go by.”</p>
<p>“An ass.” Tobio repeated. “Yeah.”</p>
<p>“So,” Hinata stood up, prompting Tobio to look at him properly, “we can sit here moping or we can try to fix it. We can stop him, we can help Yachi like me and Akaashi helped you.”</p>
<p>Tobio didn’t reply immediately, looking at Hinata with a soft expression, the dismay and worry that had been etched on his face previously had now faded and he was smiling genuinely. It was moments like this that made him realise how having Hinata around lifted his spirits and made the impossible feel possible.</p>
<p>“Yeah. Yeah we can.” He nodded. “So where do we start?”</p>
<p>Hinata thought for a few moments. “We wait for Akaashi and Ukai to look at this weird ward, and then Daichi and Kuroo will come up with a super cool plan, one that sounds so crazy that it’ll be a cool story to tell when we get home.”</p>
<p>Tobio chuckled. “Uh-huh.”</p>
<p>“What?” Hinata pouted.</p>
<p>“You, follow a plan? I would <em>love</em> to see that happen.”</p>
<p>“Hey! I follow plans.”</p>
<p>Tobio shook his head, rising from his seat. “Forgive me for not believing that until I see it with my own eyes.”</p>
<p>Hinata would’ve thought he was being serious if it wasn’t for the smile on his face. In reply, he stuck out his tongue. He didn’t expect Tobio to return the gesture, when he did, Hinata spluttered in surprise.</p>
<p>“Hey that’s not very kingly of you!”</p>
<p>“Most of the shit I do isn’t ‘kingly’.” He shrugged. “Having an assassins guild in my court? Letting a mage conjure the image of a dead dragon in my banquet hall?”</p>
<p>“Hey now, that was important at the time and I didn’t see you complaining when I summoned him again to save your butt!”</p>
<p>Tobio raised his eyebrows, feeling a little called out but ultimately not minding it. After all, he wasn’t going to complain about Hinata saving his life, like he had said to Atsumu not long ago; Hinata gave him a reason to live.</p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Despite the hustle and bustle of activity that morning in the manor, Bokuto still had a job to do. Sure he was happy that Hinata was safe, ecstatic even, but it also meant Tobio would be wanting his commissioned piece soon. Not wanting to disappoint, he was quick to get back to the forge with Tanaka in tow. That day they were joined by Nishinoya, partly by his own volition but partly due to Tanaka wanting to know what the heck they were meant to do with the giant purple stone. Nishinoya had heard about this stone but hearing about it and seeing it were two different things. As soon as he understood that Tobio wanted it in a headpiece, he had to laugh.</p>
<p>“This is far too heavy for that.” He remarked, tossing it from hand to hand. “Like you could kill a man with this.”</p>
<p>Tanaka laughed, Bokuto was moving the other stone around in his grip, trying to work out the best way to have it sit in the circlet without compromising the overall shape and cut. It had been decided already that the purple stone would have to be featured in a separate piece entirely, there was no way he could make both of them fit in one piece. The question now was what could hold a gem that big?</p>
<p>“So I have some thoughts,” Nishinoya held the gem up to the light, “you could put it in a staff. Though considering what the purple element is, I wouldn’t recommend that.”</p>
<p>“The void.” Tanaka nodded. “So you’re saying it’s a bad idea to just have a staff with a gem of mysterious power lying around?”</p>
<p>“I’m saying it’s a bad idea to even forge such a thing.” Nishinoya remarked. “And there’s the basic understanding of the bigger the stone, the more power it can hold. Like, I have no idea what the void is used for beyond some weird empath stuff, but I bet if someone insane like…well Kei, got hold of it then we’d be in for all sorts of fucked up shit.”</p>
<p>“So should we cut it?”</p>
<p>Nishinoya cradled the stone, mulling over his thoughts for a few moments. “I would suggest doing that, but then how small do we cut it down? Plus Tobio said he wanted it in some sort of…trinket?”</p>
<p>“For Hinata.” Bokuto confirmed, glancing up. “According to Kenma, Yamaguchi said that Tobio wants to give Hinata some sort of gift…”</p>
<p>“More gifts eh?” Nishinoya smirked. “You sure he doesn’t want a wedding ring?”</p>
<p>The three of them shared a laugh at the remark. At this point, Tobio was only fooling himself and potentially Hinata with this incredibly indirect and draconian way of courting. It didn’t change the fact Bokuto was going to fashion the best piece he could, but it put a certain added charm into it all; knowing it was going to be a gift.</p>
<p>“We could do something a little…unorthodox.” Nishinoya hummed. “This stone is big enough that even cutting it multiple ways, there’ll be sizable chunks. And considering how many mages we have…we could easily make a set of rings or pendants.”</p>
<p>“A set.” Bokuto set his tools down and gave Nishinoya a curious look. “But I thought Hinata was the only one who could wield the void?”</p>
<p>“He is, and just because it’s <em>purple</em>, doesn’t mean it <em>has</em> to be aligned to that particular element. I can use it to channel my sparks, Inuoka could use it to power his ice. Akaashi might find it useful for more empathic prowess.” He shrugged. “It would just simply be more potent as a void element runestone.”</p>
<p>Bokuto seemed to consider it. “I would want to get Tobio’s blessing first.”</p>
<p>“I can ask him and explain it to him.” Nishinoya smiled. “Besides, I kinda wanna see what he has to say about all these gifts.”</p>
<p>Bokuto and Tanaka exchanged a glance, slightly unsure about Nishinoya’s intentions. “If you’re sure.” Bokuto picked up a fresh silver ingot. “I’ll just keep working my butt off on this headpiece.”</p>
<p>“You got the design finalised?” Nishinoya asked, setting down the purple stone. “What did you decide on in the end?”</p>
<p>Bokuto smiled, letting the silver ingot drop into a metal bucket that was suspended over the forge. “You’ll see, I think it suits Hinata pretty well.” He watched the ingot begin to bubble as the heat got to it. “It’s not a dragon, if that’s what you were wondering.”</p>
<p>Nishinoya nodded. He was curious of course, but Bokuto seemed set on not revealing his choice. Tanaka shrugged, indicating he had no idea either. The morning passed slowly, the silver ingot melting and being poured into a mould that would shape it into a thick disk shape. Tanaka busied himself with more mundane smithing; sharpening blades for the blacksmith, keeping the forge lit, tidying away tools that Bokuto didn’t need now. Nishinoya didn’t find it too thrilling to watch Bokuto concentrating on hammering the disc into a different shape, but the alternative was to go back to the manor and listen to the third or fourth retelling of the saga that landed them here.</p>
<p>He knew Daichi would tell him what he needed to know, that he didn’t offer much in the way of smarts or the ability to piece things together as quickly as Kenma. He was proud to have the offer always there, he wasn’t turned away from the intense thinking sessions, but it was understood to be a horrendously boring time in many ways. He felt much more useful here, even if he wasn’t actually doing anything.</p>
<p>That was until Shirabu showed up. He didn’t seem pleased at the heat in the workshop or the smell of sweat and burnt leather so Nishinoya took him out back where the horses were usually parked to attach new shoes. Thankfully, the yard was empty that day, though the smell of horse still lingered.</p>
<p>“What’s up?” He asked.</p>
<p>“The sky.” Shirabu remarked with a smirk, getting one in return from Nishinoya for the wisecrack. “Akaashi is taking Ukai to the academy.”</p>
<p>“Ukai.” Nishinoya repeated, “Oh, the old man.”</p>
<p>“He’s not that old.” Shirabu rolled his eyes. “Anyway, I’m a little…that is to say I don’t think they should go alone.” He glanced around as if he was expecting eavesdroppers. “I want an elemental mage to go with them. Obviously, I don’t want <em>Hinata</em> going with them ‘cause gods know what’ll happen if he touches anything there.”</p>
<p>Nishinoya filled in the blanks. “You want me to go? Why? What’s in there?”</p>
<p>Shirabu inhaled sharply. “Weird warding magic. I got off lightly because I’m not an empath, but Akaashi got fucked up. That’s why he was…the way he was.”</p>
<p>Nishinoya didn’t need reminding of that fiasco. It still bothered him that he was effectively powerless against such magic. So why the hell was Shirabu asking him to go? He frowned as he folded his arms across his chest, Shirabu seemed to understand the thought pattern.</p>
<p>“I know, but I’d rather someone with some magical know-how went with them as opposed to the likes of Kuroo.” He continued. “You’re powerful in your own right, and if they’re dealing with another empath, then you’ll be in the position to subdue them at the very least.”</p>
<p>“I can’t hold my own against mind-fucking.”</p>
<p>“No, but empaths aren’t invincible. And if they’re too busy trying to keep Akaashi and Ukai under control, they won’t see a bolt of lightning headed their way, will they?”</p>
<p>Nishinoya weighed up the odds. Yes, the wards were weird, yes Akaashi seemed utterly wrecked after his last encounter, but given all they knew about Hinode and its dark secrets, those wards could be holding anything back. They assumed it was to keep them out, but what if the wards were there to keep something or someone in? As he realised this, he started to feel uneasy at the idea of Akaashi and Ukai being alone. Sure maybe he wouldn’t be much use if he was freaking out but going without <em>any</em> backup was an even worse idea.</p>
<p>“Alright, when are they going?”</p>
<p>Shirabu shrugged. “I think they’ll be heading there this afternoon, definitely whilst there’s still light.”</p>
<p>That wasn’t awfully specific. He guessed he better head back now so he could catch them before they left. He ducked back into the workshop to loosely explain that he was needed by Akaashi. Tanaka and Bokuto didn’t ask any questions, knowing that an explanation would come in time. Shirabu fell into step with him as they walked through the city, not offering any further information.</p>
<p>Things were calm in the manor. For once there was no overhanging tension between anyone. It appeared that everyone had been caught up finally on the state of affairs; on what they were facing. Nishinoya found Akaashi explaining his intentions to visit the academy to Kenma who was shaking his head. At his arrival, Nishinoya found himself being dragged into the conversation.</p>
<p>“Ah, there you are.” Kenma greeted. “Are you going with them to the academy?”</p>
<p>“I guess?” Nishinoya replied. “Shirabu came to get me.”</p>
<p>“In that case,” Kenma handed him a scrap of parchment, “take this and make sure you have it on you.”</p>
<p>Looking at the parchment, there was a circle with an upside-down triangle drawn in the centre. At each corner, a curved line like that of a semi-circle intersected the lines of the triangle. He wasn’t sure what he was looking at.</p>
<p>“It’s a focus rune. A very basic one.” Kenma stated. “Ukai has a more elaborate one tattooed on him. The general purpose is to absorb energy and withhold it.” He gave an identical scrap of parchment to Akaashi. “If you get jumped by someone, it might give you some added protection.”</p>
<p>Nishinoya didn’t like the inference Kenma was making. He looked to Akaashi who merely nodded in understanding. There was a moment where he was going to ask what exactly he was supposed to be on the lookout for, but it passed before he could articulate his thoughts. Akaashi declared they should get going, and so he found himself being ushered out of the door and back onto the city streets.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Getting Tobio to understand the true gravity of the situation hadn’t necessarily been top of Kiyoko’s list of things to do. She had figured he would’ve reacted a little more considerable when she stated that Yachi was under Akiteru’s thumb. Instead he seemed more dismissive than ever and that had made her snap a little. Maybe he was focusing too much on the treaty to really see the bigger issue here. Sure, he could get that treaty rewritten or ripped up, but who was to say that it would even be relevant if Yachi was removed from the throne? If their worst fears came to pass, if Akiteru did manage to get into power, she found it doubtful that he’d pay attention to written words speaking of peace and justice.</p>
<p>It rubbed her the wrong way, plain and simple. Her understanding was that they were meant to be a symbol of hope to those in trouble. That was the Brotherhood’s creed; to help those who could not help themselves. They had pulled off some insane feats of magic and heroism already in the short time she had known them. Sure the odds are stacked against them, but when weren’t they? If anything that just made it that much more important they did something rather than escape into the shadows.</p>
<p>Maybe it was her old training coming back, her ingrained loyalty to those who wear a crown. Or maybe she saw herself in Yachi; a scared girl at the mercy of things she couldn’t understand or stop. Either way, she wasn’t going to give up that easily. She had excused herself from the hive of activity that was the parlour. It didn’t take long for Suga to seek her out. She wasn’t in the walled gardens of the manor, or in any of the bedrooms, she had made her way to the stables all the guild’s horses were being housed. He struck his knuckles against the doorframe of the building as he entered. She glanced up from where her attention had been focused on stroking Hotaru’s nose.</p>
<p>“What’s up?”</p>
<p>She smiled as he joined her at the stall, wrapping an arm around her waist and drawing her into a hug. There was still this nervous energy about them when they were alone, like they weren’t sure if what had happened at the ball was real or a dream they both shared. He didn’t repeat the question, letting her rest her forehead against his.</p>
<p>“I snapped at Tobio.” She eventually replied. “I didn’t necessarily mean to, but he didn’t seem to be taking things seriously.”</p>
<p>“What things?” Suga asked.</p>
<p>“Yachi being…” she trailed off, sighing slightly. “I would’ve thought him of all people would know how it feels to have someone manipulating your thoughts. But he seemed so dismissive I just, snapped.”</p>
<p>He brought hands up to rest on her shoulders. “Hey, he’s probably just caught up on a lot of emotions.” He smiled. “Hinata’s back, he’s basically on the cusp of confessing, well, we all <em>hope</em> he is.” He chuckled. “And maybe he’s finding it hard to believe because he’d have to revisit his own experience.”</p>
<p>He waited for her to nod, offering her a reassuring smile as he continued. “In any case, we’re all tripping over one another in this manor right now. It’s certainly not as big as Hokubujōsai, we have two royal entourages <em>and</em> the Brotherhood. It’s natural for tempers to flare up and to feel on edge.”</p>
<p>She huffed, nodding again as she stepped back. “It’s just frustrating.”</p>
<p>“I know.” He looked to Hotaru in her stall. “Say, how do you fancy getting out of the city for a few hours?”</p>
<p>She raised an eyebrow. “And go where exactly?”</p>
<p>He shrugged. “Back across the land bridge? Just take two of the horses and get away from everything, try to enjoy some fresh air without feeling like we have to watch our backs?”</p>
<p>She thought for a few moments. The idea certainly seemed attractive compared to the alternative of returning to the intense planning that was no doubt occurring with both kings finally on the same page. She couldn’t remember a day where something wasn’t on her mind, between the battle and the abrupt call to action by Tobio, they hadn’t had a moment to themselves. Even up here they were always looking over their shoulders, anticipating the worst from everyone they met.</p>
<p>Maybe going for a short ride wouldn’t be so bad.</p>
<p>“Alright.” She returned his smile. “But if we’re away too long, you know lunacy will take over.”</p>
<p>He chuckled, already unlocking Hotaru’s stall. “Oh I don’t doubt that, but it’s also not my problem.”</p>
<p>She selected Amaya for the impromptu trip, knowing that Yuki and Raimei would probably get taken out later that evening by Kindaichi. Amaya took after her owner anyway; getting restless if she wasn’t doing something. Kiyoko wondered if Yaku knew his horse shared his personality. The thought made her giggle and prompted a curious glance from Suga. The streets of Hinode were quiet, almost too quiet given the fact the dungeons had been broken out of. She put it out of her mind as they weaved in and out of the side streets on the way to the main gate.</p>
<p>As soon as the brisk wind hit them on the land bridge, she felt like life had been breathed back into her. She hadn’t realised how tense she was until now. Suga shot her a smile, almost like he knew this would happen. They didn’t say a word as they urged both horses to a canter, reaching the path on the other side and turning off to ride through untamed wilderness. As long as they kept sight of the ravine, they’d be able to find their way back easily. There was no element of competition about them, no racing to the ends of the world, just enjoying the fresh air, the brisk wind, the feeling of freedom and forgetting their current plight.</p>
<p>She was reminded of when she had wings, how the crisp mountain air would have that scent to it that she couldn’t describe in human words, of the sunsets she used to witness from the cliff-tops that she’d perch on, the reflections of the night sky in the lake’s surface. The world was wide back then, and whilst she was unwillingly put in that form, she did have some fond memories of seeing nature in a different light. Soon the distant hustle and bustle of the road to Hinode had faded from their minds, only surrounded by the brambles and shrubbery that fought to survive in the rocky environment. It wasn’t the prettiest of places, but it was refreshing to be somewhere that wasn’t prim and proper.</p>
<p>They slowed the horses to a walking pace, they could still see the skyline of Hinode if they rode close to the ravine, but they had no intention of turning back just yet. Soon Suga deemed them far enough away to halt. A collection of boulders seemed like an ideal place to sit and enjoy the view of the ravine that carved its way eastward. They sat side by side, the roar of water below echoing up the stony cliffs of the ravine. Far in the distance they could see a thick forest; a dark splodge like that of paint on a canvas that seemed to stretch out to the horizon. She wondered if it was vastly different from the forests in the south, if the creatures there were the same or freakishly different. As much as she felt she was knowledgeable about the world, there was always somewhere new to discover.</p>
<p>“Feeling better yet?” Suga asked, breaking the silence.</p>
<p>“Yeah.” She replied, tearing her gaze from the horizon to look at him. He was leaning back on his hands, completely at ease as his gaze was on the horizon. “How are you always so laid back?”</p>
<p>He laughed. “Always? I’m not <em>always</em> laid back. I just pretend to be for everyone else’s sanity.” He gave her a playful smile. “Before you joined, I was often the one getting worked up a lot. Calling people - mainly Kuroo - out on his lunacy, trying to corral the mages into not burning everything down, trying to make Akaashi less stubborn about talking about his feelings.” He sighed, she wasn’t sure if it was in fondness at the memories or relief that those days were behind them. “I guess at some point I stopped worrying about things that were out of my control. Like, how others react to things we encounter.” He shrugged. “I just focus on what we can do, what <em>I</em> can do. I focus on the Brotherhood and what we can do ourselves without having to ask either king for permission.”</p>
<p>She hummed in thought, prompting him to continue.</p>
<p>“There’s a reason that we never officially aligned ourselves with Tooru or Tobio, it’s so when we get into situations like this, we can act on our terms. Kunimi spoke out when he did because he knew Daichi would have his back. If he was still of House Oikawa, I expect he would’ve been a lot more subordinate. He would’ve still wanted to do something outrageous, but he’s smart enough to know when not to push the boundaries.”</p>
<p>“So you don’t think about what Tobio or Tooru would want, because you know they probably won’t understand?”</p>
<p>He shook his head. “It’s more that…” he trailed off in thought. “We built this guild up with individuals who have understood what it means to fight alone, to be in that life and death struggle and only have yourself to fall back on. Many of them understand how it feels to fight like a caged animal, to do whatever it takes to survive. I’m not saying Tobio and Tooru don’t know how it feels, but they are held accountable for their actions.” He sat forward, a more serious expression on his face. “What I mean is, if Tobio marches into that palace and accuses Akiteru of the sort of crimes we think he’s committing, then he could cause a war. But if <em>we</em> do it, then it’s a much less volatile situation.”</p>
<p>“Still volatile though.” She hummed.</p>
<p>He cracked a smile. “Yeah well, the Brotherhood is a band of lunatics who never know when to walk away from a fight.”</p>
<p>She mirrored the smile, casting her gaze back to the horizon. “I thought the point of this outing was to forget about our plight.”</p>
<p>“It was, and it can still be.” He playfully nudged her side. She raised an eyebrow, wondering what his angle was, as she met his gaze again she saw a more coy smile on his face. Whenever it was just the two of them, his smiles always seemed a little more personal. Like they were only for her to see, it always made her chest feel like it was full of butterflies. It was a strange sensation, but one she never got tired of.</p>
<p>“And what exactly did you have in mind, if it wasn’t de-constructing our troubles?”</p>
<p>He shrugged. “Just enjoy the peace and quiet, talk about life, the past, present and future, whatever you want.”</p>
<p>“Oh I get to pick?” She hummed.</p>
<p>He laughed. “Sure, why not.”</p>
<p>It would be easy to dwell on the present or think about the future, yet both of those would inevitably link back to their plight in the empire. She mulled it over, thinking about what they had already discussed whilst admiring the view of the far-off forest. As she thought about their time together since the day she met him, she had only heard him speak of his time in the guild, scarcely had he mentioned the time before.</p>
<p>“Tell me about your home.” She spoke softly. “Before you joined the guild.”</p>
<p>He raised an eyebrow but nodded. “My home?”</p>
<p>“I’ve heard how you joined the guild through a happy accident, but what did you leave behind?”</p>
<p>He sat up, moving to hug his knees as he directed his gaze to the view in front of them. “I consider myself a lucky man, lucky in the sense no tragedy has befallen me or my family.” He was calm, composed, relaxed. “No bandit raids, no family murders, no untimely deaths…” he chuckled slightly. “I had a boring childhood.”</p>
<p>She smiled. “Some would say boring, others would say…good.”</p>
<p>“Yeah.” He nodded, flashing her a smile. “Grew up in a village on the coast, not too far away from Akaashi actually. Fishing was our main trade but we had a bountiful forest nearby. I would often go into the woods with the older boys and hunt with them. Well, they would hunt and I’d end up being the pack mule.” They shared a laugh as he rolled his eyes. “My pa taught me how to shoot after he realised I preferred the land over the sea. Turns out I’m pretty good at shooting things.”</p>
<p>“I would have to agree.” She remarked, playfully nudging him. “You still need to teach me.”</p>
<p>“I do, maybe we can pick that up again after we’re done sorting out whatever mess this is.” He gestured back towards Hinode. “But as for what I ‘left behind’,” he sighed, humming in thought for a moment, “my parents are hardworking people, pa’s a jack-of-all-trades, does a bit of hunting, bit of fishing, bit of manual labour. My mother was one of the cooks in our village’s tavern.”</p>
<p>“One of? There were many?” Kiyoko asked.</p>
<p>“Yeah, our village was a popular stopping point for merchants heading up the coast to Kitamine. Often had travellers stopping by.” A whimsical smile graced his face as he sat back again, letting his legs hang off the edge of the boulder alongside hers. “I actually…well, it’s a sorta funny story not many know about.”</p>
<p>“Yeah?”</p>
<p>“So everyone knows how I joined the guild; ventured off on a long hunting trip and got caught in one of Bokuto’s traps. Rookie mistake on my part.” He chuckled, shaking his head slightly. “Well when he released me from the jaws of death, my leg was messed up so he took me back to where the guild was living at the time.”</p>
<p>“…isn’t that quite far in from the coast?”</p>
<p>“The guild you knew yes,” he said with a smile, “this was during the time when it was just Kuroo, Bokuto, Akaashi and Daichi. They were gathering supplies to turn that tunnel system into the permanent home. So yeah, I got taken back to a campsite to get my leg bandaged up by Akaashi.”</p>
<p>“Right.”</p>
<p>“Thing is, I already knew Daichi.” He murmured. “I mentioned how the tavern in my village was a popular stopping point, right? Well, he had stopped in only a few weeks previously. Just him. The others were apparently content to camp in the forest but he wanted some information and supplies.”</p>
<p>“So you knew him briefly, then you get caught up in Bokuto’s trap and suddenly are face-to-face with him again?”</p>
<p>“Yep.” He laughed. “Daichi was certain Bokuto had kidnapped me.”</p>
<p>Kiyoko could imagine that conversation playing out. She waited for Suga to continue, knocking her knee against his.</p>
<p>“So yeah, after hearing exactly what was going on, I was asked if I wanted to travel with them, see a bit more beyond the forest as it were.” He hummed. “And I said I’d think on it and return within two days if I accepted. Two days later, I found myself back at their campsite.” He shrugged.</p>
<p>“And so you just upped and left?”</p>
<p>He nodded. “As nice as my home is, not a lot happens there. And well, I was fourteen, it wasn’t unusual for those my age to go on long journeys to the likes of Tanishiti. I assured my mother I’d write home and keep her informed that I wasn’t dead or arrested.” He shrugged again. “How we managed to survive is beyond me.”</p>
<p>“Because they had you making sure they didn’t die.” She offered with an amused smile.</p>
<p>“Something like that.” He chuckled. “Between me and Daichi we kept those idiots alive…we still do.”</p>
<p>“You’ve always been close then, you and Daichi?”</p>
<p>He met her gaze, a calm smile didn’t indicate anything untoward. “Yeah, always. When you only have three bedrolls between five people…” he chuckled breathlessly. “Things sorta...fell into place as it were.”</p>
<p>She raised an eyebrow. “Was there ever anything…more?”</p>
<p>Blush rose in his cheeks but he didn’t avert his gaze. “For a time, yeah. Things were stressful, sometimes one or both of us needed to blow off steam…” he gave a more nervous laugh. “It was a mutual understanding, between us and the others. As the guild grew and as we grew as people, there was less need for such an arrangement.”</p>
<p>“So you don’t…” the words died in her throat. It wasn’t like she hadn’t heard the stories, that everyone knew Suga and Daichi had been closer than most. Hearing it was different, confirming what she thought had happened.</p>
<p>“No, there’s nothing like that between us anymore.” He said plainly. “And, well, for a while Daichi has known that something else has been happening since you joined the guild, since you and I started getting closer.”</p>
<p>She read between the lines of what he was saying. It made sense that Daichi would be observant enough to see the gestures and fleeting glances that she and Suga shared. She smiled, a sense of relief washing over her. She felt caught off guard as he reached up and caressed her cheek with the back of his fingers. The simple gesture made her skin heat up under his touch, a rosy tint spreading across her face as he let out a breathless chuckle. He let his hand fall slowly, tilting his head in curiosity as his smile grew.</p>
<p>“Speaking of which, considering neither of us have had any wine today,” He murmured. “I figured we could talk about what happened at that ball.”</p>
<p>She swallowed. The memories of the ball were a little fuzzy, she remembered a lot of laughing and being spun around the dancefloor. A nervous feeling rose in her chest as she thought about how his lips had felt against hers, how the noise of the world was blocked out in that finite moment between them. Everything about that moment between them had felt so right, so perfect.</p>
<p>“Yeah?” She held his gaze. “Go on then.”</p>
<p>The way his eyes widened indicated he hadn’t expected that response. He chuckled breathlessly, averting his gaze momentarily, she watched him bite his lip and run a hand through his hair. The blush from before darkened on his face and stood out against his silver hair, seeing him flustered made her smile endearingly. As confident as they were as individuals on a daily basis, it was moments like this that made that quality so noticeable. Confidence wasn’t an act, but it was easy to forget that it didn’t always come naturally. Sometimes it was refreshing to feel the jitter of nerves, the sweating palms and racing hearts.</p>
<p>“Alright,” he let out a short exhale, shuffling closer on the rock. He took her hand in his, linking their fingers together. “you asked me about that remark made back on the ship, about spending an eternity with you.”</p>
<p>She nodded slightly, surprised that this was where he was starting the conversation. “I did.”</p>
<p>He huffed, squeezing her hand. “And I avoided answering the question directly.”</p>
<p>“You did.” She couldn’t stop herself mirroring his nervous smile. “And I avoided answering yours with actual words, if I remember correctly.”</p>
<p>“Well, we’re good at this aren’t we?” He remarked, dropping his head as the blush on his face deepened.</p>
<p>“I mean,” she giggled, “at least it’s not during a life or death situation.”</p>
<p>“No.” He sighed. “No it’s not.”</p>
<p>She reached out and gently hooked her finger under his chin, slowly coaxing him to meet her gaze again. It seemed almost too silly that they were stumbling over words now, but the lack of liquid confidence and the fact their entire focus was on one another and not a bustling ball played a large part in it. There was simply nothing to interrupt them, nothing to distract them. No-one knew where they were or how long they intended to be gone for. It was just them and the view of the great beyond.</p>
<p>“Do you remember the aftermath of the ritual?” She asked quietly.</p>
<p>“Which part, the fighting or—”</p>
<p>“No, immediately afterwards, as the smoke was clearing.” She said. “When everyone else was too dumbstruck with the success to even approach me.”</p>
<p>“I do?” He answered hesitantly, trying to work out why she was bringing up that of all things.</p>
<p>“You were the one to act first, to give me some sense of dignity considering…the state I was in.”</p>
<p>“Oh, hah…I mean, yeah.”</p>
<p>“I think about that from time to time, how your first thought was to cover me up. How you wanted to make sure I was comfortable as well as safe.” She paused for a moment. “And since then you’ve always been a steady pillar of support, whilst I’ve had to get used to being…me again. You’ve put things into perspective, reassured me, made me feel like I’ve always been part of the guild and all its bizarre workings.”</p>
<p>“Pah,” he huffed, “that’s not all been down to me though.” He shrugged bashfully. “The others deserve just as much credit.”</p>
<p>“Koushi.” She shook her head. “When you were taken by Tendou, I…I knew.”</p>
<p>He swallowed, searching her eyes for any hint of what was coming next. “Knew what?”</p>
<p>“I knew deep down that I couldn’t hide from myself, from the feelings that I have. Everything that’s happened in the last year, it sounds crazy, it sounds like some fable or embellished bard song but…” She stopped herself, letting out an almost frustrated sigh. “Gods why is this so hard.”</p>
<p>“It doesn’t have to be.” He remarked softly, leaning close enough to bump his forehead against hers. “Just say wh-whatever you’re thinking or feeling.”</p>
<p>She closed her eyes as her breathing slowed. He kept quiet, letting the silence fall between them. Thinking about how long they had known each other, how much they had been through with not just themselves but the rest of their found family, he found it remarkable that out of everyone, she seemed drawn to him. He never saw himself as anyone special, certainly not worthy of someone like her.</p>
<p>“Okay.” She breathed, slowly opening her eyes.</p>
<p>“Okay?” He felt his breathing hitch as she gazed at him with bright eyes.</p>
<p>She nodded slightly. “Given our line of work, how we somehow managed to survive a battle that saw so many fall. How fleeting life can seem when we deal with death and deceit on an almost daily basis these days.” She let go of his hand and brought both hands up to cup his face. “Koushi, I want to spend however long I have left, by your side.”</p>
<p>“You make it sound like we’re going into another battle tomorrow.” He remarked, “which, okay given our lunatics is entirely possible—”</p>
<p>“Uh-huh.” She giggled. “And you’re rambling now because?”</p>
<p>Caught out, he couldn’t fight the smile. “Because a really pretty girl, <em>beautiful</em> even, both on the outside and in her heart, just told me that she wants to spend the rest of her days with me.”</p>
<p>The smiling was infectious, as were the nervous laughs. As much as it was almost relieving to finally have it said, she still sensed a nervousness about him. She gently carded a hand through his hair, pulling him closer. Their noses bumped clumsily, both much more aware than last time they were like this. Without a word uttered between them, he tilted his head slightly, brushing his lips against hers. The chaste kiss from before seemed like a distant memory, parting her lips as she leaned into the kiss. She felt like the world had stopped in that moment, the roar of the river below faded as her heart raced, all thoughts abandoned within seconds. A rush of excitement tore through her, like the gates that had held her back from confessing all this time had finally been smashed down. Confidence came flooding back to them as his hand reached for her waist. Lips parted, sharp gasps passed between them as breathing was side-lined for now. She drew him closer, not wanting to ever let him go now they were finally here.</p>
<p>The months of glances, of playful teasing, of trust and loyalty had all led to this moment and she didn’t want it to end.</p>
<p>He pulled back a little, resting his forehead against hers. In the brief moment of silence, there was nothing that could convey the relief in her soul. The fear of rejection had been tossed aside, replaced with this sensation of feeling wanted, of feeling loved.</p>
<p>“Kiyoko?” He whispered.</p>
<p>“Mhm?” She could barely utter a word, completely frazzled by the sudden flood of emotions.</p>
<p>“Is it bad that I’m thankful that Noya and Tanaka found you in that cave?”</p>
<p>She laughed, he joined in, dropping his head to rest on her shoulder. “I mean, it’s a…unique first meeting story?” She offered.</p>
<p>He pulled away further, meeting her gaze with a mischievous smile. “Ah yes, ‘mother, this is Kiyoko, I met her when she was a dragon.’. Because I can imagine that not being taken seriously at all.”</p>
<p>“And how is that a problem?” She gave him an equally mischievous smile. “I think it’s great, we can change the story every single time and no-one will be any wiser.”</p>
<p>“See, this is why I love you.” He poked her nose playfully. “Can slice a man into pieces with a sword, can parry sassy remarks like a queen, knows when to kick ass but also has a heart of gold and only wants to put good into the world.”</p>
<p>She raised an eyebrow. “Yeah?”</p>
<p>“Yeah.”</p>
<p>“And as for you,” she returned the gesture of poking his nose, “the backbone of a guild of lunatics, deadly with a bow and arrow, secretly always down to cause chaos and…”</p>
<p>“And?”</p>
<p>She leaned forward and stole a kiss, smiling into it as he let out a short exhale of surprise. “You’re a good kisser.” She murmured against his lips.</p>
<p>“Have you kissed many people?” He retorted.</p>
<p>She smiled sweetly. “No, but why would I need to when I have you?”</p>
<p>They both broke into laughter, the mood completely dissolving into the relaxed atmosphere they had come to know and love around each other. The expectations of the guild and royalty falling away from their shoulders. Nothing mattered beyond their love for one another. Nothing that couldn’t wait at least a few hours anyway.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Given that the manga has recently ended, can I make a polite request to anyone leaving comments to not reference any spoilers. Thankyou! 🙏</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0041"><h2>41. Behind the Ward</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>XLI</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Behind The Ward</strong>
</p>
<p>Akaashi knew this was potentially a bad idea. He was somewhat uneasy over the fact Kuroo hadn’t objected to it. It was either a sign of the other trusting his judgement, or knowing that no matter what he said, Akaashi was going to go back. There was a small thread of comfort in the idea that Nishinoya was going to be with him, and despite only knowing him for half a day; Ukai seemed more than capable of handling himself. With the runes Kenma drew up in their pockets, they made their way towards the old city.</p>
<p>Ukai seemed caught between focused on their destination and unnerved about being in the destroyed district which had caused him to end up in the dungeon. Akaashi didn’t need to ask how he felt, he could sense the uneasiness in his presence. As they got further away from the general population, it became clearer that this wasn’t a jolly outing for any of them. Ukai inhaled sharply as they caught sight of the blown apart tavern.</p>
<p>“Can we stop for a moment?” He asked quietly.</p>
<p>“Of course.” Akaashi nodded. Nishinoya said nothing, unsure if he was going to have to intervene.</p>
<p>Akaashi watched in silence as Ukai stepped up to the doorway - or what was left of it anyway. It was interesting to watch another strong empath mage take in his surroundings. It had never occurred to him before that he hadn’t known anyone on his level of skill other than Kei Tsukishima. He hadn’t been able to sit and exchange musings with another on how their individual minds worked, how sensitive their powers could be. They lingered for a while, not long enough for it to be a problem, but it was more than a fleeting look. Ukai came away frowning deeply, like he was troubled by what he was seeing.</p>
<p>“So what do you remember of that night?” Akaashi asked. “Were you here?”</p>
<p>Ukai shook his head. “Not directly. I was in what you’d probably know as the middle district. We still saw the blue fire though.” He replied, still frowning. “My family weren’t particularly bothered about mixing with mages. I had plenty of friends here though, and I haven’t heard about any of them since then for obvious reasons.”</p>
<p>“Did you want to go and see your family?”</p>
<p>“Not immediately.” He gruffly replied. “I don’t want to bring attention to them just yet. The guards will probably give them a hard time and I don’t need to give them more excuses to fuck up my life.”</p>
<p>Akaashi understood. They continued through the district, not stopping to linger at the empty buildings or in the trading plaza. Ukai did notice the pile of bones, but he was more focused on getting to the academy. Akaashi hadn’t strictly told them how they had to get to the door with the skull on it, so as they stepped past the barrier that cloaked the entire building, he informed them that it was a bit more of a task than he originally let on. As he had finished explaining, Ukai was already looking around the foyer.</p>
<p>Nishinoya was starting to get the idea that Ukai was reliving his past in some sense. He kept pausing and looking around the room with a look of puzzlement. Neither him or Akaashi sought to ask questions or even explain any of their investigations thus far. It seemed an unspoken agreement to just let Ukai deal with the situation in front of him. Akaashi was prepared to be patient, letting Ukai wander into the library with purpose. He made a beeline for a bookcase stuffed with dusty books, running his fingers along the spines until he found what he was looking for.</p>
<p>Expecting an explanation, they followed him to see him now flicking through the pages. He paused at a page where there was a separate piece of parchment folded up inside, clearly not part of the original book. He smiled as he removed it and placed the book back on the shelf.</p>
<p>“Secret notes?” Nishinoya remarked.</p>
<p>“Sort of.” Ukai sighed, unfolding the parchment and reading the carefully inked words. “Just a personal…reminder.” He tucked the parchment away in his pocket before turning to Akaashi. “Lead on.”</p>
<p>Not looking to pry into whatever that was about, Akaashi nodded and beckoned them to follow him. Once upstairs he took them into the old dormitory, the intact wing of the building. He gestured to the door at the opposite end of the room.</p>
<p>“That’s the first door.” He stated. “And this is the room we found Kei’s journal in.”</p>
<p>Ukai nodded, taking a few steps towards the door. He didn’t get close enough to touch, merely folding his arms across his chest as he regarded the door with scrutiny. Nishinoya wasn’t sure if there was some empath magic occurring as silence fell. Akaashi seemed unwilling to say anything as Ukai stared at the door.</p>
<p>“So this ward is placed from the inside?”</p>
<p>Akaashi nodded. “I believe so.”</p>
<p>Ukai hummed, rubbing his scruffy stubble. “You said there’s another door?”</p>
<p>“There is, around the ruins. We’ll have to pick our way through.” Akaashi stated.</p>
<p>“Onwards then.”</p>
<p>Akaashi had to admit, he was finding Ukai’s blunt answers a little annoying. He expected there to be more hypothesising like when he and Kenma were looking into weird things. Yet Ukai seemed to be keeping his thoughts to himself. Nishinoya noted the slight frown on Akaashi’s face as he turned away to lead them through the ruins of the roof. So far the academy hadn’t felt any weirder to normal, he felt like the air was still charged but not inherently dangerous. That all changed as they started walking down narrow hallways. There was an unpleasant skin-crawling sensation creeping up on him as they took a left and found another hallway. Akaashi stayed silent until they reached the closed door at the end. He narrowed his gaze.</p>
<p>“We left this door open.” He stated.</p>
<p>The implication definitely heightened Nishinoya’s sense of foreboding. Ukai hummed in thought as Akaashi reached for the handle and paused, glancing back at them.</p>
<p>“Don’t look it in the eyes.” He sternly told them.</p>
<p>The door opened slowly, Akaashi took a deep breath as he stepped through, keeping his gaze on the floor until he was sure the others were with him. Slowly he raised his gaze to the wall where the strange words were splattered across the ornate wallpaper. The skull was still sat there in its rope cradle.</p>
<p>“Huh.” Ukai broke the silence. “You didn’t tell me there was old language written.”</p>
<p>“To be fair, I wasn’t really focused on that at the time.” Akaashi uttered. “Do you know what it says?”</p>
<p>Ukai’s brows furrowed. “Not really, it’s sloppy. Like someone copied it from a book without thinking about stroke order.” He gestured to where lines of paint seeped into one another. “All I can say is that it’s probably a warning, like ‘keep out or else’.”</p>
<p>Nishinoya laughed nervously. “And who would write that?”</p>
<p>Ukai stepped forward towards the door. He tilted his head slightly as he regarded the skull in thought. There was a pause as Akaashi feared he had fallen into the same trap he had before. However Ukai merely shrugged his shoulders, almost like he was shaking a bug off him. He turned away from the door and scratched his head in thought. It was at this moment both Akaashi and Nishinoya noted how his tattoo was glowing.</p>
<p>“Is it meant to do that?” Nishinoya pointed to the inked lines.</p>
<p>Ukai looked at his forearm. “If it’s glowing, that means we’re dealing with something more powerful than an amateur’s charm.” He looked between them both. “Do you have any idea who is on the other side of this door?”</p>
<p>“Who?” Akaashi repeated, he hadn’t expected Ukai to ask that.</p>
<p>“Yes who, there’s someone in there.” Ukai gave him a look as if to question his sanity. “Can’t you feel it? The paranoia in the air, the fear of being discovered.”</p>
<p>“Not…really.” Akaashi closed his eyes to try and focus. There was something, that was for sure. He wasn’t particularly skilled in trying to discern emotions without looking at someone but this was strong. As he breathed deeply, he got a minor shock, a pang of pain rippled through him.</p>
<p>
  <em>‘I told you to get the fuck out.’</em>
</p>
<p>His eyes flew open, looking around for the source of the voice. Nishinoya was starting to feel uneasy, he couldn’t hear or feel any of these things that the others apparently were. It unnerved him. He liked being able to see what he was meant to be fighting. He summoned his sparks, tiny bolts arcing between fingertips, for some source of comfort as Akaashi continued looking around for the source of a voice that no-one else heard.</p>
<p>
  <em>‘I told you to stay the fuck away from me’</em>
</p>
<p>“Who are you.” He asked aloud. “We’re not here to hurt you.”</p>
<p>Ukai raised an eyebrow, slowly turning to look back at the door. The skull hadn’t moved and didn’t seem charmed to talk in any sense. Still Akaashi winced and grimaced as more ripples of pain and aggression started washing over him. He reached into his pocket and brought out Kenma’s piece of parchment. Immediately the inked lines began to glow a vibrant purple. As they continued to glow, the ripples faded.</p>
<p>“Be careful with that.” Ukai warned him. “If you point it at anything, it might release whatever it’s got stored up.”</p>
<p>“Does yours do that?”</p>
<p>“Only when I say so.” He looked down at his tattoo once more. “So far it’s not enough to hurt anyone, but we’ll see.”</p>
<p>Akaashi looked to Nishinoya, seeking confirmation that he was okay. A shaky nod was returned, it didn’t ease his fears entirely, but he took whatever he could get. “Okay, so you say there’s someone—”</p>
<p>“Only one person.” Ukai held up a finger. “But we have to get past this first.”</p>
<p>They all looked to the door. Any non-mage would probably suggest just tearing the skull away and busting down the door, but all three of them knew that would probably trigger some sort of failsafe. They had been lucky with the journal, but given what Akaashi had already experienced, he didn’t want to find out what that looked like. No instead he was prepared to try a more civil way of getting inside. He stepped up to the door, avoiding looking at the skull entirely. He gripped the parchment in his hand for dear life as he reached out with his free hand and placed his palm against the wood.</p>
<p>He wasn’t sure what he expected, but intense sadness wasn’t it. Tears welled up in his eyes for seemingly no reason. He blinked them away as he applied pressure, trying to work out what the hell this ward was meant to do. If the skull’s purpose was to terrify him, then what was making him feel sorrow meant to do?</p>
<p>
  <em>‘No. I don’t want your kind’s help. Fuck off.’</em>
</p>
<p>“My kind?” He said aloud. “But you and I are one in the same if you’re—”</p>
<p>
  <em>‘I’m NOT one of you. I never wanted this power. He forced it on me. Now how many times do I have to tell you to FUCK OFF.’</em>
</p>
<p>“I’m not leaving until you open this damn door.” Akaashi snapped, catching Nishinoya and Ukai off guard. “So either open the door or get used to me being here.”</p>
<p>There was a stony silence. Akaashi braced himself for the onslaught of pain, sorrow, aggression, whatever the other mage had in store for him. He felt the uneasiness lift slightly. He waited for another snappy response but there was only silence. He snorted, shaking his head as he took his hand away from the door. He was prepared to chalk this up to a mishandling, to have to confess he lost his cool and probably pushed them away. As he debated calling it quits, there was a clunk. The sound of a bolt sliding felt far too loud in the silence. He took a cautious step back, unsure if he was about to be gutted for his attitude.</p>
<p>Another bolt slid from behind the door, and another. Five in total were slowly pulled to unlock the door. The handle turned and the door opened just a crack. There was light on the other side of the door, just as he had seen before. He swallowed, looking back to Ukai and Nishinoya as the same voice from before came, but this time he heard it with his ears and not his head. Voice masculine but young like Hinata’s.</p>
<p>“Come in, <em>slowly</em>, and don’t try anything.”</p>
<p>“There’s three of us—”</p>
<p>“I know.” The tone was still irritated. “They can wait in the doorway.”</p>
<p>Uncertain if this was a good idea, Akaashi gently pushed the door open. The room opened up to him, it was about the size of one of the manor bedrooms; certainly big enough to house three single beds yet here there was only one shoved in the corner of the room. The rest of the room was taken up with tables and bookcases. Each table was cluttered with parchment, runestones in varying states of being cut and crushed into dust, ink bottles and quills. The bookcases, of which there were three, lined the wall opposite the door, leaving just enough space for the door into the dormitory to still be accessible. Tomes and scrolls stuffed the shelves, but so did trinkets and statues. Alchemy ingredients were scattered around the room, a small brazier stood next to the only window that was wide open, the smoke drifting out of it rather than filling the room.</p>
<p>The owner of the voice that had been plaguing his thoughts stood with their back to him. They were of similar height to him, an inch or two shorter perhaps, a mop of black hair kept short, the ends straight as if it were cut short purposefully. As he stepped into the room, they slowly glanced over their shoulder, dark shadows under their eyes gave him the impression they didn’t sleep much, if at all. There was still this lingering feeling of hostility in their gaze.</p>
<p>“So.” They spoke, “Who the fuck are you and why are you here?”</p>
<p>Akaashi stepped further into the room, Ukai and Nishinoya hovered outside the doorway. “Keiji Akaashi.” He introduced himself. “Member of the Silver Owl Brotherhood.”</p>
<p>The mystery male didn’t react. “Am I supposed to know what this Brotherhood is?”</p>
<p>Akaashi shrugged, deciding honesty was the best policy. “We’re…well, we’ve been known to take payment in exchange for killing people. We’re also known to take on ridiculous quests for people, dangerous journeys into the unknown—”</p>
<p>“So what’s this?”</p>
<p>He tilted his head slightly, noting how they were avoiding his gaze directly. “A bit of the ridiculous quest and dangerous journey rolled into one.”</p>
<p>There was a pause. “So you’re not here to kill me.”</p>
<p>“Not unless you’re going to try and kill me first.” He remarked. “So, who are you?”</p>
<p>Their brow furrowed in thought. “…why do you want to know?”</p>
<p>Akaashi was getting the distinct impression that this individual actually thought they were going to kill him. That someone else had sent them. That they were in danger. Granted he did just tell them that they were assassins by trade, but the hostility had been there previously. He figured this was going to be a long conversation, it was a good job he had all the time in the world currently.</p>
<p>“Well, your little skull gave me some fucking weird nightmares.” He folded his arms. “So that piqued my interest. And you know, living in an abandoned academy in the middle of a supposedly cursed district…it’s not that common.”</p>
<p>There was a sarcastic laugh, it almost startled Akaashi. “And you’re not from around here.”</p>
<p>“Well, no.” Akaashi shrugged. “So feel free to fill in the blanks.”</p>
<p>They turned around fully, giving Akaashi his first full look at the other. Tattered robes revealed bare forearms covered in tattoos not unlike Ukai’s, though they were much more complex and involved several unclear symbols. The same tattoos seemed to peek out from under his shirt collar, crawling up his neck though these were less clear in their form.</p>
<p>“Tsutomu.” He stated. “Tsutomu Goshiki.”</p>
<p>Akaashi nodded, gesturing to the door. “I have two friends, if they may enter?”</p>
<p>Goshiki considered it. “I’d rather they remained outside. The door can stay open and they can listen though.”</p>
<p>Akaashi nodded again, glancing to Ukai and offering a small smile before looking back towards Goshiki. “So—”</p>
<p>“Why are you really here?” Goshiki’s hostile nature seemed to drop slightly, but he remained suspicious. He still didn’t look Akaashi in the eye directly. “If you’re not from Hinode, why are you here?”</p>
<p>“That’s a very long story.” Akaashi smiled. “And a boring one really.”</p>
<p>Goshiki snorted, clasping his hands together. “Uh-huh. The short version?”</p>
<p>Unsure how much he really should reveal, he gave a vague, short version. “We’re working alongside a king from the south. He’s up here to negotiate an old treaty from several centuries ago. Part of the clause for the empress to look into it, was for us to find out how the old city burnt down.”</p>
<p>As soon as he mentioned the old city fire, Goshiki’s demeanour shifted. He took a step back, hands coming up in front of him in a defensive stance. Akaashi didn’t react. He anticipated that the other knew something, but to what degree, he couldn’t be sure. If he knew something, then they needed to find out what and whether it was useful to their overall purpose.</p>
<p>“So that led us here. There are others in our…group who visited the academy first—”</p>
<p>“The idiot who tried to break down the door.” Goshiki snorted, still holding his defensive stance. “Yeah I know. I heard them.”</p>
<p>“You’ve been here all this time?”</p>
<p>Goshiki’s gaze shifted around the room. “Yeah. And what?”</p>
<p>“It’s just that we heard no-one dares enter this district.” Akaashi waited for another scoff or snort. Goshiki’s hands hadn’t lowered yet. “So when we found wards, it seemed really weird.”</p>
<p>“Weird.” He repeated. “And when you found the other ward, you decided rather than heed my warning, that you’d come back? Are you insane?”</p>
<p>Akaashi didn’t physically react. “I mean, you said so yourself, I’ve been fucked with.”</p>
<p>Mentioning that aspect prompted Goshiki’s gaze to snap back to his. Akaashi felt the complex emotions bubbling behind a weakened mental barrier. There was certainly something amiss about him, and it wasn’t just because he was a hermit. He raised an eyebrow as Goshiki remained silent for a few moments.</p>
<p>“Right. I did.”</p>
<p>“So you know Kei?”</p>
<p>The name prompted Goshiki’s hands to clench into fists. He shook his head as he lowered them to his sides. Akaashi wasn’t sure if that was a yes or no. He waited for Goshiki to verbally reply, not wanting to push the delicate topic of conversation.</p>
<p>“You encountered Kei.” He murmured, a slightly maniacal smile creeping on to his face. “That’s why you have that lingering energy.”</p>
<p>Akaashi wasn’t sure what he meant by that. He kept quiet as Goshiki began pacing, running a hand through his hair and tugging slightly. He kept flashing glances back to Akaashi as he wrung his hands. An abrupt inhale preceded his next question.</p>
<p>“What do you want from me?” His tone was more hostile once more. “I refuse to think that you’re here for the sake of curiosity.”</p>
<p>Akaashi reached into an inner pocket of his jacket, slowly he pulled out the journal and held it up for the other to see before tossing it on the floor between them. It landed with a dull thud, disturbing dust in its wake. “I want answers.”</p>
<p>“Don’t we all.” Goshiki scoffed, kicking the journal back to him. “That tells you what you need to know.”</p>
<p>“So it was you who wrote in it.”</p>
<p>“No fucking shit.” He snapped. “It led you back here.”</p>
<p>Akaashi was trying to work out what he was meant to be picking up on. Goshiki spoke as if it was obvious what was going on yet he was still confused. “The journal said Kei left before the fire started—”</p>
<p>“Yeah all pretty fucking convenient.” Goshiki said, walking over to one of the tables littered with runestones. “He leaves, the entire district goes up in flames.”</p>
<p>“So you were here.” Akaashi stated.</p>
<p>Goshiki slammed his closed fist on the table. “Yes I was <em>fucking</em> here. I saw it all happen—” he stopped himself, gritting his teeth. His shoulders shook as he breathed heavily. “I was here. Yes. Why do you care? Why do you <em>really </em>care?”</p>
<p>Akaashi saw that this was going to require trading of information. If Goshiki was going to withhold the information they needed, he needed to offer up his own. “We dealt with Kei. As in, he toyed with us. He singlehandedly nearly caused a war.”</p>
<p>“Hah!” Goshiki cackled. “Did he really? Aw I bet Akiteru was fucking proud. So what happened?” He glanced over his shoulder, a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth again. “Who managed to best the little shit and send him back here with his tail between his legs?”</p>
<p> Akaashi let out a slow exhale. “Me. I did.”</p>
<p>“Shut your whore mouth.” Goshiki sneered. “Did not.”</p>
<p> Akaashi felt frustration rising within him, flashes of the throne room were coming back to the forefront of his mind. His hands clenched into fists at his sides. “You wanna know what he did?”</p>
<p>“Oh yes, do tell. Tell me what he did.” Goshiki’s maniacal grin was getting unsettling.</p>
<p>So Akaashi told him. “He got inside King Tobio’s head. He got inside Tobio’s head and showed him what happened to his now dead family. How they were brutally murdered in their own palace. How he was orphaned through the actions of another kingdom. He used Tobio like a pawn to try and get the southern kingdoms to wipe each other out.” He stated coldly.</p>
<p>Goshiki’s grin didn’t waver. “Hah. So how great tell did you stop him?”</p>
<p>“I didn’t <em>stop</em> him.” Akaashi uttered. “I just took the memories from Tobio. Believe me, if we had kept hold of him he’d be dead by now.”</p>
<p>Goshiki snickered. “For assassins, you’re not very good then are you?”</p>
<p>Akaashi sighed heavily, he didn’t need this bastard reminding him that they were so close to being rid of this thorn in their sides only for him to escape. “Well, if you tell us what we need to know, then maybe we can put that right.”</p>
<p>“Oh? You’re gonna kill a noble? Ballsy.” Goshiki picked up a blue runestone that had been cut in half. “Good luck.”</p>
<p>Akaashi took a step forward, picking up the journal as he did so. “I told you what you wanted to know, so you tell me what I want to know.”</p>
<p>Goshiki slammed the stone down, a pulse of cold energy rippling out. The tattoos on his arms lit up momentarily as the shockwave passed by. Akaashi didn’t flinch, already anticipating some sort of abrupt outburst. “You wanna know what happened here? How this all happened?”</p>
<p>Akaashi nodded. “In simple terms, if that helps.”</p>
<p>“Helps.” Goshiki repeated, descending into cackling. “If that helps.” He wheezed, grabbing another runestone, this one was bright red. “Here’s your ‘simple terms’,” he held it up for him to see, he closed his fist around the stone and squeezed. Tattoos on his forearm lit up brighter than before in a vibrant blue colour. Akaashi narrowed his gaze as the stone began to emit a high-pitched hum. Muscles flexed, inked lines shifting with them. The humming grew louder before the stone shattered. He flinched as Goshiki let the shards fall to the floor. Around his fingers flames had erupted as the energy within the stone dissipated.</p>
<p>Bright blue fire licked the air, Goshiki held his hand up without so much of a flinch at the stone shattering. Droplets of blood beaded at the cuts on his hand, some falling to the floor where the remnants of the stone lay scattered. Akaashi’s eyes widened as he took in the sight.</p>
<p>“Is this simple enough for you?” Goshiki sneered.</p>
<p>“Blue fire.” Akaashi stated, glancing to the doorway where Ukai and Nishinoya had seen it all happen. Nishinoya’s face was one of disbelief, Ukai was frowning in bewilderment. “Are you saying—”</p>
<p>“That I burned down the district?” Goshiki supplied. “Well no-one else can make this happen.”</p>
<p>It didn’t sit right at all. “One mage couldn’t possibly do that much—”</p>
<p>Goshiki cut him off by snapping his fingers. The flames vanished but his tattoos remained glowing, blood still beaded at his cuts. “Forget everything you thought you knew, <em>southerner</em>.” He uttered. “Up here, magic is wild. Up here, mages aren’t bound by unwritten creeds. Up here, everything is fair game.” His smirk came back. “Including fucking with people’s minds and suggesting they do all sorts of things.”</p>
<p>“Like…what.”</p>
<p>The smirk grew into the maniacal grin from before. “Use your imagination.”</p>
<p>“Was it Kei?” Akaashi asked.</p>
<p>“Was it Kei?” Goshiki parroted back. “Are you that dense? If he was messing around down south with your precious little king, how could he be up here making my life a living hell?”</p>
<p>Akaashi really didn’t want to entertain the theory. He had hoped with every fibre of his being that Kei had been the only one involved. It made it easier to stomach his escape, that the Brotherhood were just one of many that had been fooled by him. He didn't want to think there was another like him who was just as bad. He wanted to believe that Akiteru being an empath was coincidence. “Akiteru.”</p>
<p>“Congratu-fucking-lations!” Goshiki cried. “You finally got it. Well done Keiji. You’re <em>so</em> smart.”</p>
<p>Akaashi wasn’t appreciating the sass. He remained silent as Goshiki started laughing again. If he was being honest, he wasn’t sure how much of this could be taken at face value. It was obvious that Goshiki had been subjected to some sort of torture, someone had rattled him so much he was basically two steps away from being unhinged. So how much any of this information was true was up to anyone’s guess. To know for sure, he’d have to dig into his mind and he doubted the other would be willing to let him.</p>
<p>“So then Keiji,” Goshiki smiled sweetly, “what are you gonna do with this nugget of information? Are you gonna kill Akiteru? Please say yes, I’d <em>pay</em> to see you try and do that, even take out whatever fanciful contract your group has people sign.”</p>
<p>“You seem confident he’s invincible.”</p>
<p>“Well you’d have to be either a once in an age mage or insane to even <em>try</em>.” He shrugged.</p>
<p>“A once in an age mage.” He repeated. “Like…an aura mage?”</p>
<p>Once again, Goshiki’s demeanour shifted. He gave Akaashi a more sceptical look, almost curious. “An aura mage? Now that would be something.”</p>
<p>Satisfied he had Goshiki’s attention with this prospect, Akaashi allowed himself to smile slightly. “Yeah? Why?”</p>
<p>He shrugged again. “I’ve never seen a mage go against him and not end up in the dungeon. Maybe an aura mage could, but…well,” he wryly smiled, “they’re not immune to your kind of tricks, are they?”</p>
<p>“No. But this one is particularly…stubborn.” Akaashi returned the smile. “He has a way of defying conventions.”</p>
<p>It seemed to give Goshiki pause for thought. He glanced around at the runestones littering his table. “You think he’d be able to take down Akiteru?”</p>
<p>“Well he summoned a dead dragon to a battlefield.” Akaashi said nonchalantly, enjoying the way Goshiki’s eyes widened in disbelief. “And I’m fairly sure he’s done a few other equally ridiculous things. Somehow turned a cat into a lion—”</p>
<p>“Alright.” Goshiki exhaled. He met Akaashi’s gaze. “I wanna meet this guy.”</p>
<p>That was what Akaashi was hoping he’d say. He had no intention of letting Hinata go anywhere near Akiteru, but for now he could play along and pretend that was a good idea. Now they had something Goshiki wanted, he could afford to push for more information. “Only if you tell us everything. Because if he’s gonna take on Akiteru, we need to know <em>exactly</em> what he’s up against. And that starts with what he did to you.”</p>
<p>There was a look of loathing, tattoos glowing momentarily. “I’ll tell you <em>some</em> of it, and then you have to take me to him.”</p>
<p>Akaashi nodded, looking to Nishinoya. “Go back and tell them we’ll have a guest this evening. And make sure the likes of Tooru and Tobio aren’t involved.”</p>
<p>Nishinoya nodded. “Want me to send anyone here?”</p>
<p>He considered it. “If you can find Shirabu, send him over.” He glanced back at Goshiki. “I think he might have a few questions of his own.”</p>
<p>As Nishinoya’s footsteps faded, Ukai took half a step into the room. Goshiki’s gaze flickered over and seemed to evaluate him for threats before meeting Akaashi’s gaze again. “Are all of you mages?”</p>
<p>“No. Just a few, and believe me, that’s more than enough.”</p>
<p>There was a slight nod. The hostility in his demeanour had faded considerably since Akaashi began talking him down. There were glimpses of a slightly meeker personality beyond the walls of suspicion. “I can’t guarantee I’ll be very good at talking to…normal people.”</p>
<p>“If Noya does his job right, then you shouldn’t have to.” Akaashi gave him a warmer smile. “The others will understand.”</p>
<p>“Good.” He snorted, glancing between the two of them. “So. Where do you want me to start?”</p>
<p>“The beginning would be helpful.”</p>
<p>He shrugged. “It’s a long story.”</p>
<p>Akaashi exchanged a glance with Ukai. “We don’t have anything else planned. It’s fine.”</p>
<p>“Fan-fucking-tastic.”</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>The afternoon sun was pleasant on Tobio’s face as he sat in the walled garden. He had forgotten how nice it was to simply sit and enjoy the peace and quiet of nature. He missed his home, his kingdom and the forests that surrounded his city. Up here felt much more rugged, more wild. He wasn’t sure how people could live without the sound of birds in the trees, or the rustling of leaves. He wasn’t alone, Tooru had decided to join him, equally longing for some peace and quiet after all they had been told by Moniwa.</p>
<p>Neither of them spoke much. A chessboard lay between them on a low table as they sat upon floor cushions they brought outside, a distraction from their thoughts about what was happening around them. Tooru watched Tobio’s moves carefully, anticipating certain strategies. It had been a while since they got to sit down in a more casual fashion. Neither would admit it out loud, but they missed these moments when it felt like their royal duties weren’t important. If they could completely ignore the current situation, they would, but even in this moment of calm there was a conversation to be had.</p>
<p>“I got a weird letter whilst I was out earlier.” Tooru stated, watching Tobio set his piece down on the board. “Some guy came up out of nowhere and insisted I read it.”</p>
<p>Tobio gave him a concerned look. “What did it say?”</p>
<p>“The twins wanted me to ‘go and discuss how we could be of use to each other’.” He shrugged, picking up one of the many pawns scattered across the board. “I told their courier I don’t need them interfering.” He set it down purposefully.</p>
<p>“Did you now.” Tobio replied evenly, regarding the board with a frown. “You didn’t even want to hear them out?”</p>
<p>“From what I’ve heard from you and everyone else here, they’re not exactly being very helpful.”</p>
<p>“Even so, could’ve been interesting to hear what they wanted from you.” Tobio selected his own piece and moved it accordingly. “Given Hinata isn’t in the dungeons anymore, I have no reason to ally with them.”</p>
<p>There was a smile from Tooru. “Were they even any help in the first place?”</p>
<p>“Not particularly, but Kunimi put his own plan into motion before they could prove themselves.”</p>
<p>Tooru shrugged again. “I think you and I both know we can’t rely on any of these northerners for actual help.” He moved another piece, taking one of Tobio’s and tossing it to the side. “After all, they didn’t exactly come to help us when we needed it, so why should we help them?”</p>
<p>“Because if the Brotherhood is right, then we’ll be fighting against them soon enough.” He met Tooru’s gaze. “And I’d prefer it if we had at least a few years of peace before the next bloody battle.”</p>
<p>“I hear that.” Tooru held his gaze. “But I don’t think we should wholeheartedly trust them either. They haven’t offered Kei’s head to us on a pike, or Akiteru’s for that matter. And if they want your mages for breaking a treaty, why can’t we demand theirs for treason and murder?”</p>
<p>“Killing either of them won’t bring our fathers back.” Tobio stated. “You know that.”</p>
<p>“I don’t want them <em>back</em>.” Tooru hissed. “I want those bastards dead.”</p>
<p>Tobio picked up one of his knights and set it down pointedly. “Then we should be smart about it. Make a statement with it. That no-one crosses the southern kings and gets away with it.” He kept a finger pressing down on the top of the piece. “But equally, holding grudges will get us nowhere.”</p>
<p>Tooru sat a little straighter, folding his arms. “And since when were you so adamant about not holding grudges hm?” He smiled coyly. “You’re rather calm considering they tore Hinata away from you.”</p>
<p>Tobio smiled, his hand retreating from the chessboard. “Maybe I’ve just come to accept that there’s always going to be someone out there trying to undermine me, to humiliate me, to steal my throne. Maybe I’ve decided that it’s better to keep looking ahead, to focus on the path forwards and not linger on the past.”</p>
<p>Tooru’s coy smile grew a little. He had figured something had shifted since he saw Tobio last, but he didn’t quite imagine it was this. He wanted to pry deeper, to find out what the deal was, but there were more important things at play right now. The gossip could wait.</p>
<p>“So, you said we should be smart and make a statement. What do you have in mind?”</p>
<p>Tobio shrugged. “It’s quite simple. We get Yachi to expose Akiteru as a traitorous mage. From there, everything else will fall into place.”</p>
<p>“And how exactly do we do that? She’s under his influence and we’re pretty powerless to stop that without a mage interfering.”</p>
<p>“You’re forgetting a small group of lunatics call the Brotherhood.” He smirked. “If anyone can pull of a feat like that, it’ll be them.”</p>
<p>Tooru gave him an almost puzzled look. The chess game was forgotten as he frowned. “Are you really going to expect them to do everything?”</p>
<p>“I know when I’m powerless in a situation.” Tobio answered. “I know when our titles will only get us so far and when to resort to more…unorthodox tactics. Besides, Akiteru used those same tactics against us, so I’m going to show just how much I learnt from that encounter.”</p>
<p>Whilst Yachi may have been under some sort of mage influence when she said it, she was right when she said he had no power. In the eyes of the empire he was a child with a crown. They hadn’t been there on the battlefield when he rallied men who had twenty summers on him to lay down their lives. They hadn’t been there when he stared death in the face multiple times. They hadn’t been there when he saw a mage summon a dragon to save his life simply because ‘he’s the king’. He had come to accept that his hands were tied right now. He had to rely on a band of brothers who didn’t play by the rules in order to see this battle through.</p>
<p>“Huh. Well,” Tooru seemed to understand in part, “you know that I’m right here. I didn’t march all the way up here to sit and eat grapes in a garden.” He gave Tobio a boyish smile. “We’ll put an end to this once and for all, one way or another.” He reached out across the table, offering his hand. “You have my word Tobio.”</p>
<p>Raising an eyebrow at the formal gesture, Tobio returned the smile. He reached out and took hold of Tooru’s wrist, feeling the other’s hand close around his. “Our first step is ensuring Yachi is safe, agreed?”</p>
<p>Tooru nodded, still holding onto Tobio’s wrist. “The second will be to root out Kei.”</p>
<p>“Third, and hopefully last, we’ll hold Akiteru accountable for the chaos he’s caused in both our lives and our kingdoms.”</p>
<p>“Then we go home.” Tooru stated. “And we get some fucking rest for once.”</p>
<p>They shared a laugh, releasing each other from the handshake. It sounded like a simple plan when they laid it out like that. But like with most things in their lives, things rarely remained simple for long. Tobio felt optimistic, they had weathered storms more vicious than this, though this still had a very deadly factor to it.</p>
<p>But he felt invincible, not in an immortal sense. He was still very killable, but to get to him they’d have to not only get past his royal guard, but also his protector. House Kageyama’s protector. And House Kageyama was never conquered, but oh boy was it feared. Them trying to take Hinata from him was proof of that. And now they had woken the slumbering dragon.</p>
<p>If he wasn’t intent on putting an end to this dynasty of theirs before, he certainly was now.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0042"><h2>42. One Mage's Account</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>XLII</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>One Mage</strong>
  <strong>’s Account</strong>
</p>
<p>Hinata had been told very little about this guest that wanted to meet him. Given everything that had happened, he was understandably nervous that it was part of a wider plan to recapture him. However, the news had come from Nishinoya, so he doubted that it was going to end poorly, but he was still unsure. No one was saying who this guest was. All Nishinoya told him was that it was a ‘mage thing’ and no-one except other mages could be present. Daichi and Kuroo were more vocal in their concerns but Nishinoya was adamant that Akaashi had it under control. Shirabu was naturally curious as to why he was asked to go all the way across the city but went anyway, leaving more questions hanging over the others as Nishinoya accompanied him back.</p>
<p>So Hinata sat in the backroom of the manor with Kenma and Inuoka, Lev was curled up at his feet. Inuoka had been curious about this supposed guest and how no non-mages were being allowed to be present, so he insisted he stuck around for ‘extra support’. It somewhat alleviated the tension that was building. As for Tobio, he was rather calm about it, stating that he’d like to know what the result of this meeting was when appropriate but that for now, he was focusing on more political matters with Tooru. Hinata made no attempt to hide his relief at both Tobio’s calm approach and his willingness to get to work. He wasn’t sure if it was only Tobio being now fully informed that had caused this shift in attitude, but he wasn’t going to object to it.</p>
<p>As the daylight faded into dusk and the rest of the manor began to fall quiet as the rest of the residents tried to spend time relaxing, Shirabu returned with Nishinoya in tow.</p>
<p>“What’s going on—” Hinata began before Shirabu shook his head.</p>
<p>“It’s a bit wild, so just go with it.” He looked to Kenma and Inuoka. “We, well, <em>Akaashi</em> found the guy who wrote all over Kei’s journal. And long story short, he only agreed to tell Akaashi what happened in the old district after Hinata was brought up.”</p>
<p>“Me?” Hinata’s alarm was obvious on his face. Kenma reached out and took hold of one of his hands, offering him a reassuring squeeze.</p>
<p>“Yes you.” Shirabu sighed. “Look, it’s a crazy situation, and there’s a lot he’s not telling us. But we need to know.”</p>
<p>Nishinoya nodded along. “I know it sounds ridiculous, heck everything we ever do is ridiculous, but he’ll only keep talking if he gets something in return. And as Shirabu said, we need to know what happened if we’re going to come out on top here.”</p>
<p>It seemed that the decision had been made for him. Hinata looked to Kenma for any words of wisdom. Inuoka was frowning in thought, lazily conjuring powdered snow in the process. Lev had woken up at the arrival of the others but was staying quiet for now. Hinata wasn’t sure if there was a way out of this or not. He could probably decline if he really wanted to, but he hadn’t seen Shirabu so insistent before. Nishinoya also looked rattled by the turn of events.</p>
<p>“Okay.” He murmured. “But what does he want from me?”</p>
<p>“We…don’t know.” Nishinoya lied. He had heard the entire conversation with Akaashi, how Goshiki thought Hinata would be the only one capable of standing up to Akiteru. He didn’t want to scare him before the others even got back. “But we’ll be here with you, you’re not gonna be left alone with him.”</p>
<p>Kenma stood up, nodding for Nishinoya to follow him. Sensing he was about to be grilled, Nishinoya sighed slightly and complied. They only went as far as the doorway before Kenma leaned in closer to whisper. “How dangerous is this conversation likely to be?”</p>
<p>“Safer here than where we found the guy.” Nishinoya replied. “Trust me on this one.”</p>
<p>“I do. But I want to know if we need to have others on standby.”</p>
<p>“No, no that’ll just end poorly. He said—” he cut himself off, shaking his head. “He said he doesn’t know how he’ll deal with ‘normal’ people. If you get what I mean.”</p>
<p>Kenma slowly nodded. If he had been in isolation all this time, he didn’t exactly find that hard to believe. “So that’s why it’s a mage thing.”</p>
<p>“Exactly.”</p>
<p>“Anything else I should know?” Kenma gave him a stern look.</p>
<p>Nishinoya wasn’t sure the true extent of this guy’s powers. It seemed he was capable of elemental and empathic magic, something unheard of in their travels. He quickly relayed this to Kenma who seemed troubled by it. There was no telling what Goshiki was actually capable of, and now they were inviting him into the manor that housed two kings and the entire Brotherhood.</p>
<p>“This, has got to be one of the riskiest things we’ve done. And it’s not even that obvious of a threat.” Kenma uttered, turning back to look at the others. Hinata was fidgeting with the ring on his finger as Shirabu kept a watch out of the large windows overlooking the garden with Lev sat at his feet also on high alert. Inuoka seemed the least bothered in terms of posture; lazily sprawled out on the bench still conjuring powdered snow.</p>
<p>“Well, Akaashi will be bringing him here now. So we don’t have much choice anyway.”</p>
<p>Kenma sighed slightly. “Then let’s pray we aren’t about to join our ancestors.”</p>
<p>It was unusually defeatist of Kenma to say such things, but Nishinoya wasn’t holding it at face value. This was risky, borderline stupid. Yet on Akaashi’s orders, on his hunch that Goshiki knew everything they needed to know, they were pulling off this stunt right under the noses of those who’d bust their asses for such carelessness. Kenma returned to Hinata’s side, offering him a reassuring smile and a playful nudge to his side. This had been a long day for Hinata, and it wasn’t about to get any easier.</p>
<p>Dusk bled into night. Soon only candles illuminated the back room, the wide window let some of the moonlight in but not nearly enough. It was a painful process; waiting, not knowing when Akaashi and Ukai were going to show up and not knowing how quickly they’ll get down to business. The gentle sounds of conversation from elsewhere in the manor began to fade as people turned in for the night. Nishinoya was prepared to bet gold on it that someone was still up and in the parlour <em>just in case</em>. If he were really going to bet on it, he reckoned it would be Kuroo or Tanaka.</p>
<p>Shirabu broke the silence between them. “They’re here.” He gestured out the window at three moonlit figures. He moved to the door and opened it as the figures got closer.</p>
<p>Ukai was the first one in, nodding in greeting to everyone even if he hadn’t strictly met the likes of Inuoka properly yet. He gave Hinata a small smile, comforting given the circumstances. Akaashi appeared in the doorway, halting at the threshold and beckoning the third figure inside so Shirabu could close the door. As Hinata set his eyes on the cloaked figure, he wasn’t sure what to think or feel. As the hood came down to reveal the short black hair and sullen eyes, it was the inked lines peeking out from underneath his robes that caught everyone’s attention. Akaashi glanced around those present, almost daring them to question his choice to bring the other here.</p>
<p>“So,” he spoke quietly, “I assume you followed my instructions Nishinoya?”</p>
<p>“Daichi and Kuroo know that it’s a mage thing.” Nishinoya replied. “The rest were simply told that it was important we aren’t disturbed. I expect there’s someone next door anyway, but I didn’t ask them to be.”</p>
<p>Akaashi nodded, looking back to the stranger. “Please, take a seat.” He gestured to the bench across from Hinata. “And I’ll just fill the others in.”</p>
<p>The stranger did as he was told, shrugging off his outdoor cloak to reveal tattered robes and bare forearms inked with tattoos. Hinata watched as he sat down and kept his gaze on the floor for now. Akaashi cleared his throat, summoning everyone’s attention even as he continued to keep his voice quiet.</p>
<p>“This is Goshiki.” He gestured to the other. “He’s the one who put up the wards in the academy and wrote over Kei’s journal.” He glanced around the others. “After speaking with him for a while, he agreed to share what he knows about the Tsukishimas and the old city district on the condition that he met Hinata.”</p>
<p>“Why?” Kenma immediately asked. “Why Hinata?”</p>
<p>If Akaashi was unsettled by Kenma’s immediate question, he didn’t show it. He kept his usual indifferent expression as he clasped his hands behind him. “Because the conversation turned to who would be able to stop Akiteru. And Goshiki reckons only a once-in-an-age mage like Hinata would be capable.”</p>
<p>Inuoka frowned, Nishinoya didn’t seem enamoured with this idea either but he had been privy to at least some of this conversation. Kenma looked between Goshiki and Hinata as if trying to gauge how well Akaashi’s gamble was going to pay off.</p>
<p>“Alright.” He looked to Hinata. “Are you okay with this?”</p>
<p>Truthfully, Hinata wasn’t sure. It was no secret he was powerful, but so far the only person anyone had really entertained going against Akiteru was Akaashi. That was just the basic equation of fighting and empath on his own terms, that the common understanding was an elemental mage would be useless. As much as he was reluctant, he was also aware that his voice carried weight. Even if he had no intention of going through with it, making Goshiki believe he was would give them the information they needed.</p>
<p>It was deceitful, but it was necessary.</p>
<p>“Yeah, we need to know.” He nodded slowly, reaching out and taking Kenma’s hand as he looked at Goshiki. “Tell us…what we need to know.”</p>
<p>There was a pause. Goshiki wrung his hands as he exhaled. He had calmed down a great deal throughout the afternoon as Akaashi and Ukai had spoken with him about what he experienced. He hadn’t been totally upfront with any of it, Akaashi had to tease it out of him and even then he was vague about it. He hadn’t gone into details, merely recounting that he had been in the academy and that was how he met Kei. That Kei did leave for the south and only a few weeks later did the fire occur.</p>
<p>The true meat of the story had evaded their efforts, Goshiki being stubborn about not breathing a word until he had met Hinata in the flesh.</p>
<p>He raised his head, eyes finding Hinata’s. Hinata wasn’t sure what he was feeling, it wasn’t like when Akaashi met his gaze but there was definitely something pressing at his mental barrier. Like he was being watched by an archer with an arrow trained on him. All he knew was he didn’t like it.</p>
<p>“What you need.” Goshiki repeated back to him. “If it were only that simple.”</p>
<p>“Why isn’t it simple?” Hinata asked.</p>
<p>Goshiki’s gaze was unyielding. “You couldn’t even hope to understand the shit I’ve been through at his hands.”</p>
<p>Hinata felt the loathing as Goshiki wrung his hands again. The inked lines weren’t glowing which was somewhat comforting. As tense at the situation seemed, Hinata didn’t feel in danger. Deep in his bones he could sense that if it came down to a battle of wits or elements, he’d win with little effort. As much as Goshiki was giving off this bravado vibe, he was hurting. He was hurting and he was weaker because of it.</p>
<p>“Try me.”</p>
<p>Goshiki snorted. “You’d like that huh, you’d love to hear how he broke me down, an inferior mage—”</p>
<p>“Then why the fuck are you here?” Inuoka glared at Goshiki. He obviously wasn’t in the mood for playing games, then again if anyone else in the room could understand how dangerous empaths could be, it would be him, the one who watched Tobio get taken over by one. Akaashi shot him an unimpressed look. Inuoka didn’t retract his question.</p>
<p>“Start from the beginning.” Hinata’s apprehension about this entire conversation was melting away. This wasn’t just about information to him now, this was about trying to get past Goshiki’s loathing gaze. “Who hurt you?”</p>
<p>Goshiki wrinkled his nose in thought. “When Kei arrived at the academy, no-one thought anything of him. We figured he was an empath quickly enough though. Some of the other elementals were…less than kind to empaths.”</p>
<p>“They were kids.” Ukai interjected, not appearing to be affected by Goshiki’s glare. “I’m not defending what they did, but they were kids, just as you were, just as you <em>all</em> were.”</p>
<p>Hinata’s brow furrowed as Goshiki scoffed, shaking his head. “Whatever. I had nothing to do with that dumb shit.” He shrugged. “All you need to know is that the elementals used to tease the empaths a lot. Y’know, their magic isn’t visible so it’s ‘weaker’ or some shit like that.”</p>
<p>Akaashi showed no outer reaction, Nishinoya and Inuoka exchanged a glance as Shirabu was determined to look anywhere but the exchange happening. Kenma remained silent, holding Hinata’s hand as he watched Goshiki for any secondary hints or clues to his experiences.</p>
<p>“Kei didn’t react…well.” He shrugged again, sitting back slightly as he smirked though Hinata doubted it was out of amusement, more of a coping mechanism. “Lashed out a few times at them, as I said, I wasn’t involved. I just heard the rumours afterwards. I heard about the nightmares and manipulated emotions. I heard how he was kicked out.”</p>
<p>“How long ago was this?”</p>
<p>Goshiki at least paused to think. “…eh…little over four years ago. It wasn’t long before the fire, but it wasn’t what <em>caused</em> it.” He uttered, his grin faded a little, a more sombre look taking over. “But he had his own part in that, or rather, him not being here fucked us all over.”</p>
<p>Hinata let the brief moment of silence settle. Goshiki shifted where he sat, cracking knuckles as he sighed heavily. In the quiet, the tattoos on his forearms began to glow a faint purple. That in itself wasn’t too alarming given how they had seen tattoos glow before, the <em>colour</em> was what concerned Hinata. Empaths dealt with the purple element much more frequently than he did, they just didn’t call it the void. That was just what Hinata knew it as; the void, the negativity, something he had to focus on to draw forth and manipulate.</p>
<p>Goshiki was sat there emitting it as casually as Nishinoya summoned sparks. For an elemental, that was concerning.</p>
<p>“…so he got kicked out.” Hinata stated, squeezing Kenma’s hand for some source of comfort. “Then what happened?”</p>
<p>Goshiki blinked slowly, the glow in his tattoos flaring up momentarily. “No-one told us he had a brother.”</p>
<p>“Akiteru.” Kenma supplied. “I’m guessing he came in and started asking questions?”</p>
<p>“Not in quite the manner you imagine.” Goshiki glanced to Ukai. “Were you there when Akiteru Tsukishima came and started asking questions?”</p>
<p>Ukai shook his head. “I heard about it.”</p>
<p>“Heh.” Goshiki returned to Hinata’s gaze. “Akiteru wanted to know who <em>didn</em><em>’t</em> give his brother a hard time. My name got thrown into the mix by someone and…next thing I know, I’m being offered a ‘much more prestigious’ education on the condition that I leave the academy and join the Tsukishima family at their manor.”</p>
<p>“And you took it.” Hinata deduced. “Why?”</p>
<p>Goshiki shrugged, clasping his hands together. “Put it this way, the academy was great if you were that sorta person. But if you were even a little bit…unusual, you’d find yourself an outcast in a place for the outcasts.” He paused, tilting his head slightly. “I’m sure you of all people can understand the position I was in; an elemental mage that showed much more promise than his peers and didn’t join in on the ganging up against the empaths.”</p>
<p>“I mean…” Hinata understood, maybe not due to being treated the same way but he knew what it was like to be different. He shook it off. “So what made you diff—”</p>
<p>“I’ll get to that.” He cut in. “My point is barely a few weeks after Kei left, Akiteru shows up and singles me out as someone to be given a more tailored education. I took the offer because why the hell wouldn’t I? And as I pack up all my shit, I find Kei’s journal. Except at the time it was sealed with some weird empath magic so I figured I’d just bring it to his family home y’know, like a decent human being. Kei and I never really spoke, but we didn’t dislike each other…at the time.”</p>
<p>He went on to describe how he moved into the Tsukishima manor but saw no sign of Kei, then the extensive tutoring offered to him; the wealth of information available in the library and from Akiteru himself. He didn’t go into vast detail, just enough to indicate that at the time he didn’t seem aware of how weird the entire situation was. He had been given a sanctuary, a safe place to practice magic and better himself, even if it seemed odd.</p>
<p>“And so one day I asked Akiteru why he had picked me. Like what he saw in me.” He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees as his tone lowered. “And after a bit of prodding and poking I found out. Akiteru decided I was what he wanted. I was the perfect candidate.” He hung his head as he let out a shaky sigh.</p>
<p>“Candidate?” Hinata repeated. “For what?”</p>
<p>“For his sick little game.” He raised his head but his tone was cagey. “Kei isn’t the only empath in his family, his powers when he arrived at the academy were already well-honed. He wasn’t out of control like many of the others were when they arrived. He had practised. He had been taught before.” He paused again, squeezing his hands. “And I found out who taught him the gruesome way.”</p>
<p>The word gruesome painted a foul image. Hinata swallowed. He wasn’t sure he wanted to find out but he couldn’t walk away from this conversation. He nodded along as Goshiki glanced around the room before continuing.</p>
<p>“I’m not gonna beat around the bush. You want details, you’re gonna get them.” He glanced at Akaashi with an edge of loathing. “And I’m not ever repeating this, got it? You listen now and then you never get to hear it from me again.”</p>
<p>Akaashi nodded, it felt like this had been a slight attack on his insistence but he accepted it for now. Goshiki took another deep breath, righting his posture and pressing his hands together in a prayer gesture. Up and down his forearms, the twisting inked lines were glowing a vibrant purple, the element almost appeared to come out of the tattoos like smoke through cracks in stone. He didn’t seem in pain from it, but it certainly didn’t appear comfortable either.</p>
<p>“So, in short, he was pissed off at how they treated Kei.” He stated. “I dunno the full ins and outs, but all I knew at the time was he wanted to make a statement. He just needed someone with…power, to help him.” He said. “I say help like I had a choice in the matter. I didn’t. He didn’t even tell me what he was going to do, he just started doing it.”</p>
<p>“Doing…it?” Hinata tilted his head slightly.</p>
<p>Goshiki’s gaze met his, the wave of discomfort washed over Hinata again. “Thoughts that weren’t my own. Memories I had never experienced. Dreams that shouldn’t have occurred.” He listed off, voice trembling slightly. “He went from being the supportive tutor to…something else.” He shook his head.</p>
<p>Alarm bells tolled in everyone’s minds. Akaashi noted the astonished look exchanged between Kenma and Inuoka. The latter flexed his fingers, ice shard shattering silently and fading away. Lev slowly approached from where he had been sat by the window, sitting next to Inuoka and nudging his hand to receive attention. Inuoka seemed tense, understandably so, but complied with the lion’s wishes. Goshiki seemed to notice this shift, but he continued nonetheless.</p>
<p>“And within a week, seven nights of being shown some fucked up stuff, like <em>really </em>fucked up. The shit I saw him do I-I don’t know if it was faked or if he’s actually capable of doing…anyway, I was gone.” He snapped his fingers, purple wisps flaring up.</p>
<p>There was a deafening silence as he exhaled slowly. The tattoos glowed still, though a darker hue of purple. Hinata felt another wave of uneasiness wash over him.</p>
<p>“I don’t remember what happened after that.” He uttered. “It’s…I’ve tried. All I know is…I can do this now;” he held up a hand and slowly curled his fingers into a fist. He squeezed, a flash of bright light burst into existence before blue flames took hold around his fist. “And I’m sure by now you’ve all heard about the blue fire of the district.”</p>
<p>The flames cast an eerie glow around the room. Hinata felt odd looking at them. They weren’t natural. In his gut, in his soul he knew these were not naturally occurring flames, magical or not. This ability, this power to summon them wasn’t something any mage was born with.</p>
<p>“…so you think you—”</p>
<p>“I <em>know</em> I did it.” Goshiki snapped, all semblance of calm fading as the fire vanished. “There’s no other fucking explanation is there? And that’s without the screaming…god the <em>fucking screaming</em>, I hear it all the time, I hear it every night. If I didn’t do something, then how come I’m haunted by the screaming of those who died huh?”</p>
<p>Hinata didn’t have an answer. Everything that had been discovered, theorised, speculated, now with Goshiki’s show of power, it was starting to fit together. There was little he could hope to say in that moment that would bring Goshiki any comfort.</p>
<p>Shirabu was the first to speak. “You know Akiteru fucked you up.” He stated. “So really, you were just used.”</p>
<p>Akaashi shot him a warning glance as Goshiki scoffed. “Yeah thanks for hammering that point home.” He uttered.</p>
<p>“What I meant is that you can’t be blamed—”</p>
<p>Goshiki let out a sarcastic laugh. “Yeah right. Because the court is gonna believe the word of a mage over a fucking noble?”</p>
<p>Hinata knew all too well how that accusation would fall on deaf ears. Goshiki didn’t seem in a hurry to calm down and listen to anything they had to say now he was worked up. Neither Nishinoya nor Inuoka said a word as Ukai cleared his throat.</p>
<p>“As someone who was thrown into the dungeon for what happened that night,” he spoke quietly but with the rugged edge that came with age, “I can attest that the courts don’t care. They serve themselves and their agendas.” He looked to Hinata. “You saw that yourself.”</p>
<p>Goshiki’s gaze snapped to Hinata. “You?”</p>
<p>“I-I mean,” Hinata nodded, “I was…summoned? For the battle. I conjured a dragon on the battlefield…and apparently that broke the treaty—”</p>
<p>“The Treaty of the Eagle.” Goshiki finished. “I know it.”</p>
<p>“…so yeah. I mean, well,” he let go of Kenma’s hand and ran both hands through his hair, “technically that’s all ongoing because of Tobio and Tooru arguing with Yachi about it but…yeah.”</p>
<p>“Tobio and Tooru.” Goshiki frowned.</p>
<p>“Houses Kageyama and Oikawa.” Kenma supplied.</p>
<p>“K-Kageyama?!”</p>
<p>“That means something to you.” Kenma stated.</p>
<p>Goshiki’s eyes were wide. He seemed caught between disbelief and confusion. He glanced around the group as if trying to piece something together. “When you mentioned Tobio I didn’t know it was Tobio <em>Kageyama</em>. And last I heard, they had been wiped out by an eruption.”</p>
<p>Inuoka bolted upright. “Akiteru tell you that too?” He uttered, loathing clear in his tone. “Because we weren’t. In fact <em>he</em><em>’s</em> the reason we all nearly died in the first fucking place.”</p>
<p>Goshiki seemed rattled, Kenma decided this conversation had gone on long enough. He stood up and cleared his throat. “I think we’ve discussed enough for now. It’s getting late and there’s obviously a lot to catch each other up on.” He glanced to Inuoka before meeting Ukai’s gaze. “Would you be able to accompany Goshiki back?”</p>
<p>Ukai nodded. Akaashi didn’t say anything as Kenma walked with Ukai and Goshiki out into the courtyard no doubt to exchange more words. Inuoka was still wound up, Nishinoya wasn’t sure what to make of any of it, Shirabu seemed pensive. It was a lot to take in and process. Between Goshiki’s experience with Kei to how Akiteru seemed to only take him in for an ulterior motive. The conspiracy they had been uncovering just felt like it opened up before them, and that was without knowing all the details.</p>
<p>Though Goshiki’s lack of knowledge about the south for the last four years said a lot; he had been isolated for a while yet still knew that the court of the empress wouldn’t believe him over Akiteru. To Hinata at least, he seemed intelligent despite everything that had happened. Though equally he seemed unstable, and that was dangerous. He had wanted to extend an offer for Goshiki to remain at the manor, but that was only going to get shot down by everyone. Even Akaashi seemed relieved to see Goshiki leave.</p>
<p>“So now what?” Shirabu asked, looking to Akaashi. “We know what happened to the district.”</p>
<p>Akaashi didn’t reply immediately, appearing to give it some thought. “…we need to tell the others first and foremost. Then we’ll see what options are on the table.”</p>
<p>“Either way,” Nishinoya stood up and stretched, “things just got a hell of a lot more complicated…”</p>
<p>“Not really.” Inuoka snorted. “Akiteru is still an asshole, now we just have another reason to get rid of him.”</p>
<p>“Yeah but, what Goshiki said about Kei’s absence dooming them…that bothers me.” Shirabu folded his arms across his chest. “Like, is Kei the only reason Akiteru hasn’t completely flown off the handle? And if so, why?”</p>
<p>Kenma returned from outside having seen Ukai and Goshiki off. He didn’t show any desire to get tangled up in a conversation about the next step, he merely suggested they slept on it and told the rest of the manor in the morning.</p>
<p>No-one objected.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>When the manor awoke the next morning, Hinata had barely slept. He had quietly returned to Tobio’s room and found the king already asleep, bundled up in the blankets. Even once he had settled down, he couldn’t fall asleep. Everything Goshiki had told him and the others kept swirling around in his mind and kept him from falling asleep. And then there was the dull throbbing around the wounds on his chest. Usually they stung if he jostled his shirts too much, or if he scratched at them without thinking. This time however they were throbbing and he wasn’t sure why. As the sounds of the half-awake residents became more frequent, Hinata wondered if he should wait for Tobio to wake up or not. He knew he should probably find Kenma and have him take a proper look at the scars, especially now they were throbbing, but days away from Tobio had made him almost homesick in a way.</p>
<p>So he waited. Slowly, Tobio stirred before anyone came to bother him about food or other matters. Hinata hadn’t made a habit of watching him sleep, but the way he would blink slowly as he awoke was always endearing. For a few moments, Tobio was just an ordinary person. One who really didn’t like mornings.</p>
<p>“How long have you been awake?” He grumbled, glowering at Hinata’s calm smile.</p>
<p>“Uh…a while”? Hinata offered. “Why are you so grumpy?”</p>
<p>Tobio scoffed. “Am not.”</p>
<p>“Are too.” Hinata’s smile grew. “Did you get drunk last night with Tooru? Is that why you’re so grumpy?”</p>
<p>“No.” Tobio shuffled under the blankets. “Just tired.”</p>
<p>Hinata found it somewhat amusing that Tobio was tired. He hadn’t been up half the night listening to the horror story that was Goshiki’s experience and then the other half of the night with odd pains in his chest. However, Hinata also knew being a king was hard, being a king in a foreign, and rather hostile, land was harder. Whilst physically he may not be doing much, mentally and emotionally he was doing far more than most. Not to mention that having Tooru around no doubt added to the stress. As much as Tobio liked to make it appear he appreciated the other, they were still two different people with a lot of rocky history between them.</p>
<p>“Ah, well I can get Yamaguchi to bring you some food if you want.” He offered. “Or I can at least tell him you want more rest.”</p>
<p>Tobio’s sour expression faded into a more stoic one. “If you want.”</p>
<p>Hinata pouted. Tobio really was a grumpy person in the mornings sometimes. And whilst he could’ve just gone on his way to talk to Yamaguchi, he decided to try and get a smile out of Tobio first. Despite the dull throbbing in his chest, he wriggled under the blankets so he was almost pressed up against Tobio. He heard a small startled noise as eyes widened at his sudden close proximity.</p>
<p>“What are you—”</p>
<p>“I didn’t sleep much.” He cut in. “So we can both get more rest together.”</p>
<p>Tobio blinked a few times and swallowed before nodding. “Fine.”</p>
<p>Hinata hadn’t expected an arm to wrap around him and pull him flush against Tobio’s bare chest. There was still a stoic look on Tobio’s face as he sighed heavily, warm breath passing over Hinata’s cheek as eyes closed. Hinata wasn’t sure what to do with his hands. He hadn’t been face to face with Tobio in bed for a while. He wasn’t sure what was and wasn’t weird.</p>
<p>“Stop over-thinking,” Tobio uttered.</p>
<p>“I-I was not.” Hinata muttered back.</p>
<p>Tobio opened one eye lazily, taking one look at Hinata’s slightly red face and pouting lips and cracking a smile. “You totally were.”</p>
<p>“Well I’m sorry I wasn’t expecting you to—”</p>
<p>“<em>You</em> were the one to roll up against me.”  Tobio’s smile wasn’t fading. “So I thought you wanted to be held.”</p>
<p>“I—well, okay.” Hinata didn’t have a response to that. He huffed loudly, feeling Tobio’s hand splay against his lower back before fingertips started gently drawing circles on his shirt. He smiled as he felt Tobio sigh again. Pressed up against him, Hinata could feel his resting heartbeat, even more so as he finally reached out and rested his hand on Tobio’s side. He felt warmer than usual, the fact Hinata’s thoughts had a ‘usual’ temperature to compare it to was outright embarrassing. He found it unfair that Tobio seemed so calm, that when it came to words the other stumbled like a new-born deer but as soon as it was just silent gestures, he was suddenly an expert at it.</p>
<p>Between the comfort of the bed, Tobio’s fingertips gently drawing circles on his back and his exhaustion catching up to him, Hinata found it easy to fall asleep. Tobio felt the heavy breathing against his chest. He smiled to himself. He could feel himself drifting in and out of sleep, his fingers slowing and stopping altogether to rest against Hinata’s back. He glanced down at the other. Seeing how Hinata curled into his hold like he was always meant to be there, feeling him pressed against him and knowing he effectively put himself there, that he wasn’t forced there because of sworn oaths or a line of duty. Just knowing that Hinata <em>wanted</em> to be there.</p>
<p>It made him feel weird inside. He hadn’t felt like this before. It was new, exciting in a way but also scary. Words failed him a lot of the time, and he found it frustrating to deal with, but when they were like this, he found it a lot less stressful trying to show his affection. But even he was aware of how much this was probably confusing Hinata. He felt bad but he wanted to wait for the headpiece to be finished. He wanted to give Hinata something that wasn’t a token of House Kageyama’s thanks, an heirloom for just anyone courting the king. He wanted something that was <em>only</em> for Hinata.</p>
<p>For saying he teased Hinata for over-thinking, he huffed in mild amusement at himself doing exactly that. Hinata made a small noise in his sleep, nose scrunching up before trying to bury his face in Tobio’s chest. He was tired of trying to deny any of these feelings. He gently leaned down and pressed a silent kiss to the top of Hinata’s head. It would have to do for now.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0043"><h2>43. Repercussions</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong> XLIII</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Repercussions</strong>
</p>
<p>“So what was last night about?” Kuroo asked Akaashi and Kenma over breakfast. The two exchanged a glance before Akaashi smiled in return.</p>
<p>“We have a lead.” He simply put, setting his empty bowl aside. “But we need to…put it all together.”</p>
<p>Kuroo raised an eyebrow. “Yeah? Need any help?”</p>
<p>Akaashi considered it briefly. “Not on that front,” he met Kuroo’s gaze. “But, I could do with a distraction.”</p>
<p>That both intrigued and concerned Kuroo. “Distraction?”</p>
<p>Kenma could sort of see where this was heading. He tried to think of a way to tactfully exit this conversation. Akaashi reached across the table and took Kuroo’s hands in his. It wasn’t like affection was a foreign concept to them, but in recent days they had spent a significant amount of time apart. Kuroo wasn’t sure what Akaashi wanted a distraction from, and that was slightly concerning.</p>
<p>“Okay.” He said as Akaashi only offered and explanation in shared thoughts rather than words. “I can do that.”</p>
<p>“Good.” Akaashi smiled, squeezing his hands. “I’m ready to leave whenever you are.”</p>
<p>Kenma raised his eyebrows, noting the dumbfounded look on Kuroo’s face and not able to keep his laughter to himself. Akaashi didn’t seem bothered by it, even laughing along. Kuroo was almost convinced there was some sort of prank afoot. “Uh, well I need to make sure Daichi doesn’t need me to do anything. And uh, I guess we can leave then?”</p>
<p>“Great.” Akaashi gave him a wider smile, releasing his hands. Kuroo didn’t waste any time, immediately rising from his seat and going to seek out Daichi. As soon as he was out of earshot, Kenma nudged Akaashi’s side playfully.</p>
<p>“I’m assuming you don’t want me to tell the others.” He remarked.</p>
<p>“What, that I’m getting laid?” Akaashi snorted. “Tell them what you want. At this point, I couldn’t care less.”</p>
<p>Kenma took a long drink of water, letting the silence sit for a fraction longer than necessary. “That bad huh?”</p>
<p>“What?” Akaashi gave him an almost offended look.</p>
<p>“The nightmares.”</p>
<p>Akaashi sighed, more impatient than anything else. “After everything Goshiki said? Yeah. That bad.”</p>
<p>Kenma nodded. “I’ve always wondered, how does…doing that make it any better?”</p>
<p>Akaashi wryly smiled. In all the conversations with Kenma over the time they’d known each other, he never got around to explaining how his nights with Kuroo helped ease the mental stress he had. It wasn’t a permanent solution by any means, merely a quick fix, but it was what helped build their relationship, what helped him get over the baggage he carried with him. Kuroo had always been there willing to ease his stress, and not just because it meant he got some action.</p>
<p>“It helps me disconnect.” He stated. “Like…for just a short while, I don’t think about…anything.”</p>
<p>“Anything?”</p>
<p>There was a sheepish smile, Kenma hadn’t seen Akaashi blush very often recently but he knew his mind had gone to a less innocent place at that remark. “Well, you know.”</p>
<p>He snorted. “I’d rather not think about <em>that</em>.”</p>
<p>Akaashi playfully slapped his shoulder. “And you wonder why I don’t talk about this often?” He chuckled. “But seriously,” he sighed, “he just makes everything else fade away. I can just focus on…him. And right now, with all this…<em>bullshit</em> we have to deal with. I just want a few hours where I don’t need to think about it. Not the fire, not the treaty, not either of those bastards. Just nothing. Just Tetsurou.”</p>
<p>Kenma nodded. Truthfully, he was glad he wasn’t an empath. After seeing what happened to them when they got put under stress, he was convinced he lucked out with his latent magic. Kuroo appeared in the doorway with a smile directed at Akaashi, he nodded towards the main door of the manor and that was all the confirmation Akaashi needed. Kenma watched them go with a small smile. He was glad that Akaashi was taking some time out, he had put himself through a lot and deserved some time away from it all.</p>
<p>He sat in the dining room for a while, enjoying the quiet until that was shattered by the arrival of a certain feline companion. Lev jumped onto the table with a thud, sniffing the empty bowls and plates as if looking for leftovers. Kenma waited for him to huff in disappointment and sit down before greeting him.</p>
<p>“Good morning to you too.”</p>
<p>“Why does no-one leave scraps in this place.” Lev huffed, licking at his paw. “Also why are there so many people here?”</p>
<p>“Two royal parties and a guild of lunatics.” Kenma shrugged. “Not that many.”</p>
<p>“That guy last night was <em>weird</em>.” Lev continued licking his front paws interchangeably. “Like, weirder than Hinata.”</p>
<p>“That’s what happens when you’re at the mercy of a madman.” Kenma shrugged again. “I don’t think he was particularly weird, just has some baggage really.”</p>
<p>Lev let out a noise akin to a snort, standing up and prowling down the long table, tail sweeping from side to side. “I felt it on him.”</p>
<p>“Felt what?”</p>
<p>“The weird lingering feeling.” He sat down at the end of the table and looked back at Kenma. “When I got turned into a lion by the kirin, she gave me certain other…sort of magical powers? Part of it is sorta similar to the void, I think? I can feel things. Things that don’t really make much sense. Like the wards, and this weird feeling around that guy. The thing Hinata calls the void? That guy has it in his blood.”</p>
<p>Kenma frowned, “What do you mean, ‘in his blood’?”</p>
<p>Lev’s gaze snapped to the doorway. Ukai sheepishly smiled as Lev’s fur bristled. He pulled up a chair beside Kenma, still wary of the intense gaze of the predator. “Uh, so did Akaashi tell you if we were meant to tell the others or—”</p>
<p>“Nope.” Kenma replied, looking back at Lev. “You were saying about the void?”</p>
<p>Lev’s tail thrashed back and forth, polishing the table in its wake. “All I’m saying is, he has a lot of tattoos and they were glowing rather brightly. He has memory issues, either self-inflicted or not. It’s not hard to imagine that something…foul happened. At least that’s what I pick up from how Akaashi and Shirabu talk about him.”</p>
<p>Kenma flashed Ukai a glance. “Lev thinks Goshiki has…an unknown element in his blood.” He tactfully put. He wasn’t sure what the northern mages knew of this void element and he didn’t want to get bogged down in explaining all of that. It was weird enough as it was, the Brotherhood had just come to accept Hinata was gifted and the kirin may or may not have been involved. “Do you have any thoughts?”</p>
<p>Ukai rubbed his chin in thought. He had cleaned up a little that morning; his stubble was no longer making him look homeless, his blond hair was pulled back slightly, some twine kept locks from draping over his forehead. He seemed a lot more respectable now as he hummed. “It would be possible, given the tattoo work he’s had done.”</p>
<p>“Yeah? How would you go about getting that kind of stuff done?” Kenma asked, beckoning Lev closer. “I’ve seen regular tattoos, and we’ve all seen Kei’s.”</p>
<p>Sitting back in his chair, Ukai folded his arms. “There are two ways that I can think of where you’d get ones similar to Goshiki’s.” He lifted his forearm slightly to emphasise the artwork on his own arm. “This was a regular tattoo that got infused after it was finished. It was a complicated little process, but my friend was good at what he did. It only stung for a day or two as the herbs and shit fused together.”</p>
<p>Kenma raised an eyebrow. “Herbs?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, we were told not to use runestone dust as it’s prone to…side effects.” Ukai shrugged. “I’m content with this, it’s not constantly active as a result.”</p>
<p>“So runestone dust is that much more dangerous?” Kenma asked. “I knew it was dangerous and a brutal process but I hadn’t thought hard into it before.”</p>
<p>Lev slowly prowled back up the table and flopped down. His was still watching Ukai with an element of suspicion even as Kenma gently patted his head. Ukai for his part wasn’t entirely comfortable being under the scrutiny of a lion, but he continued nonetheless.</p>
<p>“So the other method uses runestone dust. And as you say, it’s brutal.” He sighed, shaking his head. “I saw the results on several occasions; bruising, burns, scars that never heal. And those were the lucky ones.”</p>
<p>“How do you go about it,” Kenma’s focus was more on the process now than the hypothesis, “crushing them up still maintains their energy?”</p>
<p>Ukai nodded. “Yeah, but it’s like, them in their raw form. You’d think that they’d be <em>less </em>potent but from our understanding at the academy, once that dust enters your blood, it can create some wild side effects.” He glanced to the door to make sure they were alone. “Like blue fire.”</p>
<p>“You reckon Goshiki had crushed runestones used for his?”</p>
<p>“I’d bet gold on it.”</p>
<p>“So, what does that mean?” Kenma murmured, more to himself than to Ukai.</p>
<p>It meant that the memory block that Goshiki had may not be entirely magical in origin. It could’ve been an entirely normal reaction to trauma. He had read a few writings from alchemists and scholars on the idea that people just blocked out bad memories. It seemed that way for Tobio after all who barely remembered anything about the day his parents died until Kei got involved. He continued patting Lev’s head as he thought this all over. Using runestone dust felt like one of those things that <em>seemed</em> like a good idea for any mage wanting to improve his body’s abilities. And if it was done by a steady hand, an experienced alchemist or mage in their own right, it could work.</p>
<p>“So now it’s a case of why the hell would Akiteru want him to have those sorts of tattoos?”</p>
<p>“Well, if his intention was to wreck the district, giving Goshiki extra power would help that. But it would fuck him up in his head.” Ukai replied.</p>
<p>“That’s a thought,” Kenma looked Ukai in the eye, “would Akiteru believe Goshiki is dead?”</p>
<p>“I…guess? He was alone in that room and he didn’t indicate that Akiteru had wanted him back?”</p>
<p>“We need to make sure he doesn’t go back to Akiteru, voluntarily or forcefully.” Kenma stated, standing up. “If Akiteru gets him back, then this could all blow up in our faces, literally.”</p>
<p>Ukai understood. “I’ll go, maybe take one of the others?”</p>
<p>Kenma nodded. “I think I need to tell Daichi what the score is. He might be able to coerce someone like Yaku to accompany you.”</p>
<p>It was decided, so Kenma sought out Daichi in the parlour. He was joined by most of the others from the Brotherhood, the only ones missing being Bokuto and Tanaka who were off at the forge again and then Kuroo and Akaashi who were gods only knew where. Yamamoto and Asahi were sat with them, neither busy with their respective charges and having a break from duty. Hinata was also absent, but given how he was always with Tobio now, no-one was concerned by this. Kenma didn’t beat around the bush, summoning Daichi’s attention as Lev flopped down next to Semi and started purring loudly. Once it was obvious this wasn’t just a friendly conversation, he had the attention of everyone in the parlour.</p>
<p>He kept it brief and only what they needed to know; that the ‘mage business’ the night before had been centred around someone who had contact with both Tsukishima brothers. At the mention of them, he anticipated questions, but no-one interrupted him. He continued to tell them the short version of events; that Goshiki had been at the academy with Kei, had witnessed the bullying he had been subjected to and his subsequent vanishing. He then told them how Akiteru had insisted on offering Goshiki private education away from the academy. That the same tutoring had given way to much more sinister activities that they still weren’t entirely sure about the details of. Sinister activities that eventually resulted in the entire district burning down and Goshiki almost unhinging.</p>
<p>As he came to the end of his account, he looked to Daichi. “So, because we don’t know if Akiteru intended Goshiki to survive or not, if he does find out Goshiki is alive, he could try and snuff him out or worse; seek to take him back and use him again. So I think we need to protect him.”</p>
<p>Daichi nodded slowly, taking this on board. He looked around the group, seeking any massive objections to this. When none came, he nodded again much more sure of himself. “Alright. Well we can’t bring him here, there’s too much already at risk with Hinata and Ukai—”</p>
<p>“What about the twins?” Suga asked. “They helped Shirabu escape, and if Goshiki is vital to taking down Akiteru, they’d have a reason to help us.”</p>
<p>There were a few uncertain glances exchanged back and forth. As much as Suga was right, Goshiki by all accounts was a criminal of much greater crimes than Shirabu. Besides there was still this unknown motive behind the twins. They claimed to want to protect Yachi and get rid of Akiteru, but there had been little evidence of this so far. Tooru flat out declined to talk to them, Tobio was starting to shun them entirely and Shirabu had effectively told them he wanted nothing to do with them now. It still didn’t answer how they were going to protect Goshiki.</p>
<p>“I can stay with him.” Ukai stated. “But I’m a little useless with a sword.”</p>
<p>Daichi considered it. He could send someone to give Ukai backup, but that felt a little hollow in some ways. He stood up from the bench he had been sat on and gestured for Ukai to walk with him. They entered the dining room where he turned to face the other with a relaxed smile.</p>
<p>“I guess you were there last night when all this happened?”</p>
<p>Ukai rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah, kid sounds like he’s been through a lot. We barely scratched the surface.”</p>
<p>Daichi nodded. “And you’re prepared to stay with him until this threat of Akiteru is over?”</p>
<p>“Well, I can’t do much else.” He sheepishly smiled. “I’m no fighter, I’m certainly not a mage like Hinata.  The years I spent honing my powers meant nothing once I was behind bars, so you could say I got set back a little. All I can do right now is offer a calming presence most of the time.”</p>
<p>“You say that like it’s a bad thing. I’d say that’s pretty remarkable, this coming from a guy who just swings a sword at his enemies.” Daichi laughed. “Right now all I have in terms of people trained to fight are assassins. There’s Kiyoko but I’d rather keep her close to Tobio and Tooru. Yaku could pack a punch, but if we’re going to be pulling off daring acts of espionage I’d want him here too.” He trailed off, scratching his head. Tanaka or Bokuto could fill the role easily enough, but they were both out and Daichi felt they’d be put to better use with their partners within the Brotherhood. Really, there was only one other person who could provide enough protection in the event of Goshiki being sought out by the city guard.</p>
<p>“It’s fine, I can try and give him a head start to begin running if—” Ukai started before Daichi cut him off.</p>
<p>“No, it’s okay.” He smiled warmly. “I got this.”</p>
<p>Ukai was confused as Daichi immediately walked back towards the parlour, once again summoning everyone’s attention. They all looked to their leader expectantly, waiting to hear what his verdict was, who was going to be tasked with watching over the mage that had every potential of being used a weapon. Daichi’s gaze found Suga’s. He smiled at the other before turning his attention back to the room as a whole.</p>
<p>“I’ll be accompanying Ukai to the academy.” He stated, placing hands on his hips. “Once Kuroo returns, he’ll be in charge but I trust that all of you will band together and not make his life living hell.”</p>
<p>“You’re going?” Yaku asked. “Are you sure?”</p>
<p>“Why wouldn’t I be?” Daichi scoffed. “I fought in that battle like the rest of you, I can fight off a few guards if needs be. Besides, considering the situation we’re in, we need to be more tactful. So my skills aren’t needed half as much as some of yours.”</p>
<p>Suga nodded in understanding, even if he could make an argument that Daichi’s leadership was needed just as much as any of their skills. “So what do you want us to do?” He asked. “We know how the fire started, so should Tobio go to Yachi now and tell her?”</p>
<p>Daichi looked to Asahi. “What do you think?”</p>
<p>Asahi honestly wasn’t sure how Tobio would react to this news. He knew that Tobio and Tooru had agreed on some sort of plan, but he was yet to be let in on that plan. “Uh, well, maybe? Tobio’s all over the place right now.”</p>
<p>There was a subtle smile on Kenma’s face as he figured what Asahi was referring to. “If it helps, I can be the one to tell him and Tooru.” He said. “And tell them that the Brotherhood stands ready to assist.”</p>
<p>“Perfect,” Daichi nodded, “so, I guess we should—”</p>
<p>There was a knock at the door. All at once, everyone was on alert. Lev moved first, scampering over to the base of the staircase and glaring up at the door, prepared to pounce on any intruder. The closest to the door, Kindaichi, slowly approached and cracked it open enough to see who it was. There was a tense moment as he exchanged words with whoever was on the other side and took a piece of folded parchment from them before closing it again. There was a sigh of relief for a few moments as he returned to the parlour with a puzzled look on his face. He offered the parchment to Semi.</p>
<p>“Apparently it’s for you.”</p>
<p>Semi scowled at the plain red wax seal. He wasn’t sure why this felt like a bad omen as he took it and broke the seal. Reading the carefully inked words, his scowl deepened. Everyone was looking at him in curiosity as he cursed loudly and scrambled to his feet. He looked directly at Kenma.</p>
<p>“Where’s Kuroo?”</p>
<p>Kenma shrugged. “He took Akaashi somewhere…for some time alone.”</p>
<p>Semi wrinkled his nose. “Great. Fucking great.”</p>
<p>“Why?” Kenma’s tone was borderline interrogative. “What’s in that note?”</p>
<p>Semi sighed heavily, cursing under his breath as he glanced around at everyone still waiting for some sort of elaboration. “Long story short; I’m not the only Serpent to have survived that battle. There was another, but he was never really one of us, not willingly. Kuroo knew him I’m fairly sure.”</p>
<p>“So?” Kunimi scoffed. “Another snake trying to kill us?”</p>
<p>“No.” Semi snapped, getting a slight glare from Kunimi. “He’s different. He never wanted to be part of us, he never killed anyone, he just handled all the shipping manifestos and shit like that because he could actually read and write unlike most of the idiots in that group.” He waved the parchment around as he continued. “But now Kei has him.”</p>
<p>Suga’s brow furrowed. “Kei has him? Why? Why would he—”</p>
<p>“Because I didn’t do what I said I’d do, and he knows I’m…here. One of you.” Semi huffed. “And now he’s trying to force my hand.”</p>
<p>He offered the letter to Suga to see for himself.</p>
<p>
  <em>‘So Eita, I’m guessing the lack of news either means you’ve had second thoughts, or you never intended to kill Akaashi.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>I</em>
  <em>’m a little disappointed. I thought you had more balls than this. No worries, I’ll be sure to let Chikara know that the reason he’s going to die tomorrow night is because you found a new calling and decided that loyalty means nothing to you.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Feel free to get your new </em>
  <em>‘family’ to try and stop me. It’ll be most entertaining for me and my brother. And whilst they’re at it, maybe Tobio and Tooru can let vengeance consume their souls and do some truly reckless things. That’ll be the icing on the cake.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>See you soon</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>- Tsukishima.</em>
  <em>’</em>
</p>
<p>Kiyoko read the letter over Suga’s shoulder, waiting for him to say something. Suga himself didn’t show any immediate reaction to this news, merely offering the letter to Daichi for further thoughts. He sighed heavily as he met Semi’s gaze.</p>
<p>“Tell us about Chikara.” He stated.</p>
<p>Semi seemed reluctant but time was of the essence, he nodded slowly. “He was picked up in one of the first few raids. Son of a wealthy merchant, he was being taught how to read technical documents like manifestos. Suguru found this out from one of his thugs and decided to spare him immediate death. So they gave him the choice; work for the Serpents or die.” He sighed. “Chikara chose the former. Suguru showed some mercy in the sense that he kept him away from the bloodshed, but his hands were bloodied in other ways; he was in charge of making sure our ships and their cargo were documented, that those documents got back to Takeshi and so on.”</p>
<p>“Cargo like…” Suga inferred.</p>
<p>“Yes. <em>That</em> shipment.” Semi uttered. “Chikara didn’t like it, but at that point his only way out would’ve been death.”</p>
<p>“And now Kei has him.” Kiyoko concluded. “And he knows you’d feel strongly about him?”</p>
<p>Semi shrugged. “I guess he figured that I…care about people. Either way, it’s clear that if I don’t do something, he’s gonna die. And there’s no guarantee that Kei is the merciful type.”</p>
<p>Yaku cleared his throat as he stood up. “Can I see that letter?” Daichi handed it to him. He took a few moments to read it through, nodding as he confirmed his thought. “This might not be Kei talking.” He stated. “It’s just signed ‘Tsukishima’. Plus, the way he focuses on…well, the line about Tobio and Tooru could be from either of them.”</p>
<p>“Son of a bitch.” Semi cursed. “Regardless of which one of those bastards is behind it, I can’t let him die because of my dumb plan.”</p>
<p>“That’s fine.” Yaku handed the letter back to Daichi. “I’ll help you.”</p>
<p>“I don’t even know where they’d keep him—”</p>
<p>“Then we find out.” Yaku looked around until his gaze settled on Kunimi. “You in?”</p>
<p>Kunimi pouted in thought, whether he was actually reluctant wasn’t obvious as he sighed heavily. “Sure, I’m in.”</p>
<p>“Hold on.” Daichi warned. “At least wait for Kuroo to get back before you go off on any rescue attempts.”</p>
<p>Semi wanted to snap at him but held his tongue. As much as he felt passionate about righting this error of his, they did appear to have <em>some </em>time. The letter said, ‘tomorrow night’. Of course that could just be the brothers screwing with them. By all accounts, Ennoshita could be dead already, but if they really wanted a spectacle, then they’d keep him alive just long enough to kill him in front of Semi.</p>
<p>“If Kuroo takes all day though, we’ve lost time.” He uttered.</p>
<p>Daichi understood, truly he did. “Well, do what you think is best, but don’t put others in danger needlessly.” He turned to Ukai. “We should get going.”</p>
<p>“Got it.”</p>
<p>With one final look back at those gathered, Daichi offered them one final piece of advice; “Remember whatever happens to have each other’s backs.”</p>
<p>With that, he turned and left the Brotherhood in Suga’s hands until Kuroo’s return. There was an uncomfortable silence as Semi’s gaze remained on the door that had closed behind Daichi. Yaku stepped beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Well, he said don’t attempt any rescue, that doesn’t mean we can’t poke around the city and see if we notice anything odd.”</p>
<p>Kunimi yawned loudly as he got up. “Yaku’s right. We can at least rule out some areas whilst we wait for Kuroo to finish whatever he’s doing.”</p>
<p>“I think we all know what he’s <em>doing</em>.” Kenma muttered under his breath.</p>
<p>Lev’s ears perked up at a sound no-one else heard. He looked up the stairs where there was no-one stood. His fur began to stand on end as he felt a strange feeling in the air, like something was forming but no-one could see it. The feeling of static was in the air. He sniffed the ground, not coming up with any hint of what this bizarre feeling was. He looked to Nishinoya who seemed to be realising the same sensation.</p>
<p>“What is that?” Nishinoya asked, looking to Lev. Everyone else was varying shades of confused as Lev glanced up the stairs once more. Shirabu and Inuoka were up there, but so was Hinata. It was the latter that had Lev somewhat concerned.</p>
<p>“I…don’t know.”</p>
<p>Kenma glanced between them, deciding that if anyone was going to actually go and investigate, it was going to be him. Besides, he needed to fill Tobio and Tooru in on all these developments. As he climbed the stairs, he felt the same static charging that Lev had picked up on. It was familiar but not, like someone was charging the air but it felt different, it felt <em>older </em>almost. He was reminded of the kirin’s cave in a way and the vault beneath Kēpu yōsai. Both those places had one person in common, so he made a beeline for a certain door and knocked loudly. When there was no response, he opened the door slowly.</p>
<p>The scene that greeted him made him smile; both Tobio and Hinata were asleep, wrapped up in each other’s arms. It wasn’t an abnormal scene really, but in light of everything, it seemed that much sweeter. The static feeling was stronger in here, giving him more confidence in his assumption that this was some sort of latent aura magic. What was triggering it, he didn’t know. Though seeing how content both of them seemed to be, he guessed it might’ve been due to Hinata’s subconscious feelings of affection. Either way, it wasn’t a danger.</p>
<p>As he closed the door behind him, he was struck with a sudden thought. Thinking back to how Ukai described runestone tattoos and the side effects; ‘<em>bruising, burns, scars that never heal</em>’. Kenma knew Hinata had at least two of those symptoms surrounding his chest wounds. He knew the runestones had shattered with such force that the shards had embedded themselves in Hinata’s body, there had been blood, he had cleaned the wounds himself but he wasn’t entirely sure if he had gotten <em>all</em> traces out.</p>
<p>Considering the bigger picture, it was a small wonder that Hinata hadn’t complained more. If getting runestone dust in open wounds was as painful as Ukai made it out to be, Hinata was tougher than he looked. Or he was just aggressively ignoring it and didn’t realise it was an issue. Kenma let out a sigh. Of course Hinata would end up in this situation. Now he just had to work out how to explain it to him and then what to do about it. Without looking at the wounds themselves, he could be sure how bad this could be. And then there was the whole ‘aura mage’ aspect to consider. A simple elemental mage like Goshiki had suffered horrendously, and the tattoos just seemed to enhance his fire aspect.</p>
<p>There was no telling how this would affect someone like Hinata; gifted with five basic elements, two extraordinary ones <em>and</em> some sort of blessing from a guardian spirit. It was going to be a game of chance to see which one - assuming it was just <em>one</em> - got the boost from the runestone dust.</p>
<p>This wasn’t what they needed right now.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0044"><h2>44. Conflicting Messages</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>XLIV</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Conflicting Messages</strong>
</p>
<p>Leaving Tooru in the care of Yamamoto, Iwaizumi had asked Shirabu for a minor favour. At first, Shirabu remarked that ‘it better not be related to dead people again’, but Iwaizumi didn’t seem in the mood for games. Instead, he had asked the other to take him to these twins that everyone kept talking about. Shirabu had scoffed at the idea but complied.</p>
<p>“Why are you so interested in meeting them again? I thought Tooru wanted nothing to do with them.” Shirabu asked as they got closer to the Miya family home.</p>
<p>“I want to ask them myself, as one royal guard to two who supposedly work under the same ethic.” He replied. “I want to know what they really want out of this entire fiasco. And unlike Tobio, I’ve actually got experience in talking to weaselly nobles.”</p>
<p>Shirabu cackled at that, making Iwaizumi crack a smile in return. “Oh gods I’ve actually missed you Hajime.” He remarked. “Everyone else up here is all dry and super serious.”</p>
<p>“What? You mean I’m not?”</p>
<p>Shirabu honestly wasn’t sure if he was joking, which made it that much more amusing. He got a hold of himself as they reached the familiar doors and knocked. The same housekeeper greeted him, giving Iwaizumi an intrigued look before seeming to recognise the red phoenix on his breastplate. They were invited inside and the brothers were fetched. Iwaizumi didn’t give himself time to get absorbed in the decor of the parlour, simply sitting on the bench with his sword across his lap as a statement. As Atsumu and Osamu entered, he nodded in greeting, getting a small smile in return from the former, the latter simply sat down across from him.</p>
<p>“So,” Atsumu said as he sat next to his brother, “to what do we owe this pleasure sir…?”</p>
<p>“Hajime Iwaizumi, Knight of House Oikawa and Royal Guard to the King.” He replied. “Just Iwaizumi is fine.”</p>
<p>“Royal guard eh?” Atsumu glanced between him and Shirabu. “I heard a rumour that you take that role so seriously that you share a bed with him.”</p>
<p>Iwaizumi shrugged, not caring about that sort of talk from nobles. “Rumours are rumours.”</p>
<p>“Do your southern kings make a habit of sleeping with their protectors?”</p>
<p>Osamu sighed like he was already bored of Atsumu’s gossiping nature. “Ignore him. What do you want?”</p>
<p>Iwaizumi offered a small smile to Osamu. “You sent a courier with a note to Tooru expressing your desire to talk.”</p>
<p>Osamu nodded. “And he said he wasn’t interested.”</p>
<p>“He’s a bit of an arrogant idiot sometimes.” Iwaizumi sighed, Shirabu chuckled slightly. “But since then we’ve become aware of…certain things.”</p>
<p>“Go on.” Atsumu urged.</p>
<p>“I’m not at liberty to say exactly what, but the Brotherhood have made progress. I’m not here to talk about that though,” he kept his voice calm, gaze passing between the brothers intermittently, “I want to know what you want from Tooru.”</p>
<p>Atsumu raised an eyebrow. “You want us to spill our secrets yet you’re keeping your own? That’s hardly fair.” He smirked.</p>
<p>Iwaizumi snorted. “Don’t try to play coy with me. I’ve sat in more than enough noble meetings to know how to play this game of yours.” He kept his posture rigid as he sat there. “Tooru and Tobio might be easy to sway, but I don’t need to kiss your ass and pretend I give a shit about status. My job is to protect my king and ensure he achieves his goals, not play nice with shady nobles.”</p>
<p>Shirabu was taken aback at Iwaizumi’s crass response, Atsumu looked more amused than anything. Yet it was Osamu who spoke up in response; “I admire your…guts.” He put delicately. “I wish others would speak their minds like you.”</p>
<p>“I’m sure Tobio did.” Iwaizumi shrugged. “Difference is, I don’t fear anything.” He looked pointedly between them. “So, what did you want Tooru to do?”</p>
<p>There was a pause as Atsumu exchanged a glance with his twin. Iwaizumi didn’t dare think he was going to get an answer immediately, he was expecting another evasion tactic, another stupid vague response that he’d have to puzzle over for days on end. He waited as Atsumu sighed loudly.</p>
<p>“Whilst Tobio has been a lovely distraction for the court, we’ve been busy.” He stated bluntly. “That in the event of an attempt on Yachi’s life, we could get her out of the palace, out of the city and even across the western border if needs be.”</p>
<p>Osamu nodded along. “Secret passageways, hidden doors, paid off stablehands.” He listed. “These things take time, patience, gold and secrecy to put into place. We weren’t sure if Tobio and his Brotherhood could be trusted to keep their mouths shut.”</p>
<p>“Can’t blame you for that.” Iwaizumi shrugged. “So where does Tooru factor into this?”</p>
<p>“We were wondering if he was going to be more disruptive than Tobio or not.” Atsumu shrugged. “And we were potentially going to ask if he could grant Yachi safe-haven in his kingdom should the worst come to the pass.”</p>
<p>Iwaizumi and Shirabu exchanged a glance. “You…do realise there’s a closer noble to here than our kingdom, right?”</p>
<p>Atsumu blinked. “House Kyoutani hasn’t been back long enough for us to deem them trustworthy.”</p>
<p>Iwaizumi smiled. “Good, ‘cause I doubt he’d deem <em>you</em> trustworthy either.”</p>
<p>Atsumu waved it off. “…whatever.”</p>
<p>Iwaizumi chuckled at the quick dismissal before glancing between them. “So you’ve been making plans in the event someone tries to kill her, and I can tell you right now that Tooru is intending to stand with Tobio in whatever capacity he needs to be.” He sat a little straighter. “Tell me one thing, how do you intend to get rid of Akiteru?”</p>
<p>“Up until Kunimi decided to break Hinata out of the dungeon, we were going to ask the Brotherhood to deal with it. But they’ve proven to be…unruly.”</p>
<p>Shirabu rolled his eyes. “Now hold on a damn minute,” he interrupted, “you told Tobio that his mages would be safe under your banner, then when Hinata actually got arrested you didn’t lift a finger to help them get him out. You can’t really blame them for getting restless when you weren’t even talking to them.” He didn’t let either brother interrupt as he continued. “Right now I can tell you they’re almost regarding you with as much suspicion as the Tsukishimas.”</p>
<p>Atsumu’s eyes widened. “Little punks.” He scoffed. “We’re doing what we can with our limited—”</p>
<p>“Yet we’re doing <em>more</em> with practically no influence.” He snapped. “I get it, if it goes tits up, you got more at stake than us, but if it goes <em>right</em>, then you can stand proud afterwards and be known as the noble family you keep touting yourselves as.”</p>
<p>Iwaizumi smiled as Atsumu and Osamu exchanged a glance. He wasn’t going to say it out loud now but hearing Shirabu get so passionate about the situation made him proud to have him in Tooru’s court. Sure he could be a little shit a lot of the time, he could be unnecessarily sassy and sarcastic, but standing up to those who he technically owed his life to had to stand for something.</p>
<p>“I can see you’ve gained quite an attitude down south Kenjirou.” Atsumu remarked. “And I guess you have a point,” he paused for a moment to collect his thoughts, “here’s what we’ll offer; Ushijima and Aone are at your disposal. That is, we will tell them both that should anyone from your…cause require their assistance, they are to give it without question.”</p>
<p>“And what do you want in exchange?” Shirabu asked.</p>
<p>“Get rid of Akiteru. Ideally as tactfully as possible, don’t just slash his throat open in the palace gods no.” He looked to Iwaizumi. “If your job is to protect your king, figure out a way to have an excuse to gut Akiteru.”</p>
<p>“Use Tooru as bait?” Iwaizumi snorted.</p>
<p>“I didn’t say that.”</p>
<p>“You implied it.”</p>
<p>Osamu nudged his brother. “Quit it.”</p>
<p>Atsumu rolled his eyes. “Fine. I’m sure Akiteru has some grand plan to make a statement. Provoke him. Do something utterly ridiculous that’ll throw his plans off. Use those lunatics in the Brotherhood to cause a literal riot.”</p>
<p>“You’re oddly insistent.” Iwaizumi observed. “And why can’t you get rid of him through more political means?”</p>
<p>“Because we simply don’t have the time or resources to secure an advantage over him with the other noble families. If he’s going to try pulling off a coup then our influence won’t count for much if we’re outnumbered.” Atsumu said. “This has to be dealt with soon and ideally by a party that doesn’t stand to gain the throne themselves.”</p>
<p>Osamu nodded along. “Any attempt from us publicly will be seen as <em>us</em> trying to seize power. Do you understand why we’ve been guarded with our actions?”</p>
<p>Shirabu didn’t want to try and argue that they could’ve told them all of this a lot sooner and avoided suspicion rising. He kept that opinion to himself as Iwaizumi nodded.</p>
<p>“I see. I guess that makes sense, so you want Tooru and Tobio to do the dirty work and you’ll ensure that Yachi remains in power afterwards?”</p>
<p>“In essence, yes.” Atsumu seemed to relax a little at Iwaizumi’s calm reaction. “So,”</p>
<p>Osamu picked up the train of thought. “To reiterate; you have use of Ushijima and Aone to assist in getting into any parts of the palace you’d ordinarily be restricted from. In return, you provoke Akiteru into making his move too early and expose him as the traitor he is. We shall ensure Yachi remains in power in the aftermath.”</p>
<p>Iwaizumi wasn’t sure if this was the deal he had intended to broker, but he wasn’t going to decline it. He knew the Brotherhood had gathered enough information to put the pieces together finally. They just needed a reason and time to use it. With the city guard still on high alert after the dungeon break, there wasn’t much that certain individuals could do. It was a miracle in some ways that the manor hadn’t been searched, then again without due cause, there was no reason to.</p>
<p>Iwaizumi thanked them for their time and left. Shirabu huffed loudly as they began walking back towards the city, clearly annoyed by something. Iwaizumi decided not to ask right now, they had a few other things they needed to address first.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>The small rented room in the tavern had been much more modest than the bedrooms of the noble manor, but compared to other places they had been it was rather cosy. Akaashi curled into Kuroo’s embrace, his thoughts were fragmented still and he was more than okay with that. Kuroo’s strong arms held him close almost like he’d be whisked away if he didn’t. There was a happy buzz in his body, one he hadn’t felt in a while and he sorely missed. It hadn’t been a quick fuck. It had been a slow, almost teasing encounter. Kuroo had made sure to spend almost too long building Akaashi up, making sure his attention was squarely on the present and not the future.</p>
<p>Gentle touches and soft kisses had gotten more desperate as they progressed. Even as Akaashi pleaded, Kuroo remained patient. He had been asked to provide a distraction, to make him forget about everything outside the four walls that surrounded them. So he made sure to keep him yearning, keep his thoughts from spiralling out of control. He knew Akaashi had been aware of every shift in his demeanour. It made the entire morning together that much more intimate. There was no hiding from Akaashi’s powers, as much as he was the one opening up and leaving himself vulnerable, Kuroo wasn’t immune. It made the climax much more intense for Akaashi, feeling both of them reach euphoria in more ways than one.</p>
<p>As soon as Akaashi had passed out, Kuroo felt the air in the room become lighter. He had cleaned them up with care before snuggling up to Akaashi under the linen blankets.  As much as it had been for Akaashi’s benefit, Kuroo was thankful for it too. He didn’t have nearly as much weighing on his mind but he still had worries, fears, expectations.</p>
<p>“Tetsurou…” Akaashi murmured in his daze, burying his face in Kuroo’s chest.</p>
<p>“I’m here.” Kuroo whispered. “No need to rush back.”</p>
<p>There was a soft smile. “Gods that felt good.”</p>
<p>Kuroo gently ran fingers through Akaashi’s hair, letting his hand rest at the nape of his neck. “Yeah? Was it what you needed?”</p>
<p>“You have no idea.”</p>
<p>Kuroo wanted to ask, he really did. There were so many unanswered questions about the previous night, the previous <em>day</em> in its entirety. He was worried. He wasn’t sure what was going on and that scared him. It was bad enough that he didn’t know what the hell was going on with the empire and its ridiculous rules of etiquette, not knowing what his partner was putting himself through on behalf of an ungrateful establishment was worse.</p>
<p>He slowly moved his hand further down, trailing fingertips over Akaashi’s shoulder, then his bicep toned through years of work and fighting. Then his forearm littered with small scars from fights gone by, and finally to his hand. The silver band adorning his finger caught the light streaming through the uncovered window as Kuroo gently lifted his hand to his lips. He cradled Akaashi’s hand against his cheek, feeling his hand slowly cup his face. He turned his head to plant a kiss to his palm.</p>
<p>“Tetsurou.” Akaashi murmured a little louder.</p>
<p>“Keiji.” He replied.</p>
<p>The soft smile was still gracing Akaashi’s face, his eyes cracked open enough to gaze up at Kuroo. “I love you.”</p>
<p>“I love you too.”</p>
<p>“I’m sorry.”</p>
<p>Kuroo blinked slowly. “What for?”</p>
<p>Akaashi sighed, opening his eyes a little more. “For making you worry.”</p>
<p>He had to laugh a little, a quiet breathless chuckle at least. “Keiji I always worry, especially when we’re in these sorts of situations.” He kissed Akaashi’s palm again. “But I know you, I know you don’t set out to be reckless, not without a reason to at least.”</p>
<p>“But—”</p>
<p>“Shh.” Kuroo put a finger to Akaashi’s lips. “You wanted a distraction from it all.” He murmured as he slowly leaned closer. “So let me be your distraction, and you can give me all the details later.”</p>
<p>Akaashi bumped his forehead against Kuroo’s. “Distract me then.”</p>
<p>“With pleasure.” Kuroo whispered, tilting his face, and capturing Akaashi’s lips in a heated kiss.</p>
<p>They could afford to spend a little longer together, the others would be fine without them.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>He wiped the sweat off his brow with the back of his hand. It had taken three days of work, but the headpiece was finally done. The most nerve-wracking part had been making sure the orange gemstone sat right in the centre and didn’t show any sign of falling out. Tanaka had watched on in silent support as Bokuto’s steady hands worked to secure the expensive stone Tobio had selected. As he stepped away from the workbench, he let out a victorious cry.</p>
<p>“His majesty better appreciate this.” Bokuto sighed as he held his handiwork up to the light.</p>
<p>“I’m sure he will. It’s very Hinata.” Tanaka remarked, admiring the design Bokuto had come up with. “What are you gonna do about the other stone?”</p>
<p>Bokuto shrugged. “Honestly, it’s gonna have to be cut up, how many pieces that ends up being is down to what they’re gonna be put in.”</p>
<p>“I like the idea Noya came up with; a set of rings or something.”</p>
<p>Bokuto nodded. He was still deciding just how would be the best way to not only split the gem but also showcase it in the best way possible. He might need to ask the blacksmith for her thoughts. “Well, how about this;” he set the headpiece down on the workbench, “you figure out a way of getting this back in a presentable way, and I’ll start splicing the other stone and meet you back at the manor later.”</p>
<p>Tanaka wondered what he meant by ‘presentable’ before realising he probably meant to go and find a box or cut of cloth that would both shield it from view of the general populace and be fit to hand over to Tobio. He figured it wouldn’t be that hard in a market district.</p>
<p>“Alright, got any gold for me to use?”</p>
<p>Bokuto tossed him a small pouch of gold coins, in the same movement he reached for the leather pouch that held the other stone. “Good luck.”</p>
<p>Setting out to explore the market district, Tanaka felt at ease. The guards were still patrolling in increased numbers after Kunimi’s successful stunt but they weren’t being overly aggressive, they just moved between market stalls asking the vendors if they had seen any suspicious individuals. Tanaka pretended to know nothing about any of this, that he was just a humble visitor looking for some souvenirs to take home. He surprised himself at how easily he fooled them all. After acquiring a good length of deep blue silk for a decent price, he made his way back to the smithy feeling rather pleased with himself. He didn’t quite expect to see Daichi and the strange older man known as Ukai talking to Bokuto.</p>
<p>“Oh Tanaka,” Daichi waved in greeting, “I was just telling Bokuto that Kuroo’s in charge for now. I need to provide protection to a mage.”</p>
<p>Tanaka was confused, but he nodded. “Ah okay. Anything I can do to help?”</p>
<p>Daichi considered it for a moment. “Just do what we always do; stick together and do what you think is right.”</p>
<p>Tanaka saluted, making Daichi chuckle. There were bumped fists exchanged before he left with Ukai. Bokuto shook his head almost in dismay, prompting Tanaka to ask what the deal was. He was given a short recount of what Daichi had apparently said; that there was a significant development regarding figuring out the old city fire and that this unnamed mage was possibly in danger of being used by Akiteru. Tanaka honestly didn’t like the sound of it one bit, even less so that Daichi and Daichi <em>alone</em> was going to offer him protection.</p>
<p>“Surely someone like Akaashi or Kiyoko would be better? Or Yaku?” He asked as Bokuto wrapped up the headpiece in the bolt of cloth. “Why is Daichi going?”</p>
<p>Bokuto bit his lip, not saying what was on his mind. “Well, maybe he reckons that he’s the best suited for it. Maybe he feels bad for relying on Akaashi for so much as it is. Maybe he wants to lead by example and let Kuroo take the helm again.” He took a step back to admire the neatly folded up package. “Not a lot we can do now but adhere to his wishes and see what Kuroo thinks.”</p>
<p>“Kuroo doesn’t know?” Tanaka’s puzzled expression deepened.</p>
<p>“He’s taken Akaashi somewhere for some…distracting.” Bokuto winked.</p>
<p>Tanaka laughed slightly, picking up the bundle of cloth. “Ah. I see. Well hopefully he’ll be back soon?”</p>
<p>“I fucking hope so,” Bokuto sighed. “Cause apparently Semi’s got himself in a sticky situation with Kei.” He picked up a chunk of the purple stone that was now in two pieces. “You might wanna hurry back, Suga’s probably despairing at the entire situation.”</p>
<p>Tanaka nodded quickly, slipping the headpiece between his jacket and his shirt to try and conceal it a little better. “Got it. I’ll see you later.”</p>
<p>“Yup.” Bokuto grinned.</p>
<p>Tanaka <em>hoped</em> that Suga wasn’t despairing. The reality was that Suga had been in this position many times before; Daichi handing the reins over to him both voluntarily and through necessity. He was a seasoned leader in his own right, but that didn’t mean he <em>wanted </em>to be in this position. Yaku and Kunimi had already left with Semi to scout out the city, what they were even looking for was a little up to interpretation but Suga appreciated them being <em>out</em>. It gave him space to think about the other mounting issues they were facing.</p>
<p>He was aware that every day they wasted on ‘thinking about things’ was another day that Akiteru was probably making plans to seize the throne. Kiyoko hadn’t said much on the matter that day, though she did stick by his side as they moved through the manor trying to assign even mundane tasks to those who remained. As they reached the upper floor and finally found some solitude, she slipped her hand into his and smiled.</p>
<p>“I should probably go and see Yachi.” She said quietly. “I promised her I’d keep her updated.”</p>
<p>He nodded. “Are you going now?”</p>
<p>A moment of silence passed between them, distantly they could hear murmured conversation from the individual rooms on the upper floor, reminding them they weren’t entirely alone like the previous day. “Soon. And I was thinking of taking someone with me this time.”</p>
<p>“Yeah?”</p>
<p>Her smile grew a little more amused. “I figured Yachi would love to see our performing lion up close.”</p>
<p>Suga processed this idea, it was a little risky but considering everything <em>else</em> that was happening, he wasn’t going to say no. “If you’re sure they’ll let you in with him.”</p>
<p>“Oh probably not.” She giggled. “But I wanna at least <em>try</em>.”</p>
<p>He sighed, somewhat in defeat but the smile on his face told a different story. “I think the Brotherhood is rubbing off on you too much. You used to be the sensible one.”</p>
<p>She feigned hurt. “Koushi, I <em>am</em> sensible, just like Kuroo is.”</p>
<p>“Okay now I <em>know</em> you’re joking.” He poked her nose playfully. “Just be careful and try not to kill anyone.”</p>
<p>“I’m always careful.” She retorted, leaning forward and kissing him. He squeezed her hand as she pulled back, he knew he had a flustered look about him as she giggled again. “Try not to let the manor burn down whilst I’m gone.” She remarked.</p>
<p>He had no response as she let go of his hand and immediately set off to find their resident pet. Lev was excited to be doing something useful once again, even if it meant he had to wear the stupid rope harness. No-one else questioned Kiyoko’s plan, leaving her to proceed out the door. She didn’t see the point in trying to be sneaky, leading Lev through the city like he was a prized bull. He certainly had the looks for it. More than once did a guard look like they were going to stop her and ask what the meaning of any of this was, but they equally seemed terrified of her.</p>
<p>Then again, a battle-maiden walking through a city in her full armour accompanied by a tamed mountain lion, that’s something you don’t see everyday. She smiled confidently as she kept her gaze straight ahead, Lev glanced around as the crowds parted for them, intrigued by the wide-eyed expressions and gasps of both horror and awe. As the palace district gates beckoned them, she braced herself for the hard part of this entire operation. Before she even got to them however, a familiar figure stepped out of the crowds; the purple sash that was layered over his armour made her slightly suspicious of his intentions but she tried to withhold judgement.</p>
<p>“Ah, milady.” Ushijima half bowed in greeting. “Allow me to accompany you.”</p>
<p>She raised an eyebrow. “…I’m going to see the empress.” She stated quietly, aware there were far too many onlookers for her liking. “So unless you can assist with that—”</p>
<p>“I can.” He offered a small smile before gesturing for her to follow him. She wasn’t entirely convinced this was a coincidence but went along with it. After all, she was capable of slicing men in half with her sword and Lev was <em>more</em> than capable of eating their faces afterwards. To his credit, Ushijima did get them past the guards at the gates with only raised eyebrows and a nervous shifting of weight.</p>
<p>Once inside the palace, Ushijima had to do a bit more convincing. “I assure you, the lion is well trained.” He stated to the captain of the guard who seemed more uptight than Iwaizumi on a bad day. “Her Imperial Majesty wanted to meet him in person after the banquet but didn’t get a chance.”</p>
<p>“And the Miya twins authorised this?” The captain of the guard asked.</p>
<p>“Of course. They’re merely trying to keep her majesty’s spirits up during this turbulent time.”</p>
<p>Kiyoko had to admit, she was impressed with how easily Ushijima lied to the guard. After a bit more grumbling on the captain’s part, he allowed them past. Lev licked his lips just to put him on edge. A few moments of walking later, Kiyoko was back at the door to the study she had originally met Yachi in. Ushijima opened the door for her and nodded in parting. Lev was aware of how delicate this situation was, so he was sure to be on his best behaviour. Yachi’s eyes widened as she watched the predator enter her study. She visibly relaxed as Kiyoko smiled warmly at her. Once the door was closed, she let out a nervous laugh.</p>
<p>“That’s…a big lion.”</p>
<p>Kiyoko smiled down at Lev. “He’s quite docile. The Brotherhood was good at training him out of the more…troublesome habits.” She took her seat and gestured for Lev to lie down at her feet. He flopped down with as little grace as usual, resting his head on his paws.</p>
<p>“How did they…when did they find a lion?” Yachi’s curiosity was only overpowered by her apprehension.</p>
<p>Kiyoko had figured this would be a question. Honestly, she wasn’t entirely sure how Kuroo and the others found Lev in Kitamine, but she figured embellishing the story wouldn’t be frowned upon.</p>
<p>“Kuroo found him a little after the Brotherhood was formed. He and Yaku were taking out bandit camps in the northern region of Tooru’s kingdom, one of them had a dock where a large trading ship was moored up. Once they had both gotten rid of the bandits, either killing them or letting them flee, they started poking around on the ship.” She paused for a moment, letting Yachi imagine the scene. “In the bowels of the ship, amongst the cargo and treasures was a tiny cage, and in the tiny cage was a lion cub.”</p>
<p>“A lion cub?” Yachi’s frowned in dismay. “Oh you poor thing.” She said to Lev, leaning forward in her chair to peer at the lion. Lev’s green eyes gazed up at her.</p>
<p>“Kuroo and Yaku didn’t have the heart to kill him and releasing him into the wild would’ve been a terrible idea. So, they did the only thing they could; they brought Lev home.”</p>
<p>“And I imagine that didn’t go down well.” Yachi smiled.</p>
<p>Kiyoko laughed. “No, not really. Suga and Daichi were beside themselves, but again, none of us had the heart to get rid of him. Plus Yaku was strangely attached to him.” She shrugged. “It was a tough few months to get him trained to this level, but everyone chipped in and now we consider him family. I hope he considers us his.”</p>
<p>Lev’s tail moved from side to side, he yawned widely. Yachi seemed happy with the story, Kiyoko reckoned it painted the Brotherhood in a much more positive light than half of their previous doings. She almost felt bad for bringing up the darker topic in the room. She looked Yachi up and down, she seemed in good health; there were no dark shadows under her eyes, her clothes were pristine as usual. But Kiyoko knew that didn’t mean anything when it came to magic.</p>
<p>“So, how are you feeling?”</p>
<p>Yachi’s smile didn’t waver as much as Kiyoko expected. “Uhm, well,” she exhaled, glancing at the door, “I haven’t seen Akiteru since our last conversation. He’s sent letters through serving staff. I’m not sure what to make of it.”</p>
<p>“Do you have any of those letters?”</p>
<p>She nodded, standing up and approaching the bookcases. Nestled amongst the books were trinkets and small boxes, it was one of these boxes that Yachi picked up and brought over. Kiyoko waited as she sat down again and set the small wooden box on her lap.</p>
<p>“Here’s the last one;” she handed Kiyoko a piece of parchment that was neatly folded. The red wax seal had been broken already but Kiyoko still took care.</p>
<p>‘<em>Your Imperial Majesty, we are no closer to finding those two mages. They were broken out by professionals who left very little trace of their presence beyond one dead guard in the tunnels and a broken lock in the dungeons. I have doubled the guards in the tunnels and the dungeons in case they decide to release any further prisoners.</em></p>
<p>
  <em>The guards in the city haven</em>
  <em>’t had much luck either. These people were like ghosts. I fear that this may just be the beginning. I cannot stress how coincidental it is that it was Tobio’s mage that was broken out. I think he might be behind it but without solid evidence, I cannot authorise a search of that manor without further souring our relationship with the south.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>I have asked Kei if he knows anything, he assures me that he has no idea. Even after pressing him about his time with them, he seems to care little for them being here.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>I implore your imperial majesty to exercise caution should Tobio or Tooru, or any of their entourage, approach you. We cannot trust them. If I hear of any further concerning behaviour, I may have to act to ensure your safety. I will visit you as soon as I am able to.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Yours faithfully, </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Akiteru Tsukishima.</em>
  <em>’</em>
</p>
<p>Kiyoko raised her eyebrows. It was somewhat amusing that Akiteru was getting worked up over Hinata’s escape but her main focus was on the latter half of the letter. Akiteru was definitely playing the role of protector, overbearingly so in some ways. He didn’t seem to want to ask Yachi for her thoughts, more just telling her what to do. Ordinarily, Kiyoko would be irritated at that, considering he was saying that to an <em>empress</em> just made that irritation more obvious as she snorted.</p>
<p>Then there was the point that he couldn’t search the manor without a reason, she found that puzzling. Surely if they knew it was Hinata that escaped and knew where he’d return to, they could search it and arrest him? What was really going on here? She frowned in thought as she reread the letter, trying to pick it apart like they always did. She needed to remember as much as possible so she could tell Kuroo and Suga later.</p>
<p>The last, and arguably most intriguing aspect to jump out was the fact Akiteru apparently asked Kei if he knew anything and Kei denied knowing <em>anything</em>. That went against everything they knew, or thought they knew, about Kei. If he had a vendetta against the Brotherhood then surely he would implicate them in getting Hinata out of the dungeon. Couple that with the letter Semi received that day about his friend, and this was getting weird.</p>
<p>Was Kei actually involved in this bigger plot of Akiteru’s?</p>
<p>She let out a small sigh, folding the letter back up and handing it back to Yachi. “I see.”</p>
<p>“What do you make of it?” Yachi asked, slipping the letter back in the box.</p>
<p>“I think that…this is more complicated than we thought.”</p>
<p>“What do you mean?”</p>
<p>Kiyoko glanced at Lev, he blinked slowly and huffed at the situation. She held up a finger, “There are two problems here, the first, is that Kei Tsukishima is the more known threat as far as the southern kingdoms are concerned. He has assaulted both kings, committing treason in the process. He rubbed the Brotherhood the wrong way and we did the same to him. He is our enemy as much as he is Tobio and Tooru’s.” She said calmly, bringing a second finger up. “The second problem is Akiteru. We don’t know much about him, but what we do know is that he’s worse than Kei and has loftier ambitions.”</p>
<p>“I see…”</p>
<p>“The issue is, we don’t know if Kei is actively working <em>with</em> Akiteru or rather, <em>for</em> Akiteru.” Kiyoko waited for Yachi to nod in understanding. “We’ve been assuming he’s working alongside his brother, but the more we dig, the less that seems to be the case.”</p>
<p>“You think Kei is…innocent in this?”</p>
<p>Kiyoko shrugged. She didn’t want to say yes, saying yes would mean that she’d have to try and convince Kuroo that Kei was innocent. “Possibly. In terms of what’s happening up <em>here</em>.” She stated. “He’s still an asshole for what he did in the south.”</p>
<p>There was a slight chuckle from Yachi. “Honestly, I haven’t really met him. He’s accompanied Akiteru to some banquets and official gatherings, but he stays out of the focus of many. Akiteru is definitely more centre stage here.”</p>
<p>There was a long pause as Kiyoko considered this situation. Lev appeared to be asleep at her feet, eyes closed and purring loudly. Yachi seemed content to simply sit in silence, her gaze on Kiyoko as the latter was deep in thought.</p>
<p>“If it’s any consolation,” Yachi spoke up after a while, “I appreciate what you and your friends are doing.”</p>
<p>“It’s what we do,” Kiyoko smiled, “helping people.”</p>
<p>Yachi’s gaze went to Lev sat at Kiyoko’s feet. “This is more than our own guards and stewards are used to dealing with, I can’t imagine how a group like yours would be able to deal with it <em>and</em> succeed.”</p>
<p>Kiyoko had to giggle at that. There had been many conversations that echoed the same sentiment; they had frequently wondered why a group of misfits and maniacs like theirs had ended up waist-deep in this swamp of politics, feuds, and family affairs. Really, the answer was simple; they wanted to make the world a better place. It had started small sure, fixing past mistakes and repairing old friendships. It had been a slippery slope— no that sounded like it was a bad thing— it had been a steady rise in importance. What was once just them banding together to stop a rogue bandit clan had grown into a wider mission, not one of conquest and glory but one fuelled by the determination to put things right and keep them that way.</p>
<p>“Even the tallest mountains are climbable.” Kiyoko remarked, getting a smile from Yachi. “You just need the right tools and preparation.”</p>
<p>“This Brotherhood, how many are there?”</p>
<p>“Officially? Around fifteen. Though we have many friends that could be considered extended members.”</p>
<p>“Fifteen?” Yachi repeated, glancing at Lev. “Does that include him?”</p>
<p>“Of course.” Kiyoko smiled.</p>
<p>“And how do you—”</p>
<p>She was cut off by a harsh rapping at the door, Ushijima entered with a short bow to Yachi before looking to Kiyoko. “Milady we should go.”</p>
<p>“Why?”</p>
<p>Ushijima glanced at Lev who had woken up in the commotion. “Akiteru’s guards are coming.”</p>
<p>Considering the letter she had just read, Kiyoko figured that is was probably best to not give him a reason to act out. She nodded quickly and stood up, gathering the end of Lev’s leash in her hands.</p>
<p>“I apologise.” She smiled at Yachi, bowing quickly. “I’ll be back soon, I hope. And if you need us, you know how to reach us.”</p>
<p>Yachi returned the smile, though the sadness in her eyes made Kiyoko feel infinitely worse for leaving her. “I understand. Good luck with everything.”</p>
<p>Kiyoko tugged Lev to the door. Once in the hallway, she glanced down and saw three heavily armed guards clunking towards them. Ushijima gently nudged her arm and nodded for her to follow him. They quickly started to walk away, Lev in tow when a voice called out to them.</p>
<p>“Halt! Who goes there?”</p>
<p>Kiyoko tensed up as Ushijima turned to meet the gaze of the guards. “Wakatoshi Ushijima, guard to the Miya family.” He stated, putting himself between them and Kiyoko. “I’m on business for Atsumu.”</p>
<p>“Who’s <em>she</em>.” The sneer came from the guard, a big burly man who seemed far too confident in his role. “And what’s that <em>thing</em> doing in the palace?”</p>
<p>Lev growled threateningly, Kiyoko inhaled sharply but before she could reply, Ushijima had spoken for her; “A guest of the Miya family. And her companion.”</p>
<p>A tense moment passed as the guard gave Ushijima a long, disapproving look. “You would do well to keep <em>guests</em> out of the palace, Wakatoshi. You know things are tense around here.”</p>
<p>“I do.” Ushijima nodded. “Likewise you should do well to not harass those guests, especially when they are in the company of companions more than capable of killing you.”</p>
<p>“We’d strike that kitten down no issue.” He puffed out his chest.</p>
<p>“I wasn’t talking about the lion.” Ushijima uttered.</p>
<p>Kiyoko watched as the guard snorted, shaking his head, and deciding that this wasn’t a fight he wanted to have. He turned away and directed his men to leave them be. Ushijima waited until they were out of earshot before turning back to Kiyoko.</p>
<p>“I apologise for the deception.” He gestured for her to keep walking with him.</p>
<p>“Don’t worry about it, we lie through our teeth on a regular basis.” She smiled, tugging Lev to walk with them.</p>
<p>Ushijima smiled slightly as they continued in silence. He took them down a hallway they hadn’t seen before, it was equally regal in appearance like every royal palace was statues and paintings decorated its length, braziers and torches illuminating what the daylight streaming through the windows did not. Soon they took an abrupt left into what seemed to be a servant’s passageway. Ushijima didn’t seem bothered in the slightest as the narrow hallway felt a tad too small for his large frame. Kiyoko followed diligently, wondering where he was taking her exactly.</p>
<p>After descending two sets of stairs, passing several branching off hallways and doors to rooms of varying natures, they came to a large iron gate. He took a key from his belt and unlocked it without an explanation. Beyond the gate was a windowless room, a set of stone steps led up to another door. The room she found herself in didn’t lend itself to any specific purpose; there were barrels stored to one side, wooden shelves lay empty as they lined the right-hand wall. Only a lonely torch illuminated the far side of the room as Ushijima locked the gate behind them.</p>
<p>“Where are we?”</p>
<p>“Under the Miya family home.” Ushijima replied. “The house recently acquired the connection to the palace for security reasons.”</p>
<p>Lev’s ears twitched as Ushijima moved towards the staircase. Kiyoko wasn’t going to ask how recently this connection to the palace was ‘acquired’. She followed him up the stairs and into a hallway that led into the main foyer of the manor. She almost expected one or both of the twins to appear and question what was going on but then she realised they probably already knew.</p>
<p>“Do you wish to be accompanied back?” Ushijima asked as they stood next to the main doors.</p>
<p>She smiled. “Thanks for the offer, but I think I’ll be okay now.”</p>
<p>He half-bowed. “Of course. Tell your leaders that myself and Aone will be dropping by later.”</p>
<p>“Will do. And thanks again.”</p>
<p>He opened the door for her and Lev to leave. With a final nod in parting, she took to the streets once more. It was early afternoon by now, so much had already happened that day and she would bet gold that there would be even more chaos before night fell. But that was the way the Brotherhood liked it.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>For anyone who's curious, I just finished drafting the final climax and it's wild. My brain hurts. I'm very tired now. 😂</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0045"><h2>45. An Error Of Judgement</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>XLV</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>An Error of Judgement</strong>
</p>
<p>By midmorning, Tobio and Hinata finally got up and graced the world with their presence. Hearing that Daichi was now gone and Kuroo was in charge didn’t sit well with Tobio but he didn’t voice it. The reasoning for Daichi being gone was more troubling to him, even if Hinata assured him that Goshiki wasn’t a threat to him directly. If he understood the situation, this was beyond whether he or Tooru were in danger now, this was bigger than them.</p>
<p>“But if Akiteru gets hold of him—”</p>
<p>“That’s why Daichi’s with him!” Hinata insisted. Tobio pouted at him, making Asahi chuckle slightly. “Daichi’s like the best swordsman I know— no offence Asahi.”</p>
<p>“I am an <em>axeman</em>.” Asahi stated with a smile as Tobio sighed and rolled his eyes.</p>
<p>They were joined in the backroom by Kindaichi and Moniwa, the rest of the guild was being put to work by Suga until Kuroo returned. Semi had long left with Kunimi and Yaku to try and figure out where Ennoshita was being held. Kenma had taken it upon himself to try and put all their knowledge together in one long account so they could at least officially present it to someone at some point. Though how he was meant to explain that half of their information came from mage visions and speculation was beyond him.</p>
<p>“So, Kuroo’s in charge but he’s not even here?” Tobio asked, looking pointedly to Kindaichi and Moniwa. “Where’s Suga?”</p>
<p>“Explaining it all to Tooru upstairs.” Kindaichi replied. “Iwaizumi’s gone out apparently.”</p>
<p>“Out.” Tobio scowled.</p>
<p>“Hey don’t give me that look, I’m just a stable boy.” Kindaichi shrugged. “I know nothin’.”</p>
<p>“And half the guild is busy with other things?”</p>
<p>“Well Semi’s about to drag everyone into a rescue mission, so yeah.” Moniwa offered. “Something about the Tsukishimas holding a friend of his hostage?”</p>
<p>Tobio shook his head, rubbing his face with his hands. “Can everything just calm the fuck down for like two days?”</p>
<p>Hinata reached out and took his hand, a gesture that didn’t go unnoticed. Tobio huffed slightly as he allowed Hinata to hold his hand within both of his and smiled warmly at him. “We’ve faced crazier, we just gotta keep our cool.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, I just wish I knew what was going on in the moment and not <em>hours</em> afterwards!”</p>
<p>“Welcome to the Brotherhood.” Kindaichi remarked. “It takes hours, sometimes days for everyone to get back on the same page. Heck there’s been weeks when I’ve been in the dark about some of the shit that’s happened; just tending to the horses day in and out means I miss out on all the gossip until Akira lets it slip.”</p>
<p>“And you’re okay with that?” Tobio asked.</p>
<p>“Well, like I said, I’m just a stable boy.” Kindaichi chuckled. “If I was king, then yeah I’d be annoyed about it. Reality is I can’t do much about half of it anyway, so why get worked up?”</p>
<p>Hinata was nodding in agreement as Kenma walked through the open doors. He took notice of the handholding but didn’t say anything as he met Hinata’s gaze. The static feeling had hung around the manor all morning thus far, it hadn’t grown or faded once Hinata woke up which troubled Kenma slightly. “Ah, can I have a word?”</p>
<p>“Oooh Shoyo’s in trouble.” Moniwa remarked.</p>
<p>“Am not!” Hinata defended, despite not knowing what Kenma actually wanted to talk to him about. Kenma shook his head in confirmation but beckoned him over. Hinata reluctantly left Tobio’s side to follow Kenma into the parlour. He clasped his hands together, fidgeting slightly as he waited for Kenma to elaborate on what he wanted. A moment of silence passed between them as Kenma looked him up and down, almost like he was scrutinising him.</p>
<p>“Do you feel different today?”</p>
<p>Hinata blinked. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, no. There was the always present itching from his scars but there was nothing <em>different</em>. “No?”</p>
<p>A gentle tilt of Kenma’s head told Hinata that Kenma had already made his mind up about something. “I should look at those scars of yours, properly.”</p>
<p>“Uh, sure, yes.” Hinata nodded quickly, glancing back to where Tobio was still sat with the others. Kenma nodded to the doorway prompting Hinata to follow him.</p>
<p>Once in a private room, he stripped off his shirt so Kenma could once again look at the scars that littered his chest. The runestone bumped against blemished skin as he shivered in the cool room. Kenma took a long look at the wounds; they were pale but otherwise not showing any sign of strange side effects. That didn’t explain the static feeling in the air though.</p>
<p>“So, you don’t feel like anything changed?”</p>
<p>“What do you mean?” Hinata wasn’t sure what Kenma was getting at.</p>
<p>Kenma took a step back, gaze still skating over the marks. “Earlier we- Lev, Noya and I, all became aware of this weird…charged feeling in the air.”</p>
<p>Hinata blinked. “So?”</p>
<p>“I traced it back to you.”</p>
<p>“Me?”</p>
<p>“Yes you.” Kenma met Hinata’s gaze. “And I don’t know why.”</p>
<p>“Oh.” Hinata’s hand went to hold his runestone. “Huh…”</p>
<p>“But then it got me thinking about a conversation I had with that Ukai dude.” He didn’t want to scare Hinata, but dancing around the subject wouldn’t help either, so he just came out with it; recounting the conversation about how Goshiki’s tattoos formed and the idea that runestone dust could be dangerous. “So your runestones shattering may have done a similar thing.” He summarised.</p>
<p>To his credit, Hinata didn’t freak out. Then again being told that his scars might be trying to kill him was probably fairly low on the list of ‘weird things to happen to him’. He poked at one of his scars, it didn’t do anything remotely similar to Goshiki’s tattoos which was a blessing.</p>
<p>“So now what?”</p>
<p>That wasn’t the first question Kenma anticipated. He did however have a theory he wanted to test. The one variable that had been constant between the runestones shattering and present-day was the solitary surviving stone that hung around Hinata’s neck. The circlet with the pure stone was barely worn, no other stones had been given to or worn by him. Kenma had loosely thought that the only reason the scars hadn’t started to seriously harm Hinata was because there was still a stone channelling the excess energy.</p>
<p>“Will you humour me and test a theory?”</p>
<p>“Sure.”</p>
<p>“Take off your runestone.”</p>
<p>If Hinata was uncertain, he didn't show it. He gently took hold of the twine that never left his neck and lifted it up. He held the necklace out for Kenma to take. As it left his grasp, he felt his stomach drop. It was like he had come to the edge of a cliff and peered over the edge to see the churning ocean below.</p>
<p>“You okay?” Kenma asked.</p>
<p>“I…think so.” He lied.</p>
<p>The nervous energy that swept over him was slightly less foreign. He looked at his hands, almost expecting elements to burst forth without prompting. A dull throbbing was making itself known in his chest, not unlike the one he usually felt from time to time but it felt stronger.</p>
<p>“Could you summon your flames?” Kenma asked, still holding the runestone within reach, not attempting to keep him from grabbing it if he felt like he needed to.</p>
<p>He nodded. His hands were trembling a little as he splayed his fingers. With a simple snap of his fingers, bright orange flames ignited. Throbbing turned to harsh stinging. Kenma saw how the pale scars began to glow a pale orange colour.</p>
<p>Hinata glanced down and seemed to notice this change. He let out a shaky laugh.</p>
<p>“Hah…I-I guess you’re right? I have…” His fingers were twitching as flames continued to flicker. The glow continued to brighten as he cleared his throat. “It hurts.”</p>
<p>“How bad?”</p>
<p>“Just stinging.” He grimaced. “Like…thorns scratching against me.”</p>
<p>The vibrant orange deepened in hue, colour shifting abruptly as the stinging grew in intensity. As the physical pain was front and centre, he started getting flashes of something else. He squeezed his eyes shut and saw bursts of colour clashing with one another, the deafening roar of a beast came from nowhere and prompted him to force his eyes open to check he hadn’t somehow summoned Hēishān again.</p>
<p>Kenma was watching him with concern and curiosity in equal measure. The runestone was still within reach even as his breathing quickened with mild panic. Flames that were once orange now took on a vibrant violet hue, as did his scars.</p>
<p>“…oh no.” Hinata exhaled. He couldn’t describe how he knew, but every rational part of his mind was screaming for him to take the stone back. He couldn’t let this happen. He willed the flames to part. “Give it back.”</p>
<p>Kenma immediately thrust the stone into Hinata’s grasp, yanking his own back so he didn’t get caught by the fire. Within moments of Hinata’s fingers curling around the stone, the pain subsided. The stone began to heat up as he held it tightly.</p>
<p>A few moments passed, the purple flames obeyed his will to vanish. He panted as the scars remained aglow. Kenma gave him space for a short while, enough for him to be sure he was in control of himself, before stepping close enough to hug him.</p>
<p>“I suppose asking if you’re okay is a dumb question.”</p>
<p>Hinata huffed, burying his face in Kenma’s shoulder. “Sorta…” He squeezed the stone, almost sure he could feel it pulsing.</p>
<p>“If it’s any consolation, being right doesn’t feel that great.”</p>
<p>There was a weak laugh. Hinata pulled back and slipped the twine over his head. Feeling the runestone bump against his chest put him more at ease. The glow had faded from the scars finally, the stinging and throbbing had eased. He wondered what Kenma was going to suggest now as he pulled his shirt back on.</p>
<p>“Why’d it turn purple?” Kenma asked, catching Hinata off guard a little.</p>
<p>“I uhm, I mean, I guess it’s to do with the void…or something.” He shrugged. “I’m not sure?”</p>
<p>“So you still wield the void element.”</p>
<p>“Well yeah I used it to talk to Akaashi.”</p>
<p>“<em>Huh</em>?” Kenma’s previously blank expression shifted to confused. “When did that happen?”</p>
<p>“Oh when I was in…prison? Like, I remember waaaaaay back when Kiyoko was still a dragon, how Akaashi heard Kuroo’s call for help except it was…” he realised Kenma had little to no idea what he was getting at so he sped up his explanation. “Basically I figured if I’m like, so powerful now, that if I focused really hard I could talk to Akaashi through the void because like empaths deal with the void—”</p>
<p>“And no-one told me this why?” Kenma muttered more to himself. “You spoke to Akaashi through the void.”</p>
<p>“Uh. Yes?” Hinata felt a little guilty for not telling Kenma but in all honesty that was one of the less important details of the past few days.</p>
<p>“And…did you have to tap into the void entirely or just—”</p>
<p>“I just focused on him.” Hinata shrugged. “And…yeah?”</p>
<p>Kenma figured he’d have to talk to Akaashi personally about this. Though it did raise some other questions. If an elemental mage <em>could</em> tap into the void and use it just as an empath would, even just on a basic communication level, what else could be achieved?</p>
<p>“And this was the first time you did it?”</p>
<p>“Well I certainly didn’t <em>try</em> to do it before the battle if that’s what you’re asking.”</p>
<p>“Not exactly but still,” Kenma folded his arms across his chest, “tapping into the void isn’t easy is it? You have to concentrate on negativity, right?”</p>
<p>Hinata nodded. “At least the first few times? Now I just…” he looked at his hand, “but that’s because I’m...well <em>me</em>.”</p>
<p>Kenma gave him a small smile. “What I’m saying is, if someone were too…force it upon a less powerful mage than you…what do you think would happen?”</p>
<p>Hinata wasn’t sure why Kenma was asking <em>him</em>. He wasn’t the expert on it, he could just manipulate it to his advantage. Though thinking about it, he was the one person to speak to Hēishān and be told it even existed. He huffed in thought, rubbing the back of his neck.</p>
<p>“I guess…if they weren’t expecting it, they’d be scared. And given how much Hēishān warned me against losing myself to it…it’s possible they’d go a bit crazy?”</p>
<p>“Crazy enough to unhinge and burn down a district?”</p>
<p>Realisation struck Hinata. Kenma raised an eyebrow as he watched it dawn on Hinata why he was asking all of these questions.</p>
<p>“I guess.” Hinata murmured. The idea of that being forced upon someone made his skin crawl. “But…” he scratched at his scars mindlessly. “If that did happen, then he’s not okay. He needs help. The void can and will claim any who let it…it doesn’t discriminate.”</p>
<p>He remembered the way Akaashi had unhinged, the purple streaks around him and how he let vengeance consume his every waking moment. It had been horrible to watch someone he cared about sink that far into what he understood as the darkness. He hoped someone like Goshiki hadn’t been forced into it for someone else’s gain.</p>
<p>“What do you think we should do, about Goshiki I mean.” Kenma asked.</p>
<p>“I don’t know…like,” he frowned, trying to think back over everything Hēishān told him about it, “maybe help him find some sort of balancing…force?”</p>
<p>“Isn’t that just an aura mage thing?”</p>
<p>Hinata shrugged. “Maybe. But it can’t hurt to try? I can’t see anything <em>bad</em> happening because we got him to try and think of happy memories?”</p>
<p>Kenma allowed himself to smile at Hinata’s optimism. “Yeah, hm, well I’ll ask Akaashi when he gets back.”</p>
<p>“Where are Akaashi and Kuroo anyway?”</p>
<p>Kenma could’ve sugar-coated it, but as innocent as Hinata seemed, he had seen just as much shit as the rest of them. “Uh, Akaashi wanted a distraction and Kuroo just happened to be a willing participant.” He smiled. “Basically they’re in a tavern room somewhere having sex.”</p>
<p>Hinata’s face flushed red as he nervously laughed. Kenma said nothing else as he opened the door and stepped out into the hallway just in time to see Iwaizumi arrive at the top of the stairs. They shared a nod in greeting before Iwaizumi disappeared into Tooru’s room. Kenma thanked his ancestors that he didn’t really need to interact with the other king. Handling Tobio was bad enough. They both returned to the backroom where Shirabu was telling the others about this meeting with the twins. Tobio seemed sceptical of everything the twins were claiming; that they were actually making secret passageways and ensuring Yachi could escape. He actually laughed at the idea of them talking to Kyoutani about any of it, let alone the idea of Kyoutani offering help.</p>
<p>“Eh I dunno,” Asahi shrugged, “I can see Kyoutani offering her refuge. I can imagine Aoi being a fearless protector.”</p>
<p>“It’ll be like those fables of princesses guarded by dragons.” Moniwa remarked.</p>
<p>“Except Kyoutani is also there and it’s definitely not weird at all.” Tobio scoffed, perking up as Hinata sat next to him. He gave him a curious look, almost as if to ask what the private conversation was about but Hinata shrugged it off.</p>
<p>The conversation turned to more mundane things, catching each other up on where everyone else was; Daichi and Ukai having left a while ago now, Semi, Kunimi and Yaku not long after them. Bokuto and Tanaka were probably going to return from the blacksmith’s at sundown, Kuroo and Akaashi would get back whenever they deigned to.</p>
<p>“And Kiyoko took Lev to the imperial palace.”</p>
<p>Shirabu did a double-take. “I’m sorry did you just say—”</p>
<p>“She took a lion to the empress, yup.”</p>
<p>“Is she mad? Is Suga mad for letting her go?”</p>
<p>Kenma snorted. “You seem under the impression she needs permission to do things. She’s a battle-maiden and I dunno about you, but her skills with a sword scare me.”</p>
<p>Asahi nodded. “Can confirm, she’s scary,” he nervously laughed, “in a nice way!”</p>
<p>A laugh was shared between them all before Shirabu doubled back to his question. “So Kiyoko took Lev to the palace…why?”</p>
<p>Kenma shrugged. “I don’t know everything. Which is what Tobio was lamenting about earlier.”</p>
<p>Tobio pouted at the mention. “Look, is it too much to ask that people actually tell me things?”</p>
<p>“I mean, if you got up early like the rest of us commoners, maybe you’d know more.” Shirabu smirked.</p>
<p>Tobio wasn’t sure if he should actually be offended or not. Judging by the laughter from the others, he figured it was the latter. He allowed himself to chuckle slightly, catching everyone a little off guard but in a nice way. In all the weeks of doom and gloom, it was nice to laugh at the little things.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Semi was restless as he sat at the table in the Lavender Hall. Yaku and Kunimi sat with him, having ordered a round of drinks. Yaku had remembered Daichi mentioning this place and figured it would be a good place to take a breather after scouring the backstreets of the city all morning. The barkeep was friendly enough without being nosey and it was nice to be in a drinking hole that didn’t stink of ale and piss. The welcoming aroma of lavender actually helped ease Semi’s nerves a little.</p>
<p>“All we’ve concluded so far so that he’s not in an obvious place.” Semi grumbled into his drink. “We’re running out of time.”</p>
<p>Yaku nodded, swirling his tankard around. “I’m gonna be honest, there’s too much ground to cover. Even if we had the entire guild on it, we’d be up against it.”</p>
<p>“Alright try this,” Kunimi spoke up, “if we were them, where would we hold a hostage where we’d know a group of lunatics could find them?”</p>
<p>“What?” Yaku scowled.</p>
<p>“The letter, it was blatantly baiting us to bust this guy out, so they must have him somewhere we could find him.” Kunimi reiterated. “They want a show. They want to taunt us.”</p>
<p>Semi nodded. “I get you. And yeah, that sounds like Kei.” He furrowed his brow in thought. Aside from the palace dungeons he couldn’t think of anywhere that wouldn’t be obvious. He pulled out the letter again, rereading it as Yaku continued to drain his tankard. It was such a taunting letter but it also held clues; the invitation to send his ‘new family’ after them. The mention of Tobio and Tooru’s vengeance. The way it was just signed with their family name.</p>
<p>“You only ever met Kei in his manor, right?” Yaku abruptly asked.</p>
<p>“Yeah.”</p>
<p>“That’s too well guarded,” Kunimi shook his head. “I mean I know we broke into the dungeon but still.”</p>
<p>Semi thought it over. The manor didn’t strike him as a place to hold hostages. There was however another place that he spoke to Kei. “Fuck.”</p>
<p>Both Yaku and Kunimi looked at him in curiosity. The latter daring to ask; “What is it?”</p>
<p>“He took me to the old district, to that tavern that was blown open.” Semi set the letter down and propped up his head with his hands. “That’s the only other place I can think of.”</p>
<p>“Old district huh. That doesn’t make much sense but I guess it would be easy to hide him there, no-one but us ever goes in there.”</p>
<p>Yaku nodded. “And it would be easy to leave a body there.”</p>
<p>Semi stood up. “Let’s go.”</p>
<p>“Whoa now.” Yaku remained seated. “No. Not until we speak to Kuroo.”</p>
<p>“But he’s—”</p>
<p>“We speak to Kuroo first.” Yaku stated. “Daichi said not to do anything until we’ve spoken to Kuroo.”</p>
<p>Semi’s scowl did little to convince Yaku to change his mind. “Can we at least go and see if there’s any obvious signs of change?”</p>
<p>Kunimi didn’t know if that was a good idea. Semi was very emotionally charged, then again, only a few days ago he was in the same position and he didn’t let anyone talk him out of it. Sure, he had waited until an opportune moment to act, but he still did it mostly alone. He looked at Yaku with a sympathetic smile. “Oi, come on Morisuke, if it was me or one of the others being held, you’d want to at least try and get as much information, right?”</p>
<p>Yaku was a little put out at Kunimi taking Semi’s side, but he did have a point. He was just concerned that they were playing right into the hands of the Tsukishimas. His gut feeling was to retreat and regroup with the others, but at the same time, it couldn’t hurt to take a quick trip into the old district to see if anything had changed.</p>
<p>“Alright.” He sighed. “But don’t get any bright ideas.”</p>
<p>Sensing victory, Semi smiled, “shall we go then?”</p>
<p>They finished their drinks and bid farewell to the barkeep. The midday sun shone brightly above them as they walked through the central circle. The usual hustle and bustle of activity settled Yaku’s nerve a little as they came to the gateway to the old district. It was empty as usual, Kunimi remembered the woman he and Kiyoko had come into contact with on their first trip into the district and wondered if she was still lurking around. That was pushed from his mind as they left the noise of the city behind and surrounded themselves with the silence. There was a small shred of comfort in that Daichi and Ukai weren’t <em>that</em> far away if things did go wrong. But that was a double-edged sword. Daichi was in the academy specifically to protect Goshiki from the Tsukishimas, leading them straight to him was the exact opposite of the plan.</p>
<p>The main street of the district would lead them straight to the tavern. For this reason, Yaku demanded they take a stealthier approach; taking a side street that curved around so they could at least get the drop on any ambushes. Semi didn’t argue with this, nodding along. The silence between them continued as they got closer, Kunimi decided to get a better vantage point by entering the severely damaged buildings - even if Yaku gave him a very unimpressed look for his disregard for safety. As he climbed through the ruins to the roof, Kunimi tried to ignore the creaking and popping of wood under his weight. He wasn’t afraid of heights, but buildings collapsing around him? Yeah that was a pretty rational fear for even the most experienced of their kind.</p>
<p>Once on the roof, or what was left of it, he picked through the rafters and prayed to every deity and ancestor that they didn’t splinter beneath him. He made his way along the row of buildings that flanked the main street. It was surprisingly windy, carrying ashes and the smell of smoke around the district even after all this time. It made him almost lose his balance a few times, he got the feeling that he’d be in for a hell of a lecture from Yaku once they got back. He got to the last building in the row, clinging to the main joist of the roof to keep himself from toppling off.</p>
<p>Beneath him he could see the tavern, he reckoned he could make the jump to the roof and only sustain a minor joint pain. Not that he intended to <em>try</em>. From where he was perched, he could see the ruined tavern perfectly. He waited for a few moments, wondering if they were taking so many precautions for nothing. Then again, they learnt the hard way many times how ill-preparation can lead to disaster. The wind made it hard to discern if he was hearing sounds that shouldn’t be there. He was used to it in a way, but he was a lot higher up than normal. His stomach was starting to turn a little at the swaying his body was doing in order to stay balanced.</p>
<p>In his lapse of concentration, he almost missed the flash of purple within the black and brown ruins. He instinctively reached for one of his throwing knives before realising two things; the first was that the wind would probably fuck up his aim, the second was that he couldn’t be sure these were enemies per se. He waited for more movement. Even if they were dangerous, there was nothing to cause Semi and Yaku to waltz in there. At least he hoped not. Semi was unpredictable at the best of times it seemed. He reminded Kunimi a little too much of Kuroo in many aspects, maybe it was a thing the Serpents left them with.</p>
<p>His patience paid off as through the damaged roof he saw a man pacing around the tavern. He wasn’t wearing armour like a guard, but the purple jerkin stood out. He was certainly of Hinode, Kunimi had to squint to see the flash of steel that indicated a weapon. So there was an armed person, that didn’t seem suspicious <em>at all</em>. He was about to climb down from his vantage point when he heard a commotion to his left. Peering down at the street he saw a cloud of smoke that he knew to be one of Kenma’s smoking bombs that many of them carried. Dread filled him as he heard loud voices, glancing back at the tavern he saw several men heading straight for the smoke cloud.</p>
<p>Of course this would happen.</p>
<p>He quickly began to descend as quietly as he could. The wood creaked in protest as he ducked inside the shell of the building and found a new vantage point. The smoke was clearing and he could see blood on the cobblestones. Two armed men were standing over a crumpled body, Kunimi bit his tongue as he realised it was Yaku. Fear and anger rose quickly and threatened to make him act rashly. As Yaku was hauled to hit feet, Kunimi saw his nose was bloodied. Semi was nowhere to be seen.</p>
<p>“What the fuck are we supposed to do with three of ‘em?” One thug complained as he held Yaku tightly.</p>
<p>“Orders are to keep ‘em alive.” The other replied. “I’ll tell the capt’n. You haul this sorry bastard to the others.”</p>
<p>Kunimi clenched his fist. He could probably take out one of them with surprise, but there was no guarantee they wouldn’t kill Yaku where he stood. He had to watch as they hauled Yaku towards the tavern. He felt a heavier sense of dread rising within him, not only had they disobeyed Daichi’s direct order, but now two of them were being held captive.</p>
<p>Gods now he was <em>really</em> going to get a lecture.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0046"><h2>46. Rising To The Challenge</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>XLVI</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Rising To The Challenge</strong>
</p>
<p>Suga was almost thankful that Kuroo hadn’t returned when Kunimi came scrambling into the manor. <em>Almost</em>. It meant he had time to figure out how to gently inform him of everything. It also meant he was responsible for how the Brotherhood reacted. His first act wasn’t to lecture Kunimi, he already knew he had fucked up, no, Suga’s first act was to summon everyone, and he meant <em>everyone</em> to the parlour. There was the small blessing that both Kiyoko and Tanaka managed to arrive back as the entire manor was convening in the parlour.</p>
<p>“Do I want to know what’s happened?” She asked Suga quietly, letting Lev be taken out of his harness by Kindaichi.</p>
<p>“Short answer, Yaku and Semi are stuck.” Suga replied. “And Kuroo isn’t back yet.”</p>
<p>“Still?!”</p>
<p>Suga sighed heavily, rubbing his face with his hands. “I know, just please Kiyoko, help me out here.”</p>
<p>With Ushijima’s offer of help still in her mind, she nodded. “I can go and get Ushijima and Aone.”</p>
<p>He considered it, as much as having two extra people would help, what he really needed was Kuroo to get back and take control. “Try finding Kuroo first.”</p>
<p>She nodded, pressing a quick kiss to his cheek before immediately leaving once more. There were several raised eyebrows at the interaction but Suga’s serious expression quickly told them this wasn’t a celebratory meeting. Tobio and Tooru were both looking pensive as Asahi closed the doors to the room, sealing everyone inside with their interim leader. Suga let the silence settle for a moment as everyone found a place to sit or stand.</p>
<p>“Alright, I’m just gonna get to the point;” he stated in a blunt manner, “Semi and Yaku got captured in the old district. We don’t know by who, but we’re assuming they work for the Tsukishimas. Kuroo is still out, Kiyoko has gone to try and find him and Akaashi. Failing that, she’ll ask Ushijima and Aone for help.”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi raised a hand, Suga gave him a nod to go ahead. “I gather this is a Brotherhood centric issue, so what can we do to help?”</p>
<p>“I am merely keeping you in the loop.” Suga replied. “This act makes it clear to me at least that the Brotherhood is now being targeted. Which means both kings are in feasible danger. I saw it fit to not keep this fact from you.”</p>
<p>Tooru nodded, exchanging a glance with Tobio. The latter was frowning, clearly deep in thought as Suga fielded a question from Nishinoya; “So what are we gonna do?”</p>
<p>Suga shrugged. “Daichi’s orders are to follow Kuroo’s instructions. Granted he’s not even aware of this entire shift in command, so if he doesn’t get his ass back here soon, I’ll have to make that call. At the moment, I feel the only way we’ll get them back without causing a massive ordeal is to infiltrate and kill the perpetrators.”</p>
<p>“Kill.” Nishinoya repeated. “Just some hired thugs?”</p>
<p>“If Akiteru wants to make a statement, I’ll make one myself.”</p>
<p>The chilling bluntness to his answer signalled a shift in Suga’s mood on the entire situation. Whilst some had seen this side of him plenty of times, it had been a while since he was in such a situation that he needed to be brutal. He let out a small sigh as the silence felt far too heavy.</p>
<p>“That’s all I need to share right now, obviously once Kuroo gets back he’ll be briefed on everything and he’ll decide how we’ll proceed and who will be needed. Until then, no-one leaves the manor.”</p>
<p>No-one had any arguments. Tobio and Tooru exchanged a fresh glance as the Brotherhood disbanded, Suga notably left the room quickly. Tanaka took it upon himself to follow the other, understanding that there were precious few left of the leadership and he needed to talk to someone. He found Suga in the dining room staring out the front window, arms folded across his chest. He didn’t look like the calm, serene Suga that Tanaka knew, he seemed on edge and two seconds away from snapping.</p>
<p>“I’m fine.” He stated as soon as Tanaka entered the room. “I just need Kuroo to get his ass back here.”</p>
<p>Tanaka held up his hands in surrender. “I dunno, you sounded pretty cold.” He remarked. “Are you sure you don’t need—”</p>
<p>“I said all I needed to say. It’s not my place to make plans right now. I just need to keep us all alive until Kuroo gets back.”</p>
<p>Tanaka raised his eyebrows as he clasped his hands behind his back. “May I…suggest something?”</p>
<p>“What?”</p>
<p>“Your infiltration idea, sound logic but I don’t know if that’ll…work.” He sucked in a sharp breath. “It’s not a bad idea, but thinking about where they are, what the history is…”</p>
<p>“Get to the point.”</p>
<p>“It’s a trap.” Tanaka stated. “I feel like this is a big, trap.” He shook his head. “A ruined tavern in the middle of a district? A place known to have bodies already in it? A place that’s liable to collapse at a moment’s notice? C’mon Suga, you can see how dangerous any direct attack is.”</p>
<p>Suga huffed. “It’s only a basic idea—”</p>
<p>“And I’m saying we should take them on at their own game.” Tanaka cut in. “We use mages.”</p>
<p>“How? By blowing up their manor?”</p>
<p>“No!” Tanaka huffed. “Hinata is a freaking aura mage. He’s gotta have something useful that he doesn’t even know about. Kenma’s a freaking genius and Nishinoya can summon storms. Then we have Inuoka the ice master and Shirabu the sassy little shit that can pretty much get away with murder.” Tanaka stepped closer. “We have these talents at our disposal, let’s utilise them.”</p>
<p>“It’s up to Kuroo—”</p>
<p>“And he’ll listen to you. Because he respects you as a tactician.” Tanaka playfully punched his arm. “Stop thinking like you gotta be the next Daichi, no-one can be Daichi but <em>Daichi</em>. You’re a hunter Suga, think like one! How would you trap a bear, or single out a stag? How do you hunt a monster like Akiteru?”</p>
<p>Suga shrugged almost dismissively, prompting Tanaka to punch his arm a little more forcefully. If he was annoyed, he wasn’t saying it as he rolled his eyes. “I guess, figure out if there’s any signs of a trap. If this is just a distraction for something else…”</p>
<p>“Good good,” Tanaka nodded supportively, “and then?”</p>
<p>Suga continued his train of thought. “Split the guild in two; those who would be useful and those who would be better suited to remain and sure up defences.”</p>
<p>“And?”</p>
<p>He frowned slightly. “And?”</p>
<p>Tanaka chuckled. “You ask everyone to do their best, yet you’d already know we’d be doing our best because that’s just how we are.” He grinned as Suga finally looked his way. “We survived the Battle of the Dynasty, we can wipe out some of Akiteru’s little henchmen.”</p>
<p>Tanaka’s confidence did make Suga feel a little less hopeless. That didn’t change the fact that they were stuck with two of their own and an innocent bystander in the clutches of another. He forced a smile as he nodded in agreement.</p>
<p>“Thanks Ryuu.” He reached out and set a hand on Tanaka’s shoulder. “I needed that.”</p>
<p>Tanaka sheepishly shrugged. “It’s nothing! Just doing what you’ve done for the rest of us plenty of times.” He continued grinning.</p>
<p>The door to the manor burst open, Kuroo stepped into the foyer and immediately found Suga’s gaze. Akaashi and Kiyoko were close behind but it was Kuroo who approached Suga first; his face red like he had sprinted all the way here. “Tell me what happened.”</p>
<p>And Suga did just that.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Daichi sat on the floor of Goshiki’s room in the academy. Ukai sat with him, a deck of well-used playing cards was being shuffled by the former. Goshiki looked back and forth in curiosity as Daichi began dealing cards out. Given that they didn’t know how long they’d be here, Daichi had figured that gently easing Goshiki into normal social activities wouldn’t go amiss. Besides, you can learn a lot about a person by how they play cards. Ukai had been eager to do something that wasn’t related to rogue mages, conspiracies against the throne or anything in between.</p>
<p>Of course light conversation was hard to come by, everything eventually led back to Goshiki’s experience with the Tsukishima brothers. So Daichi had taken it upon himself to tell them both stories from his childhood, then his early teenage years and was now well on his way to explaining the guild’s origin story, including the drunken ship-stealing incident. He had both of them laughing at his account of Kuroo swinging a battle-axe around a tiny schooner and nearly falling into the ocean.</p>
<p>“You guys sound like lunatics.” Goshiki remarked as he set down a card.</p>
<p>“Would you believe that you’re not the first to say that about us?”</p>
<p>“<em>What</em>,” Goshiki pretended to be shocked, “after all the antics you’ve described so far? How could I not be the first?”</p>
<p>Ukai’s loud laugh made Daichi crack up. “Wow kid, you got some sass on you.”</p>
<p>Daichi snorted. “Might give Kunimi a run for his money if you keep that up.”</p>
<p>“Yeah?” Goshiki smiled slightly, it was a small gesture but it made Daichi feel like they were getting somewhere. “Who’s in your guild? Like, are you all mages or what?”</p>
<p>Daichi considered the hand in front of him, he was losing and if he was going to guess who was winning it was probably Ukai. “Well, we have a few mages yeah, but we have some impressive warriors too. A few more…sneaky individuals, and then some incredibly normal people.”</p>
<p>“Normal people?”</p>
<p>“A blacksmith and a stable boy, oh and the scholar.” Daichi shrugged. “See we’re not all lunatics…well…” He snorted.</p>
<p>Ukai shook his head. “From what I’ve seen of your little Brotherhood, it feels like a lot of solid bonds exist between you all. I wouldn’t think so many…characters, would find common ground. Yet you manage it.”</p>
<p>Daichi was happy to hear that honestly. “I think the key to it all has been to know we can disagree on many things but when it counts, we’re there for each other. We don’t judge for the actions of the past, we just move on and tackle the issues head-on.” He looked to Goshiki. “Kuroo and I always said that we would give anyone a second chance if they wanted it.”</p>
<p>Goshiki nodded, seeming to take the sentiment on board. Daichi didn’t want to feel like he was insisting Goshiki join them, he was just making sure that after all this was said and done, Goshiki knew he’d have somewhere he was welcome.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Kuroo had a lot of feelings. Was he mad? Yes. Was he scared? Yes. Was he more than a little confused? Yes. This had started as a fairly good day but now seemed to be on a journey to the fiery depths of hell. Akaashi pinched the bridge of his nose as he processed the amount of stupid that had occurred. Truthfully, neither could blame Yaku or Kunimi for letting Semi suggest what he did. They could’ve exercised more caution, true, but without knowing exactly what happened, it was hard to say if they were at fault. Kunimi could only say so much and until they got back in touch with either of them, it was a guessing game.</p>
<p>Now Kuroo had to focus on the task at hand, getting them back in one piece. At the mention of Ennoshita, he had tensed up a little. He confessed he knew of the name and the story associated with it; that he was a good kid that got wrapped up in the darker side but not by choice and the blood on his hands was at the order of other people. He wasn’t sure what to make of the either of the Tsukishimas finding him. Them getting him to the empire was a feat in itself. It had to have been in place before the Brotherhood even got there. There was no way Kei had made this happen on a whim.</p>
<p>“So, what’s the plan?” Suga asked Kuroo. “Tanaka’s already suggested one, I have another. But what do you think?”</p>
<p>Kuroo honestly hadn’t thought much into it. He knew they couldn’t just charge in there, that was how people got killed. He also knew that they’d be expecting an ambush. He agreed with Suga that this was probably meant to be a statement of sorts. That this was going to be a way for Akiteru to villainise them. He wouldn’t be wrong, after all they were a guild of assassins. However they had tried to turn their image around and so this felt like a slap in the face, an attempt to drag them back to their origins.</p>
<p>“I think,” he murmured, “that Tanaka is right. We have mages that are powerful in their own right.” He looked to Akaashi. “Akiteru had made it obvious he hates mages, at least ones that aren’t him and Kei, so I say we stick it to him where it hurts.”</p>
<p>“Elementals?” Akaashi asked. “Hinata?”</p>
<p>Kuroo shook his head. “No Hinata is too risky. The others though, Nishinoya and Inuoka. A coordinated blast on the front guard would put them on the back foot.” He gestured to the air as he thought quickly. “Then we have the likes of Suga and Kunimi poised to make ranged attacks. And then Bokuto and I go from the front. Kiyoko can sneak in the back with you and Tanaka and the others can just be on standby here.”</p>
<p>Suga had to admit, for a plan made up within moments, it was a good one. It left them with options, varying skills were being used. There was just a minor problem.</p>
<p>“What if this is a trap? Like a distraction?”</p>
<p>Kuroo inhaled sharply. That was an avenue of a possibility. He couldn’t be sure that they wouldn’t attack the manor whilst they were out. So he’d have to cover all the bases. “Well, Iwaizumi and Asahi will be here, as will Hinata and Yamamoto. We can always get Ushijima and Aone I guess? I think it might be unnecessary.”</p>
<p>Suga nodded. “I’d rather be safe than sorry.”</p>
<p>Kuroo smiled, it was forced, a forced optimism almost. “Alright. We do this tonight. That gives us…three hours of sunlight to get prepared.” He glanced around the empty parlour. “Where’s Bo?”</p>
<p>“Still at the forge.” Suga replied. “I can get Kiyoko to fetch him on her way to summon Ushijima and Aone.”</p>
<p>“Good. Do that.” Kuroo nodded. As Suga left to go and spread the news around of the plan and who was needed. Kuroo sighed heavily and rubbed his face. Akaashi reached out and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.</p>
<p>“We got this.”</p>
<p>“Fuck we don’t.” Kuroo sighed a little quieter. “Gods what the fuck was Semi thinking?”</p>
<p>“Semi was probably thinking that he’s responsible for all of it.” Akaashi reasoned. “That letter seemed to say it all; that because he didn’t kill me, Kei thought he was a loss worth cutting off. But because it’s <em>Kei.</em> He has to have the last word.”</p>
<p>Kuroo huffed. “I don’t like it one bit.”</p>
<p>“No. But all it’ll mean for now is that we try to get him back before it’s too late.”</p>
<p>Kuroo shook his head. “This is gonna cause a freaking storm in the palace. Akiteru is gonna—”</p>
<p>Akaashi forcefully took him by the shoulders and made him meet his gaze. “Don’t think about that. That isn’t our fight. That’s Tobio and Tooru’s fight. We’re here to assist but ultimately protect ourselves.” He sternly said. “Tetsurou, Semi was your friend once, and I dare say you’ve begun to see him like that again, so forget about politics that seem to hate us and focus on what we’ve been building this entire time; The Brotherhood.”</p>
<p>He laughed weakly, getting a little emotional. “Now you’re beginning to sound like Daichi,”</p>
<p>Akaashi smiled. “Is that a bad thing?”</p>
<p>“No,” Kuroo smiled back, “just an observation.”</p>
<p>“Good. Well let’s get on with this preparation that’s needed and hope to hell Semi isn’t trash-talking the guards.”</p>
<p>“Gods don’t even suggest that.” Kuroo groaned. “Though Yaku is with him so maybe he’ll keep his mouth shut. And if Chikara is there too…he might be less inclined to be stupid.”</p>
<p>Akaashi nodded. “So, I’ll go and find Nishinoya and the others. I’ll work with them to come up with a plan whilst you coordinate with the others.”</p>
<p>Kuroo was thankful that he had Akaashi around. As much as he was the one often providing the other with a reassuring presence, it went both ways. He watched as Akaashi set off to locate their friends. He sighed heavily, he was fine taking the lead but he wished Daichi had given him a bit more of a heads up. Now he was facing another momentous challenge; just as he had gotten rid of one snake in his life, another took its place. The one thought that gave him solace was that once this was over, once Kei and Akiteru had been stopped, there was nothing left. There were no further ghosts in his past. He would finally be free from this torture.</p>
<p>Thoughts of the future would have to wait, he needed to focus on that night. They were going to step out from the shadows and reveal themselves for what they were; a family that stopped at nothing to protect one another. Some called them murders, some called them vigilantes. Both were accurate, but they had tried to shake the former.</p>
<p>Assassins. Those who took lives in exchange for gold. He wished it hadn’t been so easy to get used to the sensation of feeling life slip from a body. He never remembered all the names. He knew they had records of each contract, each life ended by their blades. He told himself that each one of them had done something wrong to validate his actions. But every time he repeated that to himself, he asked what those innocents in that shipment had done to deserve their fate.</p>
<p>Who was he to decide who lived and died? He was a nobody. He was a criminal who fooled kings and nobles into thinking he was an upstanding citizen. How had he ended up with such caring friends, friends willing to die for one another on a battlefield not one month ago? Friends who now dropped everything and put themselves in danger to save one of their own, and he was expected to lead them.</p>
<p>Through the shadows, they persevered, to the light beyond the darkness. A mantra repeated but it seemed that the darkness never seemed to end for him. Maybe, just maybe, pulling Semi out of the fire would finally balance the scales a little. Saving a life of one who once tried to kill him. He smiled slightly at the simplicity of it.</p>
<p>Shaking himself out of his deep thoughts, he began his own preparations for that evening. He found some parchment and borrowed a stick of charcoal from Kenma and began sketching the floor plan of the tavern from memory. It wasn’t going to be accurate, but it would be enough. Kunimi warily joined him, editing the outer walls a little so they were truer to the ruins. He said nothing as Kuroo studied the rough drawing.</p>
<p>“So it’s one large room here,” he pointed to the main section of the tavern, “then a hallway goes back to the storerooms…”</p>
<p>Kunimi nodded along. “There were at least five thugs. Probably more inside.”</p>
<p>Kuroo hummed, making markings to indicate where he would station people to guard prisoners. “They have three people. Would they keep them together or separate them…”</p>
<p>Kunimi shrugged. “Depends what the aim is; keeping them together would require less guards and they can make threats easier. Separating them means they can say or do what they like and get away with it.”</p>
<p>It seemed to Kuroo that this was rather elaborate for a distraction or trap. He was starting to align with Suga’s theory that someone wanted to make a statement. What that statement was would affect how their prisoners fared. There was no ransom yet, no taunting letter had arrived. Kuroo wasn’t sure if he wanted one to.</p>
<p>The silence was broken by Kunimi clearing his throat. “Uh, Kuroo?”</p>
<p>“Hm?” He snapped out of his thoughts and met Kunimi’s gaze. He saw an emotion not expressed by the other very often. Kunimi was king of keeping a poker face, but he looked distraught, eyes were red like he had been crying, cheeks were tear-stained. He looked <em>guilty</em>.</p>
<p>“Hey,” Kuroo clapped a hand on his shoulder, “we’re gonna get them back.”</p>
<p>“They shouldn’t even <em>be</em> there.” Kunimi uttered, inhaling through gritted teeth. “Yaku didn’t want to go. He wanted to wait for you but Semi, Semi just…he just wanted to know and I just—” He cut himself off, inhaling sharply as he tried to keep himself composed. “I sided with Semi. I said ‘hey it couldn’t hurt right?’ and now they’re both—and I would be too if I hadn’t climbed the building and just—”</p>
<p>Kuroo took him by the shoulders, rather than keeping him at arm’s length he pulled Kunimi into a hug. It took a matter of seconds for Kunimi to completely crumble. Guilt was a funny thing. Knowing that he could’ve prevented it if he had said something different, knowing his choice to scale a building meant he made it out and able to alert the others. But he was free and they were not. Kuroo knew that feeling all too well. He held Kunimi as he trembled. He couldn’t hear any sobs but he decided to let him remain however long he needed to.</p>
<p>“We’ll get them back, don’t worry.” Kuroo said. “They’ll be okay.”</p>
<p>He knew Yaku was a stubborn survivor, Semi was used to dealing with ridiculous situations. If anyone could survive getting roughed up it would be them.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>His vision was blurry as he came to. Pain pounded his skull as he tilted his head to try and work out where the fuck he was. He could taste blood but as he tried to speak he realised he had been gagged. Hands were bound behind his back, all his weapons were gone. It was dark and the air around him smelt like smoke. He winced as a bright glow of a torch provided enough light to see his ankles were also bound together.</p>
<p>“Ah sleeping beauty rises.” A gruff voice remarked, the torchlight growing closer. “Glad we didn’t smack you about too much.”</p>
<p>He grunted, vague memories coming back to him as the torch halted. A large man in light armour held it, his face obscured by a hood but the few details he could pick out were the purple cuts of cloth under chainmail and the white eagle feather on a chain.</p>
<p>“Save it,” the man remarked, “you’ll get your turn to talk.”</p>
<p>He was confused. Talk? Talk to who? Before he could make another sound of protest, he heard an outcry from elsewhere, another room perhaps, a cry of pain. His head was still pounding as the reality began to sink in.</p>
<p>“I’m sure the Seeker will want to know everything you can tell him.” The torchbearer said. “And my advice? Just cough up the details. Tell him about your little Brotherhood and he might end your life in a merciful way.”</p>
<p>This was a first for Yaku. Getting caught was a first. Getting caught and interrogated for information was a first. He didn’t know what to think, his head was hurting and his hands bound. He was powerless. He was at their mercy.</p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0047"><h2>47. A Rescue Mission With A Price</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>XLVII</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>A Rescue Mission With A Price</strong>
</p>
<p>Bokuto arrived back at the manor to everyone getting ready for the upcoming mission. He was confused as fuck, to say the least. Kuroo was standing over the table in the dining room; a large piece of parchment stretched out with some sort of floor plan drawn on to with charcoal. He didn’t immediately recognise the building and he wasn’t entirely sure what the reason for it to be there was. As he entered the dining room, he was spotted by Akaashi. Before he could ask what was happening, Akaashi had gently taken him aside to quietly explain the situation.</p>
<p>“Yaku and Semi have been captured to some degree.” He said. “Kunimi saw it happen and is…well, distraught.”</p>
<p>Bokuto nodded. “Sounds…troubling. Know where they are?”</p>
<p>“We think the old tavern. Which obviously is a problem. There’s a lot more to it than I can explain right now.”</p>
<p> Bokuto was immediately on board with whatever plan was already in motion. “So what’s our plan to get them back?”</p>
<p> Akaashi gestured for him to come to the table where Kuroo and Suga seemed to be putting the last details in place. There were various markings on the floor plan, crosses and circles marked up rooms and entry points. Kuroo was using a dagger to gesture to the rooms he was talking about.</p>
<p>“Step one; we get eyes on the building.” Kuroo stated to those gathered; Suga, Kiyoko and Nishinoya. Various others were in the room but not being directly spoken to. “I need someone in the rafters of the surrounding buildings and prepared to react at a moment’s notice. Step two; we cause a distraction at the front of the building, I’m personally thinking we use magic, fire, ice, lightning whatever we have; throw it at the front guard.”</p>
<p>Nishinoya nodded slowly, not voicing any objections, so Kuroo continued.</p>
<p>“Whilst that’s happening, Kiyoko and Tanaka take a back entrance into the tavern; catch them off guard and try to get Yaku and Semi out.”</p>
<p>“And Ennoshita?” Suga offered.</p>
<p>“Yes.” Kuroo nodded. “I’m just…yeah. Focus.” He chided himself. Suga offered a small sympathetic smile as Kuroo let the pause in the air hang for a moment. “Once we’ve made sure the three of them are out. I think we should let the thugs go.”</p>
<p>He was met with astonished looks. “Let them go.” Suga repeated, smile waning.</p>
<p>“Yes.” Kuroo met his gaze. “They’re probably just being paid off. Akiteru and Kei are the main issues here, not hired muscle. By all means, kill them if they attack you, but I…don’t kill some poor guy just trying to make a living. We don’t know how many of them are also under the influence of magic…or being blackmailed.”</p>
<p>The stark statement made them think a little harder about what they were dealing with. Yes, their friends were being held captive, but those holding them may not be doing it out of spite. It was obvious Akiteru did whatever needed to in order to achieve his goals. Kuroo wasn’t sure he wanted to continue down this path of killing for the sake of convenience. If he was going to properly change the way the Brotherhood was viewed, he needed to start making that change now.</p>
<p>“So, to reiterate; we cause a distraction, we get in, we get the others, we get out. We only kill those who attack us.” Kuroo looked around the dining room. “If…if people end up dead, then fine but I don’t want us being bloodthirsty. That makes us as bad as bandits.”</p>
<p>Surprisingly, no-one actually had any objections like he thought they would. He felt a little more at ease knowing they weren’t arguing with his idea. As the daylight began to fade, anticipation began to fill the air as weapons were checked, leather armour fastened tightly and plans of attack agreed. Kuroo was daring to feel confident that they’d be able to pull this off and not leave the manor unattended. With the arrival of Ushijima and Aone to assist in keeping both Tobio and Tooru safe, Kuroo untrusted what remained of the guild’s care onto Moniwa.</p>
<p>Was he nervous? Yes. But he was trying to view this just as another contracted job. There were no politics involved, only saving some of their own. He was going to have some of his closest friends with him, those he trusted with his life. They were going to get Yaku and Semi back, they were going to save Ennoshita from whatever horrors he was going through. It was going to work. They were going to succeed.</p>
<p>“Ready to go?” Suga asked him as he waited in the foyer of the manor for everyone else to assemble.</p>
<p>“Yup.” He nodded, looking to Akaashi who was going to stick with Kiyoko and Tanaka. “You guys take one of the back streets.”</p>
<p>“One minor addition;” Akaashi remarked, gesturing beside him where Lev was sat, “he insists.”</p>
<p>Kuroo wasn’t going to argue. If Lev wanted to help, then he was going to help. “Lev, your priority is scaring the shit out of them.”</p>
<p>“Got it boss.” Lev nodded, tail thrashing from side to side.</p>
<p>They were joined quickly by Nishinoya and Inuoka. The latter had been partly volunteered by Tobio on the account that the king felt powerless and wanted to offer them <em>something</em>. Inuoka himself had been a little reluctant to throw himself into this spontaneous plan but with Hinata confined to the manor to protect Tobio, he felt his conscience gnawing away at him. Hinata had voiced how torn he felt on the issue; being told to stay put for his own safety as well as Tobio’s. It got Inuoka thinking; if Hinata could storm onto a battlefield and summon a dragon to protect one person, he could at least lend some assistance to the Brotherhood’s rescue efforts. Nishinoya was happy to have the Inuoka he remembered back by his side. Kuroo expected Kenma to join them but he had declined, stating that he wanted to remain in the manor with Shirabu and make sure he was ready to treat any wounded.</p>
<p>Bokuto and Tanaka were just securing their weapons as Kiyoko returned having given Tobio and Tooru the last update on their preparations. Kunimi was the last to arrive, still looking a little rattled but he was trying to hide it behind his usual poker face. With everyone gathered, Kuroo sensed it was time to go.</p>
<p>“Alright.” He looked around the group. “You know the plan, try and stick to it but deviate if you need to. The main thing is to get the others out. Try and spare the thugs if you can but if they put up a fight then cut them down.” He was met with nods. “Okay, Bokuto and I will accompany the mages down the main street and draw them out. The rest of you use the back streets if you can and we’ll get this shit done and dusted before midnight.”</p>
<p>He allowed the others to get a head start, hanging back long enough to talk to Ushijima. He wasn’t sure what he should say but Ushijima seemed to understand as he reached out and put a strong hand on Kuroo’s shoulder. “Go and save your friends. We will protect the manor until you return.”</p>
<p>“Good.” Kuroo nodded in thanks. “I’m trusting you.”</p>
<p>Ushijima squeezed his shoulder briefly before letting him go. “I hope your sword finds its mark.”</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Yaku could still taste blood in his mouth. He couldn’t tell how long had passed, all he knew was it was darker now and his butt was going numb from being sat on the rubble. He had figured out he was in a small room within the tavern. The smoky scent clung to the wood around him. Occasionally the wind would make the remnants of the roof creak threateningly, rotting wood fell from above every so often but the structure still seemed sound. For now at least. The torchbearer hadn’t said much to him, much more content to let the sobs of pain echo through the ruins. He hadn’t seen Semi. He was starting to wonder if he had actually been double-crossed. The thought had popped up a few times as he tried to rationalise what was going on.</p>
<p>A door creaked open. The torchbearer seemed to notice it and let out a small chuckle. “He’s done.”</p>
<p>Yaku listened as footsteps came down the hallway. The door to his room swung open to reveal a figure. He couldn’t see much of them as they stepped into to the glow of the torch, only that they were tall and wore a hood. He bit down on the cloth gagging him, wishing with every fibre of his being that this wasn’t who he thought it was. There was a hushed conversation between the hooded figure and the torchbearer. He could faintly hear sobs from another room.</p>
<p>“Ah. So it’s that one.” The hooded figure stated. He didn’t recognise the voice but it was masculine and there was a smoothness to it. “Well then,” he turned to face Yaku, his lower face was obscured by a piece of cloth but his brown eyes were visible. He glared up at the stranger. “He certainly as wild as they say.”</p>
<p>He didn’t like the idea that he was known. He continued glaring at the other as he walked closer; boots hitting the ruined wooden floor and sounding much heavier than they probably were. He wanted to try and squirm away but his bound legs made that hard. The hooded figure crouched down to his level, eyes meeting his gaze as he titled his head to the side like he was a dog that didn’t understand human speech. An uncomfortable feeling began to rise within him.</p>
<p>“One of the elusive Brotherhood.” He stated, up close Yaku could see the way the cloth moved indicating he was smiling. “Oh this is going to be good.”</p>
<p>Yaku didn’t reply. Not that he could’ve said anything due to his gag. He wasn’t going to give these sorry bastards the satisfaction.</p>
<p>“Aw, you’re awfully quiet. Here, let me help you.”</p>
<p>The stranger reached out abruptly and grabbed him by the hair. He winced as his other hand roughly tugged the cloth away from his mouth. For the first time in what felt like hours, he was able to wet his dry cracked lips. He still said nothing as he was released and shoved away.</p>
<p>“You heard your friend’s cries.” He stated. “He claims he knows nothing about your little group.”</p>
<p>Yaku raised an eyebrow. So this was a Brotherhood thing. Semi wouldn’t know much about anything that happened before he joined. It figured that was why they sent such a taunting letter. He wanted the Brotherhood to get involved. Boy was he in for a surprise.</p>
<p>“So, let me ask <em>you</em>,” he stood up to his full height once more, “What business does a guild of bandits and lunatics have in protecting and working for a king?”</p>
<p>Yaku snorted, the first response he had given and it didn’t go unnoticed. He tugged at the restraints on his wrists, they were tight and only a knife would be able to cut them. He was stuck here it seemed.</p>
<p>“I asked you a question.”</p>
<p>He shrugged. He wasn’t going to talk. He knew this tactic, ask really simple questions that appear harmless and then slowly ramp up to more serious ones that directly betray the others. He wasn’t fucking stupid. He had watched Akaashi interrogate people. He knew where this was ultimately going to end up.</p>
<p>“Answer me or you’re gonna be in for a world of pain just like your friend.” The tone shifted, the urgency becoming clear. “Or would you want me to gut them in front of you?”</p>
<p>Ah, the threatening his friend tactic. Yes, he was familiar with this too. He gave no reaction. If he reacted, Semi could get gutted anyway. He had no reason to trust these people.</p>
<p>There was a pause as the torchbearer sucked in a breath. “Y’know, maybe you should—”</p>
<p>“Shut up. I’m not paying you to offer me advice on how to torture people.”</p>
<p>Yaku snorted. That told him what he needed to know. He met the hooded figure’s gaze. His head still panged with pain as his gaze focused on theirs. He decided to try and test a theory as they stepped closer to him again. He made sure to think up the most taunting phrase he could and wait for the inevitable.</p>
<p>The stranger’s eyes widened before his brows furrowed. “You’re not a mage.”</p>
<p>“Damn straight I’m not.” He spoke, voice crackly from the dryness of his throat. “But you are, aren’t you?”</p>
<p>He knew baiting the other with taunts in his mind would work. The same feeling of having his mind toyed with had been present since they first saw each other eye-to-eye. This wasn’t Kei. This was Akiteru.</p>
<p>Though now he had outed himself as knowing what was going on, there was no reason for Akiteru to play nice. Akiteru seemed to realise this. Yaku felt a sharp stinging in his head that wasn’t the pain from being punched in the head. He felt the same uneasiness that he had felt when Kei fucked with his mind once before. He tried to keep his thoughts blank. To keep a barrier up like he always heard Akaashi and Kenma talking about. He knew he couldn’t completely stop it but he needed to try at least. Flashes of distant memories came in bursts as he felt Akiteru flicking through his mind, trying to find something, anything to use against him.</p>
<p>
  <em>‘You keep such interesting memories Morisuke. Which one should I bring back?’</em>
</p>
<p>He gritted his teeth. He didn’t need this. He squeezed his eyes shut but that was useless as Hands came up to grip his head and squeeze. There was a burning sensation on his skin as he clenched his jaw so hard he thought he was going to crack a tooth.</p>
<p>
  <em>‘Aha. I see it now’</em>
</p>
<p>“Fuck off.”</p>
<p>“Oh it’s too late to start talking. You’ll give up your secrets here.”</p>
<p>He shook his head, trying to lessen Akiteru’s hold on him. This wasn’t going to get to him. “I said, fuck off!”</p>
<p>He turned his head to the side and managed to bite Akiteru’s thumb hard enough to draw blood. The other pulled his hand back abruptly with a yelp. He then slapped Yaku across the face. “You little fucking shit.”</p>
<p>“Says the one.” Yaku snorted, his face was burning at the contact. “I guess your brother learnt it from someone.”</p>
<p>“Leave him out of this.”</p>
<p>“Why?” Yaku taunted, spitting out blood. “Protective are you? I can relate.”</p>
<p>“Ohoho?”</p>
<p>Shit. He shouldn’t have said that. Akiteru chuckled as he understood. “Ah, so a sibling. That’s good. Good. So why don’t you tell me about your Brotherhood’s lunatic plans and I’ll make sure they don’t end up drawn and quartered yeah?”</p>
<p>“You sick fucking bastard.”</p>
<p>There was a scream from down the hall. Akiteru didn’t seem fazed at the sound. “Oh, that was Eita by the way. He’s having fun reconciling with his past.”</p>
<p>What the hell did that even mean? Yaku wasn’t allowed to dwell on it as Akiteru was back in his face. “So, let me ask you again shall I?” Akiteru’s gaze met his and that was the last he remembered.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>The last time Nishinoya prepared to use his elements to attack another, it had been a very different situation. However, the basic goal was the same, protecting his friends. Except this time instead of a huge battlefield plagued by giant snakes, this was a much more precarious task. They needed to exercise caution whilst also showing no hesitation. It was tricky balancing act, but he was confident they’d succeed.</p>
<p>Him and Inuoka made their way down the main street of the district. They could already see the faint outline of the tavern in the fading light of day. Which meant the guards could see them. On either side of them Kuroo and Bokuto kept pace from within the narrow side streets that ran parallel to the main one. The plan was for the mages to draw as many guards out in the open as possible and then the duo would rush in and intercept them. Whilst Kuroo had expressed the desire to be merciful, he wasn’t a pacifist just yet. They were to <em>engage</em> them for as long as possible, long enough for the others to get in and out safely and then a signal would be raised by Suga and Kunimi who were staked out in the upper floors of buildings either side of the tavern.</p>
<p>That was the plan at least. Kuroo wasn’t foolish enough to believe it would all go exactly to his desire. Something was going to go wrong, he just needed to react accordingly.</p>
<p>Nishinoya sighted the first guard. They weren’t fully dressed in armour like the city’s guards, but the purple colour was visible as was the eagle stitched into the front of his jerkin. These looked like recruits, given how little armour they wore. Or it was perhaps the opposite; warriors so good at their craft that they just <em>didn</em><em>’t need</em> armour.</p>
<p>It didn’t make much difference to him; the human body conducted lightning just as well as iron chainmail.</p>
<p>“Ready?” He remarked to Inuoka.</p>
<p>Inuoka clicked his tongue, bringing up a hand and conjuring a short spear made of ice. “Let’s give these guys a frosty reception.”</p>
<p>Nishinoya chuckled as Inuoka halted and then launched the spear straight at the first guard. It zipped through the air and missed its mark by mere inches, shattering on impact with the doorframe of the tavern. The guard was startled at the sudden action, drawing his sword and waving it in their direction. He yelled something but Nishinoya couldn’t hear him over the crackling of lightning around him. He flexed his fingers as Inuoka tactfully took a few steps away from him.</p>
<p>“On my signal.” Nishinoya stated, watching reinforcements pour out of the tavern.</p>
<p>He counted six at the moment, all with their swords raised, four were holding a line formation whilst two charged at him. He brought his hands in front of him, bumping his wrists together and pointing his palms towards the oncoming threat. He held the lightning back just a fraction of a second, long enough for Inuoka to snap his fingers and summon a vortex of cold air between them.</p>
<p>“Rolling Thunder!” He shouted, releasing the sparks. With a low rumble thunder, the sparks shot through the vortex, violent bursts of light threatened to blind everyone as the sparks seemed to multiply. On the other side of the vortex the lightning shot out and struck the two charging guards. They howled in pain as the lightning dissipated immediately after hitting them.</p>
<p>Whilst not dead, they were certainly in too much pain to immediately be a threat. The remaining four set their sights on the two mages, totally oblivious to the waiting warriors. As Inuoka dispelled the vortex, he gave the guards a smug smile. It goaded them into advancing together. They got halfway to them before rapid footsteps preceded Kuroo and Bokuto arriving.</p>
<p>Summoning elemental weapons, Nishinoya and Inuoka were thrown into the thick of close combat once more. Now the sides were equal, the scrapping began.</p>
<p>At the back of the tavern, Akaashi got the door open enough for Lev to slip through. He waited a few moments before kicking the door open and striding into the room. The two guards that had been relaxing in front of a brazier were already on their feet as Lev stalked towards them, a loud growling coming from him that was edging more towards a roar ever passing moment. Akaashi held up his blade, pointing squarely at the duo before glancing over his shoulder.</p>
<p>“Go find the others.” He told Tanaka and Kiyoko. “We’ll deal with these two.”</p>
<p>Tanaka was first through the door into a hallway. He forced open the first door he came to, coming face to face with a brute of a guard; all muscle, little armour and an axe that glinted in the torchlight.</p>
<p>“Ah hello there.” Tanaka grinned, parrying the first swing with his greatsword. “Sorry to barge in.” He lunged and got his swing parried in return. “We’re just gonna pick up some friends—”</p>
<p>“Fuck you.” The brute grunted, taking a large backswing. Tanaka ducked under the zing of the battle-axe, hearing it clatter into a nearby shelf. This room was far too small for such a fight.</p>
<p>“Hey now, we can be nice about this.” Tanaka remarked, taking up a defensive stance. “Just stop trying to take my fucking head off and I won’t gut you like a fish.”</p>
<p>“You talk a lot of shit for a pipsqueak!”</p>
<p>“Excuse me?!” Tanaka scoffed. “So rude.” He tilted his blade as the axe came back for another hit. Deflecting the hit, he side-stepped, ducking once more as the brute took another large backswing. He might’ve been big, but Tanaka had sparred with the likes of Akaashi and Kunimi who loved to fight dirty. And Tanaka was going to get filthy.</p>
<p>He heard a rumble of thunder overhead. He smirked to himself as he picked his mark and lunged. The blade struck exposed skin, sinking into muscle as the brute cried out and backhanded him. The force of the hit caused Tanaka to rip his blade from the other; blood poured out of the wound as he staggered away. He watched the brute wheeze as he sunk to his knees.</p>
<p>“Told you I’d gut you like a fish.” Tanaka muttered, wiping his brow with his forearm as the brute slumped over. He had to admit, he expected the other to put up more of a fight, but then again a carefully aimed blow could topple anyone.</p>
<p>Taking stock of the room, he noticed the other person for the first time. It wasn’t Yaku or Semi, so he guessed it was this Ennoshita person that had prompted all of this in the first place. They were sat in the corner of the room amongst straw and tattered blankets, hugging their knees as they looked up through a dark fringe at Tanaka with cautious eyes.</p>
<p>“Don’t kill me.”</p>
<p>Tanaka huffed. “Kill you? We’re here to save you.” He smiled, not making a move towards him. “You’re Ennoshita right?”</p>
<p>He nodded warily.</p>
<p>“Great! Your buddy Semi is gonna be glad you’re safe.”</p>
<p>“Eita?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, Eita.” Tanaka sheathed his sword and offered a hand to the other from across the room. “He got some new friends, and we’re here to get you out of these lunatics’ clutches.”</p>
<p>There was still a sense of fear in his eyes but Ennoshita rose to his feet. Tanaka was a little surprised at his height but brushed it off as he slowly stepped forward and took his hand. “I heard screaming.” He whispered. “There’s someone else here.”</p>
<p>Tanaka nodded. “Uh, well, <em>I</em><em>’m</em> here to get you out.” He kept a confident smile as he gently tugged on Ennoshita’s hand. “Let’s go.”</p>
<p>One down, two to go.</p>
<p>Kiyoko had taken the second door on the right, the first was already open and she saw the burnt bodies piled up and determined they were not her concern right then. She bashed the door with her shoulder and forced the lock through brute force. On the other side she found another guard.</p>
<p>“Leave your weapons.” She ordered. “Take the back entrance, hands above your head or else a lion <em>will</em> pounce on you.”</p>
<p> He took one look at her and her two blades and wisely decided not to challenge her. He nodded quickly, dumping his sword and dagger before leaving sharply. She turned her attention to the only other person in the room. Semi was on his knees, hands bound behind his back, head slumped forward. She crouched down, setting her blades down momentarily so she could cup his face and make him look at her. His nose was bloodied, left eye swollen shut. As his good eye met her gaze, he let out a shaky breath.</p>
<p>“I…I didn’t want…” he uttered. “I’m not….”</p>
<p>“Shh,” she replied quietly, “it’s okay Eita, we’re here now.”</p>
<p>“It’s not…okay.” He breathed.</p>
<p>Footsteps set her on edge before Akaashi was beside her. “I got him. You go get Yaku. Someone’s got him in the next room over. Tanaka should be with you shortly.”</p>
<p>She nodded, picking up her blades and leaving Akaashi to sort Semi out. She let out a short exhale as she set her sights on the next door along. She could hear fighting outside, thunder rumbled overhead every few moments, the building creaked in response. Adjusting the grip on her blades, she kicked the door. It swung open with force. The room was well lit with torches and a brazier. She stepped into the larger than most room; shelves indicated it was a storeroom but her attention moved to the other side of the room where Yaku was being held as a human shield, a knife pressed against his throat. A second thug stood by, sword drawn but he looked a lot less confident than the one holding Yaku.</p>
<p>Though she couldn’t see who it was, she guessed it was their leader. Yaku’s eyes widened as he saw her. He was gagged, only able to make pleading noises and shake his head until the hooded figure reminded him of the blade against his throat.</p>
<p>“Ah. I would say ‘welcome’, but you seem to have already made yourselves at home.”</p>
<p>She sheathed her shorter blade, her gaze flicking between the two. “Believe me, we’re not intending on staying long.”</p>
<p>They laughed, Yaku made a pleading noise as Kiyoko’s gaze met his. She didn’t understand what he was trying to say. The secondary thug stepped forward, raising his blade to point at her.</p>
<p>“Please don’t make this harder than it needs to be.”</p>
<p>She wrinkled her nose in disgust, raising her blade to meet his. “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll surrender before some of my less patient brothers get here.”</p>
<p>The hooded figure chuckled again. “The Brotherhood, such a fun bunch to work with.” She snapped her gaze to the edge of the hood, not able to meet the person’s gaze. “Always sticking your noses in where it doesn’t belong. Playing politics when you have <em>no idea</em> how it all works.”</p>
<p>“Release him.” She stated, not interested in some bandit leader’s speech. “I have places to be.”</p>
<p>“I’m sure you do.” They uttered, tilting the blade slightly. Yaku’s breathing quickened as he looked at Kiyoko with fear in his eyes. She didn’t recall seeing him look so scared before. Something was very wrong here, and it wasn’t the imminent fear of death.</p>
<p>The secondary thug lunged abruptly. Fast reflexes parried his swing and she immediately returned the favour. Quick footwork and drawing her second blade turned the tide of the fast-paced encounter. Within three movements she had disarmed him and had him on his knees with her blades poised to decapitate him. He whimpered as he panted, fear in his eyes making her question his desire to follow orders.</p>
<p>There was a low chuckle. “Go on then.” The hooded one urged. “Kill him. Become a monster like Tendou.”</p>
<p>She wasn’t sure why <em>that</em> name came up but now wasn’t the time to think. She stared down at the man, he was sobbing as steeled kissed his exposed skin. Kuroo’s words came back to her about how these men were probably just hired for muscle. They probably didn’t want to die defending some madman’s larger plans. They were just pawns in this game of chess.</p>
<p>“No.” She stated, keeping her gaze on the man in front of her. “I’m not a monster.”  She stepped back, pulling her blades away, even sheathing the shorter one. “Leave your weapon and get out of my sight.”</p>
<p>He nodded hastily, scrambling to his feet and running out of the room. She stood defiant against the hooded one. Yaku’s cheeks were tear-stained as he made another pleading noise. She held her nerve, rotating her wrist, katana catching the light.</p>
<p>“An assassin with a conscience.” They remarked. “I hope you can deal with having your friend’s blood on your hands.”</p>
<p>“I’m no assassin.” She stated. “I am a battle-maiden. And you, you are a coward.”</p>
<p>“A coward?”</p>
<p>“Holding another as your shield. You lack honour.” She waited for any number of movements, keeping her attention on the knife still at Yaku’s neck. “Face me like a true warrior.”</p>
<p>Yaku strained against the other’s hold on him. There was another chuckle. “Oh you poor thing, what happened to you?”</p>
<p>She was unsure what that was meant to mean. “What—”</p>
<p>The hooded one raised their head just enough for her to see golden eyes, the second their gazes met, she felt a sharp plunge in her stomach like she had fallen off a cliff. She felt woozy. Her vision started blurring.</p>
<p>
  <em>Fog hung over the beach. Thunder rumbled overhead. The chill of the ocean wind cut deep into her bones. Looking around her she saw the bodies of many who she once called friend. Bodies cut in half, heads completely detached from torsos. Spears impaled bodies, wooden shields lay snapped in half, arrows littered many corpses. There was silence. Complete silence.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Her chest felt tight, like someone was reaching in and squeezing her heart. Her legs carried her towards a stone building. Recognition was not the emotion she wanted to feel. The embers in the forge were dying. Several bodies had been dumped in it, charred bones and scorched clothes were all that remained. Her chest tightened even more as she saw the dark-haired woman slumped over, blood pooled around her, the spear sticking out of her side left little to the imagination.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>No. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>No this wasn</em>
  <em>’t happening again. She had lived this once and it was done. Her chest felt like it was going to cave in as air was forced from her lungs. </em>
</p>
<p>The silence was shattered by a voice.</p>
<p>“Kiyoko wake up!”</p>
<p>She blinked. She was knelt on the floor of the room, a hand was on her shoulder. Her vision was blurry still as she saw another person moving. She glanced down to see that her katana was in her hands, point poised to impale herself. She let go of it immediately as Tanaka clasped her hands in his. Steel clattered against the wooden floor.</p>
<p>“What…” she mumbled. Glancing up she saw Yaku had been tossed aside and crumpled to the floor and Akaashi was now by his side. The hooded one was nowhere to be seen.</p>
<p>“Gods above you—” Tanaka pulled her into an abrupt hug. “Don’t worry. We’re here now.”</p>
<p>“He…they…” her head hurt like she had been struck with a warhammer. “What?”</p>
<p>“We need to go.” Akaashi stated, helping Yaku to his feet having cut the bindings. “We need to get everyone back to the manor before anything else goes wrong.”</p>
<p>From his vantage point, Kunimi had watched the entire thing play out; the mage’s distraction, Akaashi and the others break in the back entrance. It had been a waiting game for a while as he couldn’t hear anything above the thunder. He noticed fleeing thugs, feeling the temptation to strike them down but ultimately resisting. There had been a pause on the action until he noticed Tanaka helping someone out of the building with Lev by his side. Soon after that, he spotted Semi being half carried out and set down next to Lev and the one Kunimi guessed was Ennoshita.</p>
<p>Then it had been a long wait for any other sightings. The thugs at the front of the manor were being held off but not killed. One had been maimed and another surrendered but two remained defiant. Kunimi had started to get restless and somewhat concerned until he saw another thug feeling. He wondered what the hell was going on in that tiny building.</p>
<p>He got an answer as he saw someone clamber up onto the roof of the tavern just as he would, carefully picking through the rafters before they leapt to another building and disappeared into the ruins and out of sight. It struck him as odd behaviour. The other thugs had fled through doors or windows, not <em>the roof</em>.</p>
<p>Then he saw them; Akaashi practically carrying Yaku out on his back as Tanaka escorted Kiyoko out shortly afterwards. He got an uneasy feeling in his stomach as he watched Kiyoko slump to her knees. Something had gone bad in there. Nevertheless, he reached for one of the smoke bombs and tossed it behind Nishinoya. It exploded and gave all four of those on the ground a way to escape as the smoke spread out to fill the street width.</p>
<p>He quickly reached the ground and immediately met up with Akaashi and the others that had been inside. He didn’t like how distraught everyone seemed but he was there to help them get back without being accosted. It would feel like a lifetime before they were off the streets of Hinode.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0048"><h2>48. Retreat</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>XLVIII</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Retreat</strong>
</p>
<p>When they started returning to the manor, Kenma braced himself for the worst-case scenario. He found being pessimistic in these scenarios helped him prepare for the horror he could be facing once the true scale of the situation was revealed. He and Shirabu had prepared the back room of the manor for treating any injured. Moniwa and Kindaichi had been helping the manor’s serving staff prepare food for everyone given how tiring this encounter was going to be. The head housekeeper outright stated she didn’t want to know what the fuck was happening, only asking that her staff don’t get involved. Moniwa gladly told her to just focus on providing a service for the royal entourages and leave the Brotherhood to their own devices.</p>
<p>Hinata could’ve stayed with Tobio, the other was keeping his mind busy with playing chess against Tooru in the latter’s room. Asahi and Iwaizumi had been stood on the upper landing all evening, chatting between them and Yamamoto whenever he passed by. Ushijima and Aone had been doing patrols outside as well as sitting in the parlour. Hinata instead chose to sit in the backroom waiting with Shirabu for the others to return. He wanted to be of some use considering he couldn’t go in the first place.</p>
<p>It was quiet in the manor.</p>
<p>Quiet that didn’t last long.</p>
<p>The first to return were Nishinoya and Inuoka. They were both tired and had minor cuts and bruises forming, nothing overly concerning and relatively simple for Shirabu to sort out. Ushijima saw it fit to stand guard at the front door, greeting each returning member whilst making sure they weren’t followed. The rest of the group returned largely at the same time. Bokuto had carried Yaku all the way back, the latter completely exhausted and barely awake. In the light his injuries were clear; bloodied nose, bruising around his neck and wrists and there were minor cuts all over his forearms and face. Bokuto was directed straight through to Kenma.</p>
<p>Next were Akaashi and Kuroo, Kuroo had a few deeper cuts but he was shaking off the concern and focusing more on Akaashi helping Kunimi half-carry Semi across the threshold of the manor. Shirabu had finished treating Inuoka’s frostbitten fingers and immediately turned his attention to Semi’s disturbed state. Rather than keep him in the backroom, Shirabu got Ushijima to help get Semi upstairs to a quieter place.</p>
<p>Tanaka ushered Ennoshita into the dining room, trying to keep him from being spooked by all the activity. He was met by Kindaichi who offered the new acquaintance the first bowl of stew. Ennoshita took it with a wary nod.</p>
<p>Last to make it back were Suga and Kiyoko, accompanied by Lev. Whilst not visibly injured, Kiyoko was shaken badly and the concern etched on Suga’s face was enough for Iwaizumi to break away from his post and insist Kiyoko rest upstairs and away from the others. Suga wasn’t going to disagree, even if Kiyoko tried to say she was fine despite her hands trembling.</p>
<p>Only once in the room together did she start to show how shaken she really was. Tears stained her cheeks as he coaxed her to sit on the nearest bed and let him pull her into a hug. She buried her face in the crook of his neck and clung to him like her life depended on it. She was not a loud crier like some were, her laboured breathing was louder than the sobs. He held her close, knowing better than to ask any questions right now. The only other person to have any idea what had happened was passed out downstairs in Kenma’s care. All Suga knew was that Tanaka burst into the room to find Kiyoko about to stab herself.</p>
<p>It terrified him. Whatever had happened, it wasn’t natural. Magic had been involved and it wasn’t hard to think what kind. This all sounded a little too familiar for his liking. He stroked her back in a soothing manner, gently beginning to pick at the tightly fastened straps on her armour. She allowed him to loosen them enough so she could start slipping the uncomfortable pieces off. Once her armour lay in a pile and she was in her casual clothes, he sat with his back to the wall and pulled her into his arms again, her legs slung across his lap so he could hold her close and keep her there. She didn’t resist, actively curling into his hold as he sighed heavily.</p>
<p>“You’re safe.” He whispered. “You’re safe now. I’m here.”</p>
<p>She nodded, not saying anything in reply. He didn’t need her to.</p>
<p>Downstairs Kuroo was trying to wrap his head around what had happened. He had at least two people who had been subjected to some sort of magical torture. Yaku had been beaten and nearly killed on the spot. Ennoshita seemed shaken up to say the least. The main perpetrator had escaped and they didn’t even know who it was. That didn’t mean they couldn’t guess.</p>
<p>With Kenma working to clean up Yaku’s wounds and determine how serious it was, Shirabu with Semi dealing with that aftermath, and Suga consoling Kiyoko. He decided to go and check on Ennoshita. The dining room felt a lot lighter than the rest of the manor in comparison. Ennoshita was on his third bowl of stew when Kuroo walked in. Tanaka seemed content with how he was handling all the new faces and the chain of events. As Ennoshita looked up and saw Kuroo, he froze. Kuroo guessed he remembered or knew who he was, whether that was a good thing or not remained to be seen. Kuroo pulled out a chair and sat across from him with a forced smile.</p>
<p>“It’s been a while.” He stated.</p>
<p>Ennoshita didn’t react at first, setting down the spoon he had been using. Tanaka looked between them before meeting Kindaichi’s gaze and nodding towards the door that led to the kitchen. As they left the two alone, Ennoshita sucked in a quick breath.</p>
<p>“Last time I saw you, you were running out of the fort with half the warehouse ablaze.” He muttered, expression unreadable as he held Kuroo’s gaze. “And now you’re what? In charge of a gang yourself?”</p>
<p>Kuroo raised an eyebrow. “Sort of.” He shrugged. “I did just plan your rescue.”</p>
<p>Ennoshita snorted, shaking his head as he glanced at the empty bowl in front of him. “Did you really, and why was that hm?”</p>
<p>For someone who had seemed shaken up not long ago, Ennoshita was giving Kuroo a lot of sass. He maintained his calm demeanour, the adrenaline in his body long faded now they were in the safety of the manor. “Truthfully? I didn’t even know you were there until Semi got himself caught.”</p>
<p>“Figures.” He nodded, raised his gaze to meet Kuroo’s. “How is Eita?”</p>
<p>Kuroo shrugged. “They found him muttering things. You probably know more than us.”</p>
<p>A sarcastic laugh left Ennoshita. “Yeah, yeah I’d say so.” He shoved the bowl away, spoon clattering against the side. “He was screaming a lot.”</p>
<p>That didn’t sit well with Kuroo. “Screaming?”</p>
<p>“Yup.” Ennoshita seemed eerily calm. “Screaming for mercy, insisting he didn’t know anything about this ‘Brotherhood’ that he was being asked about. Apparently, he had made a deal and they wanted to collect.”</p>
<p>A deal that involved Akaashi’s death. Kuroo nodded slowly. “So the Brotherhood refers to us.” He stated gesturing to the manor. “Most of us here are part of it. The Silver Owl Brotherhood. That’s what Eita was being asked about.”</p>
<p>Ennoshita swallowed, eyes darting around as he looked Kuroo up and down. “Is he…part of your gang now?”</p>
<p>“Recently, yes.” Kuroo replied. “We consider him a part of us.”</p>
<p>Ennoshita wrinkled his nose, almost like he couldn’t comprehend it. “So he went from trying to kill you to…working with you?”</p>
<p>When put like that, it was no wonder that Ennoshita found it hard to believe. Kuroo wasn’t going to go into detail right now. If Ennoshita wanted more answers, they could have the conversation when everyone was a lot less tired and stressed.</p>
<p>“We can explain everything in the morning.” Kuroo told him. “It’s been a long night and I…I think this is something Eita needs to explain to you.”</p>
<p>Ennoshita nodded slowly. “Yes. Quite.”</p>
<p>Kuroo sensed any further conversation would feel forced. He offered Ennoshita a small smile before excusing himself. It was calmer in the parlour when he walked in, The doors to the back room were closed, indicating Kenma was still busy with Yaku. The others who had been part of the grand plan were sat processing everything; Nishinoya and Bokuto had been given some food by Moniwa and were eating it in silence, Akaashi was in the middle of telling Aone and Ushijima how everything went down and Kunimi was staring out the window in thought. Kuroo walked up to Kunimi and nudged him slightly.</p>
<p>“Hey, remember what I said? I told you we’d get them back.”</p>
<p>Kunimi weakly smiled, gaze still on the street outside. “But we weren’t fast enough, something…something went wrong in there.” He sighed.</p>
<p>“Well, despite that, we still got them out and that’s what the main objective was.” Kuroo set a hand on Kunimi’s shoulder. “We’re gonna be fine. Trust me.”</p>
<p>“I do.” Kunimi looked at him and nodded. “I do.”</p>
<p>Those two words meant a lot to Kuroo, he smiled in return, squeezing Kunimi’s shoulder before moving on to listening to Akaashi finish recounting the strange happenings in the tavern.</p>
<p>“So it’s obvious that there was magic involved.” He stated to both of them. “And I don’t doubt for one second that it was one of them. I just don’t know which one.”</p>
<p>Ushijima nodded, Aone spoke up in his place. “We will warn Atsumu.”</p>
<p>“Good.” Akaashi glanced to Kuroo, nodding for him to step away from the other two. “Yaku’s pretty roughed up according to Kenma,” he continued in a lower tone, “I have a fairly good idea what happened to Kiyoko too.”</p>
<p>“She was gonna stab herself.”</p>
<p>“She was being <em>told</em> to do that.” Akaashi whispered. “If Tanaka hadn’t arrived when he did…” he trialled off, shuddering slightly. “Anyway. I think this is going to be a long night, some of them won’t sleep.”</p>
<p>“Honestly, I don’t think I will either.”</p>
<p>Akaashi took his hand. “You should. You’re…” he didn’t want to say ‘useless’ when it came to dealing with mages, but the fact of the matter was, Kuroo didn’t have much to offer those stricken by nightmares.</p>
<p>Kuroo shrugged slightly. “A leader leads from the front, doesn’t he?”</p>
<p>“A leader also delegates.” Akaashi squeezed his hand. “At least take a nap or something, or maybe go and fill in Tobio and Tooru.”</p>
<p>Truthfully, Akaashi just didn’t want Kuroo to be around any of the others who had been affected by the magical foul play. He didn’t want Kuroo to see Yaku or Semi in their current states.</p>
<p>“I’ll go talk to the kings then I’ll see about that nap.” Kuroo conceded defeat, Akaashi smiled before leaning in and kissing his cheek.</p>
<p>Once he was sure Kuroo wasn’t going to try and involve himself, Akaashi quietly slipped into the backroom. Only a single brazier was alight, making the room feel dark and gloomy. Yaku was laying on the wooden bench, pillows propping his head up and a blanket was draped over the rest of him. Kenma was crushing up some herbs in a bowl, glancing up momentarily at his arrival. Inuoka was sat on a stool next to Yaku’s head, conjuring a small area of cold air around him, possibly to fight a fever. The only other person in the room was Hinata. He was also sat on a stool but a lot closer to the brazier and actively trying not to stay too close to Yaku.</p>
<p>Akaashi nodded in greeting to all three of them, noting how Yaku was asleep so he kept his voice at a whisper. “How is he doing?”</p>
<p>Kenma inhaled sharply. “Physically, he’s been beaten pretty badly but nothing he’s not experienced in a tavern brawl before.” He set the bowl of crushed herbs down. “But mentally…emotionally…all I can say is he’s shaken up, to what extent I’m not sure.”</p>
<p>Akaashi’s gaze moved to Yaku once more. Dried blood had been cleaned away, dirt and ash from the tavern floor had been washed away from his cuts and gashes. He looked better than earlier when they first found him, but he wasn’t out of the woods yet.</p>
<p>“Inuoka’s keeping him cool,” Kenma explained, adding a few different flower petals to the mixture, “I’m not sure what else to do until he wakes up.”</p>
<p>“Have you got any idea how Semi is?”</p>
<p>Kenma shook his head. “Shirabu is handling him. Given his history, I feel he might have better luck anyway.”</p>
<p>That made sense. If Semi had been interrogated by the likes of either Tsukishima then there was almost no telling how bad he was. Aside from himself, Shirabu was the next most qualified to break any spell. Akaashi knew someone needed to check on Kiyoko, but he also knew Suga was with her. From his own experience he knew that sometimes the best immediate treatment for such traumatic endeavours was simply being held.</p>
<p>“Okay, well make sure you all get some rest.” He looked between the three mages. “Because I get the feeling this is only the beginning.”</p>
<p>Hinata’s eyes widened, Akaashi met his gaze and nodded for him to follow. Unsure what this was about, Hinata followed with a certain amount of wariness. What was he about to be asked to do? What did Akaashi want him to know? He was caught off guard by a hand on his shoulder once they were in the parlour. It was quiet, almost too quiet.</p>
<p>“Hinata, this is going to sound a little redundant, but how confident are you in your abilities?”</p>
<p>He blinked. “As in—”</p>
<p>“If Kei or Akiteru were to barge in here right now, would you be able to stop them?”</p>
<p>Hinata thought for only a moment. “I…think so?”</p>
<p>Akaashi gave him a serious look as be brought his voice to a whisper once more. “Hinata. They’re merciless. They almost killed Yaku and Kiyoko tonight through use of brute force and their powers.” He gently took Hinata by the shoulders. “If you’re seriously going to protect Tobio, you need to be just as merciless about it. You can’t hesitate to kill them.”</p>
<p>Deep down, Hinata knew Akaashi was right. With everything he had seen and heard, it was obvious that a confrontation was inevitable. Though killing anyone wasn’t his desired plan of action, some people couldn’t be reasoned with. He nodded in reply to Akaashi, and that seemed to be what the other wanted. He was released and Akaashi continued making his rounds, leaving Hinata to figure out what to do with himself.</p>
<p>He decided to return to Tobio’s side, it was getting late anyway and he wasn’t being that much help to the others right now. He arrived just as Tobio was leaving one of the other bedrooms, he figured the other had been sat with Tooru whilst the others had sorted themselves out. At seeing Hinata, Tobio smiled at him and offered his hand. Hinata took it, letting Tobio lead him towards their room. The day had been long, and Akaashi’s stark warning that this was probably just the start of a bigger fight did little to ease his worry.</p>
<p> As he stripped his shirt off, he was more aware of the way his runestone bumped against his chest. Such a small stone held so much power and was keeping his elements under control. He toyed with it slightly as he sat on the edge of the bed and waited for Tobio to break the silence.</p>
<p>“I hear it was a tough time at the tavern.” Tobio remarked, prompting Hinata to glance over his shoulder. A single candle illuminated the room in a soft glow. “That the bastard got away.”</p>
<p>Hinata shrugged, closing his fingers around the stone. “For now. One thing I’ve learnt about Kuroo is that he doesn’t like loose ends.” He went to pick up the shirt he always slept in but Tobio’s hand found his and halted the action. He paused for a moment before turning to properly face the other. Rather than being sat under the covers, Tobio was sat on top of them just like he was. Tobio’s gaze skimmed over his chest, over the pale marks that had settled upon his skin. He frowned slightly as he reached out, halting momentarily.</p>
<p>“Uh…I mean, may I?”</p>
<p>Hinata nodded, unsure where this interest in his scars was coming from but allowed it. Tobio closed the gap between them, his fingertips grazing the scars that seemed entirely normal at first glance. Hinata was all too aware of how unusual they really were. He would be lying if he tried to play off this strangely intimate contact as mere curiosity. It was hard not to read into everything. He balled his hands into fits as they rested on the blankets of the bed. Blush rose in his cheeks and down his neck as Tobio’s fingertips traced the outlines of each scar.</p>
<p>“This is the first time I’ve looked at them properly.” He murmured. “Do they hurt?”</p>
<p>Hinata swallowed. “Sort of, not really,” he almost wanted to push Tobio’s hand away. These weren’t pretty scars, they were jagged, ugly, some darker than others. He didn’t want them to be a thing that Tobio saw. “There’s some stinging occasionally but nothing bad.”</p>
<p>Tobio nodded, shuffling a little closer. Hinata wasn’t sure how many scars there were, but the way Tobio was mapping them all out on his skin indicated they were numerous. He felt a strange wooziness coming over him as Tobio’s tender touches moved from one shoulder to the other, then to the side of his neck. His previous apprehensions were fading as Tobio’s touch lingered at the side of his neck. He felt his eyes becoming heavy.</p>
<p>“You got all these from your runestones shattering?”</p>
<p>“Hm? Uh, yeah, all of them.” Hinata nodded, leaning into Tobio’s touch as a hand came up to cup his face. “I had five stones remember? All but one shattered when I summoned…Hēishān…” He yawned as he trailed off.</p>
<p>Tobio nodded, letting his thumb brush over the rise of Hinata’s cheekbone. Hinata was basically half asleep at this point, any further conversation about his scars would have to wait. Still, Tobio found himself smiling as he coaxed Hinata to lie down atop the blankets. As Hinata fell asleep, he continued to trace each scar with his fingers, wondering how four stones could do so much damage. He didn’t need to think hard to remember the battle and the incident Hinata had spoken of. He still couldn’t quite believe that it all happened.</p>
<p>He gently pulled his hand away. Hinata didn’t stir even as he rolled over to blow out the lone candle. As he settled down on top the blankets in the dark, he tried not to start thinking about everything Kuroo had told him and Tooru. That could wait until the morning. Instead he chose to dwell more on Hinata. He soon fell asleep just as quickly as Hinata had.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>By the time the manor fell quiet, the first rays of daylight were starting to peek through the windows of the parlour. Lev was quietly prowling around alone, slipping through the half ajar doors of the upper floor and checking on everyone. He could feel the overwhelming effect of the ones he had come to understand as the Tsukishimas. It was like a bad smell that lingered on everything they touched. Yaku and Semi were the ones who had it on them the most, Kiyoko had gotten off lightly all things considered. He had managed to get inside the room where Semi was. Shirabu had fallen asleep sat on the floor next to his bed despite there being other beds only a few steps away.</p>
<p>The Tsukishima influence was strong as Semi slept, he was sweating in his sleep, small murmurs escaping him as he twitched every now and then. Lev slowly climbed onto the bed and lay down alongside him. He couldn’t offer much, but he knew humans were weird and sometimes just having another soul close by was enough to help them sleep better. He remained awake, resting his head on his paws and letting his mind wander.</p>
<p>All around the manor there was this overhanging feeling in the air, something akin to fear and hopelessness all rolled into one. It seemed that no matter what they did, how much they tried to get ahead of the others, the Brotherhood was always playing catch up. It put strain on those in charge and it was starting to show; Kuroo was feeling the burden of juggling leadership and his own emotions, Suga had to try and balance being supportive of Kiyoko’s headstrong nature whilst fearing for her safety. Daichi wasn’t even here and didn’t know the seriousness of the situation.</p>
<p>And throughout it all they had two kings looking to them for help and guidance. They were by no means powerless, but against mages neither of them had a good track record. Lev felt Semi twitch a little more violently than before. He lifted his head and rested it against Semi’s side. He could hear his heartbeat now, quicker than a resting heartbeat should be. As he lay there, he felt it slow. The sporadic twitching and murmuring started to become less frequent.</p>
<p>It wasn’t much, but it made Lev feel like he was doing <em>something</em> to help, and in this current situation even the smallest of gestures could make a difference in the long run.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Trying to write/edit in 35C heat is not my idea of fun, if the UK could stop having heatwaves that would be grand 🙃</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0049"><h2>49. The Morning After</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>XLIX</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>The Morning After</strong>
</p>
<p>“There must be something I can do.” Tooru sighed, staring out the small window of his designated room. “The Brotherhood are putting themselves through hell and all I can do is sit here?”</p>
<p>Iwaizumi and Yamamoto shared a glance, the former also sighing. “In all fairness, they’re the ones who seem to have spat on Akiteru’s plans more than us. It’s possible they’re being targeted.”</p>
<p>“Well I want to do something about it!” He snapped, wincing slightly. “Sorry Hajime.”</p>
<p>“It’s fine.” Iwaizumi shrugged. “You’re passionate, that’s a good thing.” He picked up the sword of Yukikazu and tossed it to Tooru. “There’s a fire about you Tooru, don’t let it die.”</p>
<p>Tooru caught the sword by its sheathe, gripping the hilt and drawing it slightly. The polished steel caught the light for a brief moment before he slammed it back in. “But I’m just sat here doing nothing. Tobio is also…we’re both powerless up here.”</p>
<p>“Are you though?” Yamamoto asked. “By being here, you’re threatening Akiteru. Being here proves that you’re not going to let him win again.” He got a nod of approval from Iwaizumi. “There’s one thing I learnt from the Brotherhood in my limited time with them, is that stubbornness pays off.”</p>
<p>Tooru looked between them several times before a small determined smile began to grace his face. “Stubbornness eh? I know Tobio’s got that down to a fine art.”</p>
<p>Iwaizumi wryly smiled. “So why let him take centre stage? You’re the King of Southwestern kingdom. You stand for yourself and your people.” He took a step forward. “I say you go talk to Yachi yourself.”</p>
<p>“You do? About what?”</p>
<p>“Ask her yourself what Akiteru is doing. We know she’s being manipulated, just like your father.” Iwaizumi stated bluntly. “And it may be a case of what she <em>doesn</em><em>’t</em> tell us that reveals more.”</p>
<p>Tooru nodded, gripping his sword a little tighter. “Yeah,” he nodded again, “yeah you’re right. I can’t just sit here and let this bullshit happen. I need to do what only I can.”</p>
<p>Tooru fastened his sword to his belt and strode out of the room. Iwaizumi remained where he stood, glancing at Yamamoto with a small smile. “Well done.”</p>
<p>“Eh?” Yamamoto gave him a puzzled look.</p>
<p>“What you said, it may not have seemed like a lot, but it was what he needed to hear.” He nodded as he turned on his heel and made for the door. “We’ll make a royal guard out of you yet.” He remarked.</p>
<p>Yamamoto spluttered. “Hang on a damn minute—”</p>
<p>His complaints were ignored by Iwaizumi as he followed his king’s path out into the hallway. The mid-morning hustle and bustle of the manor felt subdued that day; the feeling in the air was one of unease and worry for those still fighting their demons from the previous night. Iwaizumi was almost used to it by now as he found Tooru arguing with Ushijima at the door. He rolled his eyes slightly as he caught up just in time to hear Tooru being defiant and demanding.</p>
<p>“I said, take me to her majesty.” He stated. “I wish to talk to her.”</p>
<p>“Are you sure that’s wise?” Ushijima asked, not budging from in front of the door. “You seem fired up—”</p>
<p>Tooru sighed loudly. “I’m not going to yell at her, I simply feel I should properly introduce myself to her.”</p>
<p>Ushijima looked to Iwaizumi who nodded. “Fine, but I shall accompany you. The palace is under stricter security since Hinata escaped.”</p>
<p>That was something Tooru could understand. He agreed to Ushijima’s terms if only to finally get going. He wasn’t sure how he was actually going to talk to Yachi. He understood she was in a fragile state, and if she was being targeted by Akiteru then who was to say how she’d react to him. But he had to do something. He had to try and make some progress. The Brotherhood were picking up the pieces from the night before and if the suspicions about Akiteru being responsible for it all were accurate; this was going to get worse.</p>
<p>He couldn’t let a guild of lunatics do all the work anyway, and he certainly couldn’t let Tobio have all the fun.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Suga had been awake for a while, truthfully, he hadn’t slept much. As soon as Kiyoko had fallen asleep in his arms, Suga let out a sigh of relief. It didn’t mean the storm was over, but the rain had eased slightly. He drifted in and out of sleep as he held her, trying to keep his mind from thinking of what would’ve happened if Tanaka had been a few moments late. It seemed so unfair that someone so strong had been taken apart so quickly, but that was a testament to the mage’s power.</p>
<p>The mage. As if they didn’t know whose handiwork this was.</p>
<p>From what Suga had been told, there was a clear difference between the brothers. He wasn’t sure if anyone else had noticed it, but once he had been told that Kiyoko nearly gutted herself it was obvious. The difference between Kei and Akiteru seemed small but when he thought about what both of them had achieved individually it was almost eye-opening.</p>
<p>Kei had toyed with people, testing his powers and how far he could push them. He influenced choices to a degree but he left his victims to make their ill-informed decisions that eventually led to chaos and ruin.</p>
<p>Whereas Akiteru killed people. He never got his hands bloodied, but he had gotten them killed in their own unique ways; Hayato Oikawa had been driven mad, the entire old city had gone up in flames through the work of a controlled mage and now he almost managed to get Kiyoko to kill herself. It was a different level of evil. And Suga wasn’t sure if they could really go up against him.</p>
<p>Sure, Akaashi was a powerful empath, Hinata was an aura mage of incredible strength, the guild was made up of smart individuals and fearsome warriors. But it seemed like such a hopeless battle. He tried to remain optimistic, that these were just more shadows to persevere through, but if he was having his doubts then it was only a matter of time before others did. The Battle of the Dynasty had snuck up on them in a way, they had seen <em>a battle</em> incoming, but one of that scale and ferocity was unprecedented. This was different, they all knew this was only going to end one way; a fight with Akiteru. And they were going to have next to no warning.</p>
<p>He was torn from his thoughts by Kiyoko stirring. Admittedly, his body ached a little from sitting in the same position for several hours so her waking up was a relief in more ways than one. She gazed up at him, shadows under her eyes indicated she wasn’t well-rested, he didn’t blame her.</p>
<p>“Hey.” He murmured forcing a smile.</p>
<p>She returned the smile, hand splaying on his chest. “Have you been sat like this all night?”</p>
<p>“Yeah.”</p>
<p>“Koushi you could’ve moved.” She whispered, the chiding nature of her remark lost in the hushed tone.</p>
<p>“Well, now you’re awake we can move and I won’t feel bad about it.”</p>
<p>She let out a small huff, almost a laugh but her exhaustion kept her from truly expressing herself. He carefully moved them both until they were led on the bed facing each other. He brought a hand up to cup her face, she covered it with her own. He didn’t feel the need to bombard her with words as her eyes slipped shut once more. Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew he should at least tell someone that she was okay and only needed more rest, but he also felt his place was right here beside her. Leaving her alone felt wrong. He allowed himself to drift back to sleep, his hand still cupping her face.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Yaku awoke with a pounding headache and his jaw feeling like he had been sucker-punched. He blinked a few times as he tried to remember what the hell happened. The last thing he had been aware of was watching Kiyoko turn her blade on herself. He bolted upright, instantly regretting it as his head spun and he felt like vomiting.</p>
<p>“Calm down.” Kenma’s stern tone came along with gentle hands on either side of his head. A cool sensation eased his head pains as Kenma walked over from the large window of the backroom. “Inuoka stayed up half the night trying to make sure your head didn’t explode.”</p>
<p>Yaku blinked a few more time as the hands came away from his head and the court mage of House Kageyama stepped into view, giving him a small tired smile. “Shit…what happened?”</p>
<p>Kenma leaned in a little too close for comfort, staring at his eyes almost disconcertingly. “Okay, you’re fine.” He mumbled, backing away and gently pushing Yaku to lie back down. “A lot happened.”</p>
<p>“Is Kiyoko—”</p>
<p>“She’s fine.” Kenma cut in. “Well, she didn’t stab herself. Tanaka got to her in time.” He nodded. “You’re both lucky he wasn’t far behind her. I dread to think what would’ve happened.”</p>
<p>Yaku didn’t need to think about it. “Fuck…” he cussed, sighing heavily. “Did you guys get him?”</p>
<p>“Nope.” Kenma put the finishing touches to a pale green liquid in a cup, dusting the top with yellow powder. “And we’re not entirely sure who it even was—”</p>
<p>“Bullshit.” Yaku sat up again, Inuoka rolled his eyes slightly and pushed him to lie back down. He scowled slightly but complied. “It was Akiteru.”</p>
<p>“Can you confirm that?” Kenma glanced over. “Because unless Kiyoko or Semi can, I’d rather not completely disregard Kei’s involvement.”</p>
<p>“I…I mean, well, no not really but it has to be. Like c’mon!”</p>
<p>Kenma shook his head, bringing over the clay cup and presenting it to Yaku’s lips. The drink smelt foul but Yaku figured Kenma wasn’t going to outright poison him after putting in so much effort to keeping him alive. He pulled a disgusted face as he finished the drink.</p>
<p>“Rest Morisuke, that’s the best thing you can do right now.” Kenma stated as he took the cup back to the table where he had been preparing all manner of concoctions for those caught up in the chaos. “And for the love of the gods, don’t get all vendetta-esque. We have enough of that already.”</p>
<p>Inuoka chuckled at Yaku’s scowl.</p>
<p>There was a pause as Kenma shook his head slightly. His fingers worked quickly as he prepared two other drinks, both the same herbs and powders as the last but stronger. Heavier dosage was required for those worse affected. He ignored Yaku’s huffs and groans of pain, trusting that Inuoka had it handled. He picked up both clay cups and left without a word. The parlour was calm, a few were sat in front of the fire and they offered smiles to him as he passed. He tried not to let his cold demeanour show as he ascended to the upper floor. He gently eased the door to Semi’s room open with his foot. Shirabu was passed out on the floor, exhaustion had claimed him as he sat next to the bed. Kenma set the two cups down and gently shook him awake.</p>
<p>“Fuck what…” Shirabu mumbled.</p>
<p>“At least get into a bed if you’re going to sleep.” Kenma remarked.</p>
<p>Shirabu shrugged, dragging himself to the closest bed and flopping into it with no grace whatsoever. Kenma turned his attention to Semi’s bed, Lev had made himself comfortable by his side and was watching Kenma with curious eyes. Kenma pointedly placed one of the clay cups on the side table.</p>
<p>“Get him to drink that when he wakes up.” He told Lev. “Or else I’ll force him to.”</p>
<p>Lev nodded, resting his head on his paws once more. Leaving Semi to continue sleeping, Kenma picked up the last of the cups and made his way to the room Suga had carried Kiyoko to. He found them both asleep and he didn’t quite have the heart to wake either of them. He simply set the cup down and figured Suga would know who it was for before leaving them in peace.</p>
<p>He paused in the hallway, sighing heavily. He wasn’t alone for long as Yamaguchi approached with a sympathetic smile. He figured that the other knew what he was doing and was going to offer some words of encouragement and thanks. He was surprised when a gentle hand took hold of his.</p>
<p>“Kenma,” Yamaguchi’s voice was calm, “have you slept at all?”</p>
<p>“I took a nap.” He shrugged.</p>
<p>“Alright, have you eaten?”</p>
<p>Kenma tried to judge what his angle here was. “No…”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi gave him a look that rivalled Suga’s trademark ‘disappointed guild mom’ look. “Okay, I’m going downstairs to fetch Tobio’s breakfast anyway. I’ll grab something for you too, you’re going to eat it and then you’re going to sleep. Understand?”</p>
<p>Kenma was going to argue, but Yamaguchi didn’t seem to want to argue. He squeezed Kenma’s hand briefly before letting go and continuing on his way. Kenma was left almost dumbfounded at the orders but remained in the hallway. Sure enough a short time later Yamaguchi returned with two bowls of breakfast, he gently pushed one of the bowls into Kenma’s hand with a sweet smile. As he watched Yamaguchi enter Tobio’s room without knocking, he glanced down at the mixture of oats and grains in a milky broth. It wasn’t the most appetising in the moment but his stomach growled in protest.</p>
<p>He smiled slightly as he ate, leaning back against the wall as he did so. No-one came to talk to him in the time he took to eat. It was almost nice to be left alone even though there was so much to do. He knew Kuroo was awake already and making his way across the city to talk to Daichi, something about ‘he needed to hear it from him personally’. Kenma hadn’t argued, already too focused on alchemy. He finished the food in time for Yamaguchi to return and collect his bowl. He expected to be left but Yamaguchi took his hand once more and tugged him into one of the bedrooms. Tanaka and Kunimi were still asleep so Yamaguchi kept his voice down as he gestured to an empty bed.</p>
<p>“Get some sleep Kenma. You’re better to us well-rested.” He murmured. “And you know that.”</p>
<p>Kenma pouted slightly, not really liking this ‘being told what to do’ nonsense. Yamaguchi’s smile didn’t waver as he playfully nudged him. Kenma eventually conceded that maybe a longer nap wouldn’t go amiss.</p>
<p>“We’ll be sure to fetch you if you’re needed.” Yamaguchi assured him.</p>
<p>He nodded, moving to sit on the bed. “Keep an eye on Yaku,” He murmured, “he’s always been an unruly patient.”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi chuckled. “I’ll make sure Inuoka keeps him under control.”</p>
<p>“Good…thanks Tadashi.”</p>
<p>“It’s what I’m here for; dealing with stubbornly driven people.” He winked, letting himself out of the room. Kenma had to chuckle at the remark before he sighed heavily. With only a little reluctance, he lay down and pulled a blanket over him. Sleep came quickly and without incident.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>This wasn’t a conversation he wanted to have, but Kuroo knew better than to leave Daichi in the dark for ages. Even if it was dangerous for him to make the trip, he felt he needed to give Daichi and Ukai a heads up that things are taking a rather concerning escalation. He wasn’t alone in his trip, Bokuto accompanied him as Akaashi was insistent that he remain in case Semi or Kiyoko needed him. It was a sensible idea, but Kuroo felt a little apprehensive about leaving him.</p>
<p>Kuroo just felt apprehensive about everything it seemed.</p>
<p>They stayed clear of the tavern, fearful that Akiteru could be back there. It was unlikely, but they didn’t want to take that chance. Bokuto was in a calm mood despite everything. That wasn’t to say he didn’t care, he simply knew that getting worked up wasn’t going to help right now. In a situation where there were high tensions and the stakes to match, they had to try and keep a cool head.</p>
<p>“He’s gonna be so mad.” Kuroo sighed as they neared the academy.</p>
<p>“Nah,” Bokuto chuckled, “we couldn’t anticipate it was Akiteru. All we had to go on was a taunting letter.”</p>
<p>“I nearly got two people killed.”</p>
<p>“Hey,” Bokuto stopped and grabbed Kuroo’s arm to force him to stop, “none of that shit.” He shook his head. “Everyone going into that situation knew it could be dangerous. Don’t start blaming yourself for how it played out.”</p>
<p>Kuroo huffed. “But it was me who said not to kill anyone.”</p>
<p>“And?” Bokuto let go of his arm. “From what I hear, it was a doomed situation. Akiteru had Yaku at knifepoint. The fact Kiyoko kept her cool as long as she did is a testament to her strength. Sure, going in all swords raised would’ve gotten to Akiteru sooner, but he could’ve just as easily killed Yaku outright.” He took a step closer. “What happened, happened. Getting all mopey about it isn’t gonna help. What <em>will</em> help is us getting back up off the ground and taking the fight to him.”</p>
<p>Kuroo held Bokuto’s gaze for a few moments. The impromptu pep talk was appreciated, but it didn’t change the fact that he needed to fess up his fuck-up to Daichi. It was a miracle no-one had died or been seriously injured, but he had let Akiteru slip away.</p>
<p>“Let’s go.” He mumbled, heading into the building, and heading upstairs. He figured they might as well try the door in the dormitory first before picking through ruined roofing. The door didn’t glow as he rapped his knuckles against it. A moment passed before the door opened enough for Ukai’s cautious gaze to peek through. Upon seeing it was Kuroo and Bokuto, he opened the door further.</p>
<p>For the first time, Kuroo and Bokuto saw Goshiki. He wasn’t quite what Kuroo imagined but he shrugged it off. He focused his attention on Daichi who was sitting on the floor, a deck of cards being shuffled in his hands. He smiled warmly at them, though Kuroo knew he was anticipating some sort of bad news in the way he glanced between them both.</p>
<p>“Yo.” Bokuto raised a hand in greeting when no-one said anything. “How have things been?”</p>
<p>Daichi chuckled. “Goshiki is a fast learner when it comes to cards.”</p>
<p>Goshiki snorted. “It’s not that hard.”</p>
<p>As much as a pleasant conversation about card games wouldn’t go amiss, Kuroo gestured for Daichi to follow him into the dormitory. Ukai took the deck of cards from Daichi and offered to run a game for Bokuto and Goshiki. Bokuto was all too eager to test this newcomer’s skills as he sat on the floor with a grin. Once in the other room and out of earshot, Kuroo sighed heavily.</p>
<p>“So, I guess you know about Semi’s letter.” He stated.</p>
<p>Daichi nodded, folding his arms across his chest. “And?”</p>
<p>“<em>Well</em>,” Kuroo sucked in a breath, “somehow him and the others ‘looking for clues’ ended up with him and Yaku getting…taken.” He put up a hand to stop Daichi from interrupting. “We got them back, but it…was rough.”</p>
<p>Daichi nodded. “Okay, what happened?”</p>
<p>Kuroo told him what he understood to have happened; that someone who they were assuming was Akiteru had taken Semi and Yaku and held them in the tavern. Without knowing what was going on, Kuroo had planned and ordered a rescue mission that was broadly successful but not without casualties. He didn’t know how Semi and Kiyoko were faring yet but he was confident that Kenma had it under control. And as for Akiteru; he had slipped away in the chaos.</p>
<p>“…he nearly got her to <em>stab herself</em>?” Daichi repeated. “Shit, that’s…that’s fucked up.”</p>
<p>Hearing Daichi cuss so openly about it make Kuroo a little more at ease in a strange way. He nodded. “Yeah, Suga’s a bit…well, I can understand how he’s feeling.”</p>
<p>“So Akiteru got away.” Daichi sighed, looking down at the floor. “What’s the next move?”</p>
<p>“I don’t know.”</p>
<p>Daichi gave him a sympathetic smile. This was an interesting situation in many ways; Kuroo being a guild leader and finding himself in the hopeless situation of trying to work out how to tackle this threat that faced not only them, but the realm as a whole. He didn’t envy Kuroo, but he also didn’t want Kuroo to feel like he was alone in this.</p>
<p>“You got this.” Daichi told him. “I find that if you follow your gut you’ll make the right choice in the end.”</p>
<p>“Follow my gut.” Kuroo repeated. “Right, my gut says to slash his throat.”</p>
<p>Daichi blinked slowly. “You know what I mean,” he reached out and placed a hand on Kuroo’s shoulder, “you’re smart Tetsurou, and you got the backing of everyone else. We have smart people in our guild, not to mention both kings and their entourages. You’ll figure it out.”</p>
<p>“Can’t you come back already?”</p>
<p>Daichi shook his head. “Goshiki being in the manor would be dangerous. I know he seems…fine but he’s really not.” He lowered his tone. “Ukai’s had his work cut out to keep him from lashing out.”</p>
<p>Kuroo nodded slowly. “Alright. I’ll try and remember to send someone with an update when…we have a plan.”</p>
<p>Daichi squeezed his shoulder. “Good.”</p>
<p>“Thanks Daichi.”</p>
<p>“Hey, it’s okay. Now get back there and make sure things haven’t fallen apart without you.”</p>
<p>“Yes boss.”</p>
<p>They shared a light chuckle before Daichi returned to the room. Bokuto was loudly protesting that Goshiki <em>must</em> be card counting whilst Ukai merely laughed at the astonished look on the young mage’s face. Kuroo nudged Bokuto with his foot and raised his eyebrow before gesturing to the door. As they made their way back to the manor, he felt more at peace. Yes it was still a shitty situation but Daichi was right; the guild was full of smart people, between them they could figure out what to do and quickly.</p>
<p>He knew Tooru had left to go talk to Yachi himself, hopefully that yielded something in the way of new information, otherwise they were facing a wait for their enemy to make another move. Given how they only just escaped tragedy by a narrow margin, they weren’t exactly looking forward to another situation like that.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0050"><h2>50. An Unexpected Ally</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>L</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>An Unexpected Ally</strong>
</p>
<p>“What do you mean she’s ‘busy’?” Tooru snapped. The guard dressed head to toe in ceremonial armour didn’t seem fazed by his tone. Iwaizumi was wary of how many other guards were in the hallway of the palace, even with Ushijima by their side, he couldn’t see a confrontation of swords ending well.</p>
<p>“I meant what I said.” The guard gruffly replied, glaring at Ushijima. “First a guest of the twins, now this boy-king?”</p>
<p>“Excuse me.” Tooru pouted. “I’ll have you know I’m probably <em>older</em> than your empress.”</p>
<p>The guard shrugged. “Doesn’t mean shit to me.”</p>
<p>Iwaizumi cleared his throat in warning to Tooru. He needed to keep his temper in check if he really wanted to be taken seriously. Tooru disregarded it for the most part. “Fine, when will she be free to talk?”</p>
<p>The guard shrugged again, clearly not caring that Tooru was a king. “One of the court nobles simply told me to keep all visitors away.”</p>
<p>“Which one?”</p>
<p>The guard glared at Ushijima again. “Is he seriously going to be a pain in the ass—”</p>
<p>“I would answer him.” Ushijima stated. “Or shall I inform your superiors that you’re causing an inter-realm incident?”</p>
<p>The guard huffed. “I don’t know. I just got the orders from higher up. Best you can do is come back later, or maybe even tomorrow.”</p>
<p>“Nope.” Tooru folded his arms across his chest and stood defiant. “Not happening.”</p>
<p>Ushijima tactfully stepped between the two, turning to meet Tooru’s gaze. “As frustrating as this is, if the empress is busy, we can’t order her to make herself free without reason.”</p>
<p>As much as Tooru wanted to argue, Ushijima was a lot less likely to bend to his will than other people. “Fine.” He looked past him at the guard. “I’ll be back.”</p>
<p>If the guard was going to object, Tooru wasn’t going to listen. He turned on his heel and began striding out of the palace. Iwaizumi fell in step with him easily enough once they were outside, Ushijima quickly caught up to them and was about to say something when a courier wearing official Hinode colours approached and bowed in greeting.</p>
<p>“A letter for his majesty.” He stated, offering a folded piece of parchment with a red seal. Tooru took it with a nod, dismissing the courier and turning over the letter in his hands. Iwaizumi recognised the red wax of the seal and felt a sense of dread come over him. Tooru opened the letter and frowned at the short message.</p>
<p>
  <em>‘We need to talk. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>You want to take down Akiteru. I have information that</em>
  <em>’ll be of use.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Do not bring the Brotherhood or House Kageyama. Come with only your personal guard to the far side of the land bridge after midday. We shall talk where neither of us will be in danger.</em>
  <em>’</em>
</p>
<p>There was no signature. Tooru showed it to Ushijima who seemed equally confused. It was nearing midday and considering the instructions Tooru figured that alerting the Brotherhood was going to end poorly. Iwaizumi didn’t object when he voiced his intention to follow the note’s instructions. After all, they were armed.</p>
<p>“Yamamoto is back at the manor.” Tooru stated, looking to Ushijima. “Will you stand in for him?”</p>
<p>“Of course.”</p>
<p>“Good.” Tooru pocketed the note and began walking. Iwaizumi and Ushijima followed his lead. The city felt larger as they walked the entire length towards the main gates. Tooru tried not to think too much about who possibly sent the note. If they had information on Akiteru that would actually help, he didn’t care who they were. The gates came into sight, with them came a strange nervousness. That feeling only intensified as they left the city. He was used to the stares of the people by now, sure he didn’t command quite the reputation House Kageyama did, but his crown and attire did enough to get crowds to part.</p>
<p>The strong breeze that hit them as they started across the land bridge was oddly refreshing. Though it made Tooru realise he was sweating more than usual. Was he that nervous about meeting this stranger? He swallowed dryly as they reached the end of the bridge, unsure where to go now. Either side of the path the wilderness stretched out, but there were no obvious signs of this messenger. Ushijima scanned the people around them. None jumped out to him. Iwaizumi’s hand was on his sword, ready to draw at a moment’s notice. They waited in silence, trying not to look too out of place as people continued to walk past them.</p>
<p>Just as Tooru was ready to call it quits, someone tapped his shoulder. He wheeled around to find a hooded figure, their face obscured. They said nothing, merely gesturing for him to follow them. Still wary of this stranger, they complied. The hooded stranger only took them a few steps away, just enough to be out of earshot, but still within sight of the main road. It was clever in a way; clearly they weren’t looking to get the jump on him.</p>
<p>“I apologise for the secrecy.” A quiet, almost bored voice spoke barely above the wind in the ravine. Tooru felt like he knew this voice but couldn’t pinpoint an identity. “I hope you understand why I couldn’t talk to you in the city.”</p>
<p>He narrowed his gaze at the other, they stood near enough the same height as him but seemed skinnier. The voice was familiar but he wasn’t sure why. “Depends, are you going to keep your face hidden?”</p>
<p>There was a pause. “Depends, are you going to try and stab me on sight?”</p>
<p>Tooru wasn’t sure why he’d do that to an ally, he gave Iwaizumi a confused look, Iwaizumi shrugged. “As long as you and I have the same goal, I don’t see why I would stab you.”</p>
<p>“Oh we have the same goal alright.” Their hands came up to the edge of their hood. Peeking out from the edge of their sleeves were black inked lines decorating their pale skin. As fingers closed around the fabric they continued; “You want Akiteru dead, well who better than me to tell you his weakness?” They pulled their hood down to reveal blond hair and eyeglasses. A smirk rested on his lips as he waited for Tooru to react.</p>
<p>“You…” Tooru’s face was a perfect painting of confusion and fury rolled into one. Iwaizumi reacted first, drawing his sword, and stepping between Tooru and Kei. Ushijima’s poker face had deepened in thought as Kei held his hands up in surrender.</p>
<p>“Easy.” He remarked. “This isn’t a trick or trap.”</p>
<p>Iwaizumi snorted. “Like fuck am I going to believe that.”</p>
<p>Kei shrugged. “Does it look like I’m in any position to try and fuck with you? Akiteru doesn’t even know I’m here.”</p>
<p>Iwaizumi wasn’t convinced, but he wasn’t going to cut the other down immediately either. He held his nerve as Ushijima gave Kei a scrutinising look and asked the obvious question; “Why do you want Akiteru dead?”</p>
<p>Kei snorted. “It’s a long story.”</p>
<p>“We have time.” Iwaizumi barked. “Or just give us the short version so I can decide whether or not to kick you off this cliff.”</p>
<p>Kei didn’t seem put out by the attitude. “The short version? He’s crazy. Like, not band-of-lunatics crazy, but unhinged-mage-crazy.” He stated, smirk fading slightly. “I’m sure you’ve all managed to work out some of his handiwork. If all the meetings with Yachi are anything to go by at least.”</p>
<p>“That’s Tobio’s business.” Iwaizumi answered. “We got turned away today.”</p>
<p>“Well, yeah.” Kei shrugged. “That’s cause Akiteru has decided she’s in danger.”</p>
<p>“What?!”</p>
<p>Tooru had gotten over his disbelief at this point and gently eased Iwaizumi to step to one side. “Oi, so you’re saying Akiteru is crazy, why approach me? Why not tell your own guards, or the twins?”</p>
<p>Kei made it a point not to look Tooru in the eyes, staring past him instead. “Because you know what he’s capable of, don’t you, son of Hayato?”</p>
<p>Fury rose up in him. “You son of a bitch, you <em>knew</em>?!”</p>
<p>“No.” Kei said, swallowing. “Not at the time. Look, I told you, it’s a long story.”</p>
<p>Tooru wasn’t even entertaining the idea of listening to be honest. He didn’t want some sob story from Kei. He certainly wasn’t entertaining the idea of taking him back to the manor or bringing Tobio to him. Gods that was a terrible idea. He wasn’t sure what he wanted to do really. He hadn’t even entertained the idea of <em>Kei wanting to be helpful</em>.</p>
<p>“So, what’s this information you have?” Tooru asked, focusing on what they were there for in the first place.</p>
<p>“In short; I know what his goal is, I can anticipate what he’s planning and give you what you need to stop him.”</p>
<p>“Get on with it then.” Iwaizumi huffed.</p>
<p>Kei paid him no mind for the impatience. “He desires the throne. And there are two ways to get it; kill the empress or get her removed due to incompetence. He’s prepared to do either.”</p>
<p>“Gutsy.” Ushijima stated. “Which would you say is more likely?”</p>
<p>“Probably the latter right now. He’s been…working on it a while. Killing her is a bit extreme even for him I reckon.”</p>
<p>“Bastard is doing what he did to my father isn’t he?”</p>
<p>Kei nodded slightly. “Your father was his second test.”</p>
<p>“Second test?!”</p>
<p>Kei inhaled sharply. “Hayato was proof he could cause pain and eventually death with his magic.”</p>
<p>“Who was his first?” Iwaizumi asked. “If Hayato was his second.”</p>
<p>Kei glanced at each of them, swallowing as he took a step back towards the cliff-edge. “I was.”</p>
<p>Neither Tooru nor Iwaizumi had a response. It was possible that Kei was toying with them but something in his expression, the lack of a smirk and nervous gaze flickering back and forth between the three of them made him think that maybe, <em>maybe</em> he was being truthful.</p>
<p>“Prove it.” Tooru stated. Iwaizumi gave him an incredulous look. Kei shook his head.</p>
<p>“You don’t want me to do that.”</p>
<p>“You did it to Tobio.” Tooru challenged.</p>
<p>“I didn’t <em>want</em> to.”</p>
<p>Tooru laughed sarcastically. “Right, sure, whatever you say. I’m sure he’ll believe that.”</p>
<p>For the first time that conversation Kei looked put out, borderline irritated at Tooru’s attitude. He took another step back. Ushijima watched warily as he got closer to stepping off the edge. Iwaizumi looked back and forth between Tooru and Kei, unsure how he was supposed to be reacting.</p>
<p>“Fine.” Kei uttered. “Go and tell the Brotherhood. They got Ennoshita out didn’t they? He can vouch for some of it. What he can’t remember I’m sure Akaashi will have no problem tearing from my mind.”</p>
<p>Ushijima stepped forth and seized him by the wrist, catching everyone off guard. “I have a better idea.” He stated, looking to Tooru. “I take him to Atsumu.”</p>
<p>“No fucking deal.” Tooru shook his head. “Tobio will kill me if I let him slip away.”</p>
<p>“And you think Akiteru will be merciful if he finds out his little brother is in the hands of the Brotherhood?”</p>
<p>Iwaizumi could see where Ushijima was coming from. “He’s right…annoyingly.” He looked to Tooru. “We can’t give Akiteru a reason to storm the manor. At least if he’s with the twins, they can keep an eye on him without causing an incident.”</p>
<p>Kei didn’t voice a preference on the matter. Tooru scowled as he concluded that Ushijima was, annoyingly, right. “Fine. But we’ll be along later to get to the bottom of this. And gods have mercy on your soul if the Brotherhood doesn’t take kindly to your…offer.”</p>
<p>“Noted.” Kei uttered, glancing at Ushijima’s hand still holding his wrist. “You can let go now.”</p>
<p>Ushijima complied, with little else to say he beckoned Kei to follow him. Tooru watched the two begin their walk back across the bridge to the city gates. Iwaizumi sheathed his sword finally and let out a heavy sigh.</p>
<p>“Well that was fucking wild.”</p>
<p>“Tobio’s gonna hit the roof.” Tooru muttered. “And this Ennoshita kid better have some good fucking answers.”</p>
<p>“I guess we should head back and find out hm?”</p>
<p>They waited a few minutes, enjoying the fresh air and freedom of the world outside the city walls before beginning their walk back to the manor. It was early in the day by their standards, but they wouldn’t be surprised if half the manor were still asleep. They were just going to provide an unwelcome wake-up call.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Being woken by Yamaguchi insisting it was time to get up and eat wasn’t Tobio’s favourite way to wake up but having Hinata by his side made it less bothersome. Hinata appeared to have already been wide awake when Yamaguchi walked in, accepting the bowl of breakfast for them to share and watching the other leave without a word.</p>
<p>“Morning.” Tobio grumbled, burying his face in Hinata’s shoulder.</p>
<p>“Thought you didn’t like mornings.” Hinata remarked, holding the bowl in his hands like he wasn’t sure who it was for.</p>
<p>Tobio snorted, sitting up properly. “I mean, from what we heard about last night, it’s nice to actually wake up to one.”</p>
<p>Hinata nodded in agreement. He hadn’t been awake that long, but long enough to overhear murmured conversations and begin wondering what the others were doing. He wondered if the likes of Yaku and Kiyoko were okay.</p>
<p>“Oi,” Tobio poked his cheek, startling him slightly, “why the frown?”</p>
<p>Hinata forced a smile, well it wasn’t hard to ‘force’ it, this softer side of Tobio was starting to grow on him now that he realised it wasn’t a front but glimpses of more genuine feelings. He offered him the bowl, Tobio raised an eyebrow but took it and slowly began to eat.</p>
<p>“I’m scared for the others. And something Akaashi said.”</p>
<p>“Yeah?” Tobio said between bites. “What did he say now?”</p>
<p>Hinata sucked in a breath. “He said, that if Kei or Akiteru attack, I need to…not hesitate.” He picked at the blankets they were laying on. “I need to kill them on sight.”</p>
<p>Tobio ate another mouthful before handing the bowl back to Hinata. “Well,” he still had a mouthful of food but he didn’t seem to care, “He’s kinda right I guess.”</p>
<p>“I thought you said you didn’t want to kill them.” Hinata picked up the wooden spoon and started poking the oats and wheat mixture.</p>
<p>“Yeah, but that was before they nearly killed two of your friends.” Tobio shrugged, swallowing his food. “If they hadn’t made it personal before, they certainly have now.”</p>
<p>Hinata didn’t reply, focusing on eating as quickly as possible. Tobio remained quiet, watching him calmly. As he scraped the bottom of the bowl, Tobio took it as a sign to get up and ready himself for whatever that day had to throw at them. He was quick to follow Tobio’s lead, no sooner had they both fully dressed, did the door open once more. Inuoka glanced between them with a slightly surprised look but quickly recomposed himself.</p>
<p>“Ah, Akaashi wants to talk to you, both of you.” He said. “It’s about last night and what he thinks you should do about it.”</p>
<p>“Great.” Tobio finished buttoning up his jacket. “Lead on Sou.”</p>
<p>They made their way downstairs to the dining room where Akaashi was stood waiting for them. He had a stranger with him, short black hair framed his face and Tobio got the impression he was taller than most but he was sat down for now. Akaashi greeted them with a curt nod before gesturing for them to take a seat at the table. They waited in silence as Tanaka also arrived but declined sitting down. Akaashi felt he had everyone he needed, so he began.</p>
<p>“Tooru’s gone out, apparently to see Yachi.” He said first. “And I feel this is something that can’t wait for him to return.” Hinata watched his gaze move to the stranger in their midst. “This is Ennoshita, one of Semi and Kuroo’s former—”</p>
<p>“I was a Serpent.” Ennoshita stated, meeting Tobio’s gaze. “And sure, I ain’t proud of it, I never wanted it but I’m not gonna sit here and wallow in pity.”</p>
<p>Akaashi kept his opinions to himself. “Anyway, he ended up in Akiteru’s…care. After the battle.”</p>
<p>“I’ll cut to the actual information.” Ennoshita sighed, rolling his eyes. “What this one is trying to get to is that Kei had nothing to do with this.”</p>
<p>Tobio leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table as he kept a neutral expression. “Go on.”</p>
<p>“Long story short; I was ‘requested’ by some noble prick here, so what remained of the clan you so helpfully slaughtered just packed me off and told me to not come back. I got here. Akiteru turned out to be that prick and effectively held me prisoner in his damn basement.”</p>
<p>“You seem…oddly okay.” Tobio remarked. “For a prisoner.”</p>
<p>Ennoshita scowled at him. “That’s because he didn’t really do anything to me. He kept me fed and that. Even gave me books to read and allowed me to spend time in their garden.”</p>
<p>“And magic?”</p>
<p>He shook his head. “That’s the thing that made no sense, he didn’t try any of his shit with me.”</p>
<p>Hinata was confused. Tobio and Tanaka too. The only one who seemed unfazed was Akaashi. “So…what makes you think Kei had nothing to do with it, Semi agreed—”</p>
<p>“Eita just happened to give Akiteru a use for me.” He cut in. “I don’t know what he would’ve done if that idiot hadn’t arrived and spoken to Kei.”</p>
<p>There were a few things that didn’t quite add up. Keeping Ennoshita as a loose prisoner didn’t seem to fit any of Akiteru’s wider plans. What use would he have had for a bookkeeper of a bandit clan? He didn’t appear to be a mage or really anyone of massive use to a noble like Akiteru.</p>
<p>“So how do you know Kei had nothing to do with any of it? I mean, Semi approached him and made the deal with him, so he must’ve told Akiteru, right?”</p>
<p>“Well duh, they are brothers.” Ennoshita scoffed. “But it’s…” he hummed in thought. “Kei never really expressed any real…enthusiasm? Like, I know what that looks like; I got dragged into Suguru’s dumbass plans against my will. Kei radiated the ‘I’m here but I don’t like it’ attitude.”</p>
<p>“That’s not enough to convince me he’s totally innocent in any of this.” Tobio shrugged, glancing to Akaashi and Tanaka. “What say you two?”</p>
<p>Tanaka also shrugged. “I don’t know. I‘m inclined to believe Ennoshita, but that’s because Kei has known we’ve been here for ages and hasn’t done anything to force our hand. Like, if I were him, I’d wanna either get us to leave as quickly as possible, or I’d get the fuck out of here myself.”</p>
<p>Akaashi nodded in agreement. “As much as I want to think Kei is responsible, the fact of the matter is that Yaku, Semi and Kiyoko all experienced the same thing that Goshiki did. And Goshiki suffered at the hands of Akiteru, not Kei.” Tobio let out a frustrated sigh. Akaashi stepped closer and took a seat next to him, reaching out and placing a hand on his arm. “Tobio, I know Kei did some fucked up shit to you, and we’re not excusing that. Hell, we’re still going to make him pay for it, but it’s obvious that he’s a minor part of a bigger plan. A plan he may not actually want to be involved in.”</p>
<p>“So what are you saying, he’s a victim of his own brother?”</p>
<p>Akaashi nodded slightly. “It…seems so. I don’t like the idea either…”</p>
<p>Hinata was watching Ennoshita’s thoughtful expression. He didn’t like being suspicious of new people, but it did feel a little odd how he was being compliant with Akaashi’s wishes. Semi was still asleep and Kuroo was out, so there was no-one to vouch for his character. Hinata wasn’t convinced that this guy was being honest out of the goodness of his heart, or even in thanks for being saved.</p>
<p>“You said Akiteru took you prisoner.” He asked abruptly, getting Ennoshita’s attention. “Surely he said something to do about why he did that.”</p>
<p>“Nope.”</p>
<p>“I don’t believe you.”</p>
<p>Ennoshita snorted, giving Hinata a sarcastic smile. “After you and your friends slaughtered most of the Blue Serpents clan, I had nowhere to go. My home doesn’t exist anymore. My family is dead. The only people I considered friends had abandoned me. So when I got a new chance at life, I just took it and rolled with it. I didn’t ask Akiteru any questions, he sure as hell didn’t offer any explanations.” He slammed his fist on the table.</p>
<p>“So no, I didn’t ask why Akiteru took a liking to me. I don’t know what he’s up to. And you know what? Maybe I was too scared to.” His arrogant facade slipped away, eyes showing the desperation in his soul as he kept his eyes locked on Hinata. “Maybe I was scared that if I asked, he’d actually turn out to be a monster. Maybe I was scared that if I pushed my luck, I’d end up dead.”</p>
<p>Hinata swallowed. “Well, you’re not dead.” He stated. “So now what?”</p>
<p>Tobio gave Hinata a dumbfounded look, Hinata ignored it as he held Ennoshita’s gaze. Ennoshita didn’t have an answer immediately, his fist clenching until his knuckles turned white. “What do you mean, ‘now what’?” He uttered. “You took the last shred of a normal life from me—”</p>
<p>“No.” Hinata rose to his feet. “No they saved you.” He pointed at Akaashi and Tanaka. “They went to that tavern to save you.”</p>
<p>“They went to that tavern to save <em>Eita</em>.” Ennoshita hissed. “I’m always an afterthought.”</p>
<p>“You’re wro—”</p>
<p>“You’re wrong.” A voice came from the doorway. Everyone turned to see Semi stagger in, hand holding his head, his eye still swollen as Lev paced beside him. His gaze was on Ennoshita as he stepped further into the room. He hadn’t bothered to change his clothes; dirt, blood and ash still marking his shirt, his hair was stuck up at odd angles as he winced at the daylight. “Chikara, you’re wrong.”</p>
<p>Ennoshita seemed at a loss for words. He shook his head in disbelief.</p>
<p>“You know how?” Semi continued, halting at the table. “I didn’t exactly plan to get kidnapped by a madman, but I was planning to get you out of there. I got others put in danger in the process, but I’m certain that Kuroo planned this entire thing around getting all of us out.” He lowered his hand away from his head. “So don’t you dare give me that shit of ‘being an afterthought’. Shit’s different here, these guys are different.”</p>
<p>Akaashi raised an eyebrow, exchanging a glance with Tanaka before looking to Ennoshita to see how he reacted to such a statement. He was staring at Semi with a mixture of disbelief and confusion. Semi himself seemed unfazed by this reaction.</p>
<p>“I’m not expecting you to understand.” He added. “But just trust me when I say that this guild isn’t like the Serpents. Heck, I’ve been allowed to stay and I tried to kill Akaashi,” he glanced up, “no…hard feelings?”</p>
<p>Akaashi shrugged. “I consider it the least of our problems right now.”</p>
<p>“Exactly,” Semi looked back to Ennoshita, “so just give them a chance. And…talk to Kuroo when he gets back. And if you wanna leave after that, then sure…” he trailed off, looking rather woozy as he swayed slightly. Akaashi moved quickly and caught him before he fell.</p>
<p>“You need more rest.” He murmured, looking to Tanaka. “Take over here will you? I’ll get Semi back to bed.”</p>
<p>Tanaka nodded, stepping forward as Akaashi shepherded Semi out of the room with Lev hot on their heels. Tanaka smiled at Ennoshita as he set his hands on his hips. “Look, as far as we’re concerned, you’re not a threat to us. Likewise we’re not expecting you to help us, but there’s a lot of bad blood between us and Akiteru.”</p>
<p>“And Kei, I gather.” Ennoshita’s gaze redirected to Tobio. “What did Kei do?”</p>
<p>Hinata stiffened as Tobio sighed heavily. “He fucked with my memories and nearly made me declare war on House Oikawa.”</p>
<p>Ennoshita blinked. “Oh. Huh.”</p>
<p>“Huh?”</p>
<p>“Well, I read some letters that mentioned that.”</p>
<p>Tobio’s attention was captured once more. “How? What letters?”</p>
<p>“Easy.” Tanaka chided. “Give the guy a break this was probably—”</p>
<p>“They were never signed.” Ennoshita shrugged. “But they detailed things like ‘get as many outposts in House Oikawa’s lands as possible for the inevitable’ and ‘House Kageyama will be ruthless on the eastern border but not the west, use it to your advantage.’ Stuff like that.”</p>
<p>“Bastard seriously planned this?” Tobio snapped.</p>
<p>“No you don’t understand.” Ennoshita was more forceful as he looked at him. “Kei was being told these things. Someone <em>else</em> was planning it.”</p>
<p>Tobio took a few moments to comprehend what that meant. Whether he was being ordered to or not, Kei still <em>did</em> it. That part couldn’t be excused but it meant the true perpetrator in all of this was the one they had been hunting all this time without realising. The journal, the odd remarks, the way Kei hadn’t tried to taunt them since they arrived.</p>
<p>Was he really just a pawn in all of this?</p>
<p>Tobio put his head in his hands, completely broken by this revelation. He was angry. He was mortified he had been fooled again. Since his first meeting with Yachi it had been staring him in the face. Akiteru. Akiteru was a snake worse than any of the Serpents. He was also a noble and therefore untouchable by most.</p>
<p>“I see.”</p>
<p>Tanaka gave Hinata a worried glance as Tobio continued holding his head in his hands. Ennoshita looked guilty, like he had been the bearer of bad news. After what felt like an eternity, Tobio reached out and took Hinata’s hand in his.</p>
<p>“Shoyo.”</p>
<p>“Y-Yes?”</p>
<p>“I want you to kill Akiteru.”</p>
<p>“Ehh?!”</p>
<p>He looked up, meeting Hinata’s eyes with a frightening glower. “I want that bastard dead. He killed my family. He killed Tooru’s father. He fucked with me and those I care about. I don’t give a shit about anything else. Kill him.”</p>
<p>Hinata’s hand felt like it was being crushed as Tobio squeezed it. He found himself shaking his head. “Tobio, I can’t kill—”</p>
<p>“I’m ordering you to.”</p>
<p>“I don’t follow your <em>orders</em> Tobio.” He stated with as much confidence as he could muster. “I protect you but I don’t follow your orders.”</p>
<p>“Then what use are you to me?”</p>
<p>The question sucker punched him in the gut. Tanaka looked ready to slap Tobio for the remark as he rose to his feet, letting go of Hinata’s hand. Hinata, though caught off guard by the attitude switch, immediately bounced back.</p>
<p>“What use?” He repeated, making Tobio halt. He could feel an intense heaviness rising in him. Purple wisps began to circle is fingers as he threw his hands in the air in disbelief. “What did you tell me on that roof in Tobu Misaki-Mura?”</p>
<p>“I don’t have—”</p>
<p>“Answer me!” Hinata demanded. “Tell me what you said to me.”</p>
<p>Tobio closed his eyes momentarily, muttering something under his breath before turning to look at Hinata. “I said, something along the lines of…” he exhaled sharply. “I said you make me feel stronger.”</p>
<p>Hinata nodded, snapping his fingers and watching the purple wisps change into flames. “<em>You</em> said I make you feel invincible.”</p>
<p>Tobio nodded slightly. “So?”</p>
<p>“What do you mean ‘so?’. I didn’t pull you out of the <em>literal jaws of death</em> just for you to act like this!” Hinata waved his hands around a little too frantically for someone who had just conjured fire from nothing. “Stop being so fucking stupid and demanding death on anyone who wronged you! I know you’re better than that!”</p>
<p>Tobio glared at him.</p>
<p>“I’m right.” Hinata huffed, dispelling his erratic magic. “You know I am. You’re just too stubborn to say it. You don’t wanna be a bad king, well start being the king you <em>do</em> want to be.”</p>
<p>Both Tanaka and Ennoshita weren’t sure how to react to this fight. Tanaka wasn’t exactly a stranger to how chaotic the relationship was, but this was a new level of intensity for him. He expected Tobio to flip out, to start cussing and shouting at Hinata’s attitude. There was none of that though. The two simply stood facing each other, expressions saying a thousand words. It was Tobio who moved first, striding forward and grabbing Hinata by the arm before dragging him out into the walled garden.</p>
<p>In a slightly more private setting, he took Hinata by the shoulders and met his gaze. Hinata expected to get yelled at, but he also expected Tobio to refuse to talk about it at all. Tobio was a confusing person, but he wasn’t to blame entirely. Life had dealt him a cruel hand, fate seemed to have a point to prove to him. He squeezed Hinata’s shoulders as he hung his head.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry.” He whispered.</p>
<p>Hinata would be lying if he said he didn’t appreciate how hard it was for Tobio to actually admit he was wrong. “I know.”</p>
<p>Another tight squeeze of his shoulders. “I don’t…I don’t know what to do. I’m being torn in two directions.”</p>
<p>“Well, talk it out.” Hinata impulsively reached up and cupped his face. As his thumbs brushed over Tobio’s cheeks, he felt dampness. Tobio was crying. “Tobio, I…you know I’m not gonna leave your side. I made that promise to Hēishān. I made that promise to <em>you</em>.” He tried to make Tobio meet his gaze but Tobio was resisting. “I’m here. I’m here for you. And so are all the others. You’re not the lonely king anymore Tobio. Don’t let what happened to you define how you live.”</p>
<p>“But it <em>hurts</em>.” Tobio uttered, breath shaky. “No matter how hard I try I just can’t shake it off. He killed my family Shoyo. He killed my family and then sent his brother to <em>remind</em> me and fuck with me.”</p>
<p>“And that’s why you need to be better than him.” He insisted. “I know you can do it Tobio. I know because you’re <em>you</em>. The most stubborn king I’ve met- I mean I’ve only met two but that’s beside the point.” He was more insistent about making Tobio’s gaze meet his. “You’re Tobio Kageyama, King of the South Eastern kingdom, Dragon of the East, and I, I’m your sworn protector. Together we’re invincible. Together, with our friends, we’ll stop Akiteru once and for all.”</p>
<p>Tobio’s eyes were glassy. Hinata let the silence sit for a moment. He felt his fingertips heating up, he watched as purple wisps took hold again. He didn’t flinch as he kept his thoughts optimistic. Tobio seemed spooked.</p>
<p>“It’s okay.” He whispered. “Let it happen.”</p>
<p>He wasn’t really sure <em>what</em> was happening. But he did know that the purple element wasn’t just the void, it was also its balance. He gently pressed his forehead to Tobio’s. The simple gesture was a little difficult given their height difference, he had to rise up on the balls of his feet to manage it but Tobio didn’t pull away. He covered Hinata’s hands with his own. They stood in silence for a while, Tobio’s unsteady breathing started to even out as Hinata kept his level head. Soon the purple wisps faded and Tobio was breathing normally.</p>
<p>“Better?” Hinata asked.</p>
<p>“Y-Yeah, what was that—”</p>
<p>“I don’t know. But I do know that it was easy.” Hinata beamed as he gently pulled back. “And it made me feel a lot better.”</p>
<p>Tobio let out a breathless laugh, gently prising Hinata’s hands from his face but keeping hold of them as he lowered them. “Uh, well thanks…for whatever it was.”</p>
<p>“Hey, I’m your protector, gotta protect you from everything, including yourself.”</p>
<p>Tobio snorted, daring to smile. “Don’t push your luck.” He poked Hinata’s forehead. “You’re lucky I like you.”</p>
<p>They froze for a moment, it wasn’t exactly a profound statement but it was the first time Tobio had directly expressed any affectionate feelings. Hinata’s eyes widened as he nervously laughed. There were too many feelings rushing through him as Tobio’s smile didn’t fade, but he didn’t exactly look calm under the surface either.</p>
<p>“I uh, thanks?” Hinata laughed again. “It would suck if you didn’t.”</p>
<p>“Y-Yeah.”</p>
<p>“So, should we go inside and uh, st-start planning this counterattack! Yes!” Hinata put up his fists like he was about to engage in a fistfight. “We need to get the others on board to stick it to Akiteru.”</p>
<p>Tobio tried to keep his composure but honestly, Hinata being Hinata was a nice change from the mood he was in only a few minutes ago. He laughed as Hinata pretended to fistfight an invisible enemy, hopping around like he was some sort of rabbit on its kind legs. It was rather stupid-looking honestly, but he found it endearing.</p>
<p>“Alright, yes, let’s go and find the others and plan an actual…plan?” He frowned in thought.</p>
<p>“It’ll be like the Battle of the Dynasty all over again!”</p>
<p>“No!” Tobio grabbed Hinata by the top of his head. “No not like <em>that</em> dumbass. We need to be sneakier than charging into the palace on horseback.”</p>
<p>Hinata pouted. “I know <em>that</em>. What kind of idiot would even suggest that?”</p>
<p>“I dunno, maybe one of your lunatic friends who decided to pretend to be a fucking bard troupe to get into the Imperial Palace?”</p>
<p>“To be fair, I don’t think that was a terrible idea. Also it’s not <em>that</em> inaccurate.”</p>
<p>“You’re fucking impossible.” Tobio sighed, his sigh breaking off into a laugh as he released Hinata and started walking towards the door. “Come on then.”</p>
<p>Hinata chuckled as he jogged to catch up. This was the Tobio he preferred; laid back and not afraid to indulge in lighter conversation. It was the Tobio he had grown to want to spend time with; not the moody temperamental king but the softer, more carefree person who happened to wear a crown. He just hoped when this was over, he could tell him that.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0051"><h2>51. Stand By Me</h2></a>
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  <strong>LI</strong>
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  <strong>Stand By Me</strong>
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<p>Pounding headaches seemed to be the reoccurring symptom in the aftermath of the rescue mission. Kiyoko had been barely able to think straight when she first awoke in Suga’s hold. The second time she woke up it wasn’t much better. He was still asleep as she opened her eyes. It was dim in the room, a gentle glow came from under the door, the window of the room was shuttered and only allowed pinpricks of light in. She was thankful for it, it meant she didn’t have bright sunlight to contend with.</p>
<p>Slowly she sat up, Suga’s arm had been wrapped around her until she delicately moved it so she could swing her legs over the side of the bed. The clay cup sat on the tiny table next to the bed, she figured it must be for her given the herbal scent. She managed not to gag too much on the taste, setting the empty cup down afterwards. Leaning forward and propping her elbows on her knees, she held her head in her hands. The headache wasn’t going away very quickly, but she was thankful that she had a relatively dreamless sleep.</p>
<p>She knew she was lucky. No, what rattled her wasn’t the horrific vision that she had been subjected to, it was the feeling of her own blade pressing against her stomach. The sensation of coming back to her consciousness and finding herself about to sink her <em>own blade</em> into herself was one she wanted to forget. Her gaze fell on her katana that had been tossed on the floor the night before. She had used that blade many times to save her life and others, yet it was the same blade that almost killed her. She would say she didn’t understand it, but she was too smart for that. She knew exactly what happened.</p>
<p>It had been Akiteru under that hood. Yaku had known that when she entered the room. That’s why he looked so terrified. He wasn’t scared for himself, he was scared for her. She rubbed her face with her hands, feeling the dampness on her fingertips. Feeling powerless wasn’t one she was overly familiar with. Not in this way. She was used to being able to face her foes head-on and anticipate their moves. This was horrible. A weak sob left her as the hopelessness took over. She thought she was doing well to stay quiet, yet a hand gently patted her back. She sniffed loudly as she glanced over her shoulder at Suga. He didn’t say anything, merely offering her his hand. When she took it, he coaxed her to lie back down. Facing him once more, she buried her face in his shirt, sighing heavily.</p>
<p>“It’s scary, I know.” He whispered. “But we’ll get through this.”</p>
<p>She nodded, believing his words but not able to shake the feelings from her. Her head still hurt as he stroked her hair, running his fingers through strands and gently teasing out the tangles. His movements were soothing, lulling her into a doze once more. Eventually though, lying in bed wasn’t going to do much help. She felt better when she was doing something.</p>
<p>“Koushi,” she murmured, “can we go find the others?”</p>
<p>“Sure thing. I bet Kenma will want to have a better look at you.”</p>
<p>She weakly smiled, sitting up slowly again. He took her hand as they left the room together, leaving her armour neatly folded on the bed. Today she wasn’t going to burden herself with her perceived duty. She was going to rest and spend time with those around her. No sooner had they gotten downstairs did they run into Tanaka. She let go of Suga’s hand and threw herself into Tanaka’s arms, wrapping him in a hug. Understandably, he was startled but was quick to hug her back.</p>
<p>“Ryuunosuke,” She murmured, still keeping hold of him, “I owe you my life.”</p>
<p>“I-uh—I mean.” He stumbled over his words as she pulled back and smiled at him with tearful eyes. “I’m just glad you’re safe!” He settled on, beaming at her much like Hinata was renowned for. “You scared me.”</p>
<p>“I scared myself.” She admitted, wiping at her damp cheeks. “But it’s okay, <em>I</em><em>’m</em> okay. That’s thanks to you.”</p>
<p>He sheepishly smiled. “Aw damn, it’s nothing, really. Just what we do init?”</p>
<p>They shared a laugh. It wasn’t long before the three of them ended up in the parlour with some of the others. Nishinoya and Kindaichi didn’t hide their relief at seeing Kiyoko up and walking around. Moniwa shot Suga a smile as Tanaka shouted back through the doorway for someone to bring some food through. He was met with an incredulous response from Yamamoto to get his own damn food. Ennoshita had somewhat reluctantly been dragged into the parlour and was sat on the floor with Kunimi giving him sceptical glances a little too often. All in all, it was a laid-back atmosphere. The doors to the backroom were closed but Inuoka did poke his head out to tell Kiyoko that Yaku was fine, for what it was worth. As if on cue, Yaku barked that he wasn’t dead and he’d <em>very much appreciate it </em>if he would quit being fussed over.</p>
<p>Inuoka rolled his eyes as the parlour’s inhabitants shared a laugh. Yamamoto and Asahi brought in some platters of food from the kitchen, informing everyone that the staff were going to start a mutiny if any more people decided to stay in the manor. Considering there were now two royal entourages, a guild of assassins and several ‘guests’ under one roof, no-one could blame them.</p>
<p>“Where’s Kenma?” Suga asked Nishinoya as the group ate the cold meats and fruit on offer.</p>
<p>“Uh, Yamaguchi made him take a nap. Kunimi was the last up.”</p>
<p>Kunimi nodded in confirmation. “He was completely out. Like, I shook him gently to see if he wanted to get up but he just grumbled and called me ‘dumbass Kuro’.” He pouted.</p>
<p>“Wait where’s <em>Kuroo</em>?” Suga asked, now he was starting to take stock of who wasn’t there.</p>
<p>“He went to talk to Daichi.” Moniwa replied. “Bokuto went with him. And Tooru took Iwaizumi to see Yachi. Shirabu was still asleep in Semi’s room— not <em>with</em> Semi, obviously, but Akaashi had to take Semi back to bed after he got up and then nearly fainted.”</p>
<p>“Fucking hell.” Suga remarked, pinching the bridge of his nose. “And…dare I ask where Tobio and Hinata are?”</p>
<p>Tanaka cleared his throat. “They uh, needed to take a moment outside. Things got a bit heated and I’m pretty sure Tobio was gonna slap Hinata.”</p>
<p>That wasn’t a good sign, though any apprehension anyone had was quickly dispelled by the pair in question arriving. Tobio didn’t seem fazed by everyone’s attention on him, Hinata looked like a frightened rabbit. Tanaka gave them both a curious look, smirking slightly.</p>
<p>“Ah speaking of,” he remarked loudly, “did you two make up then?”</p>
<p>“Yeah.” Tobio shrugged. “What’s it to you?”</p>
<p>“Eh?!” Tanaka pouted. “Well excuse me, you looked like you were gonna—”</p>
<p>“It’s fine.” Ennoshita cut in, getting a surprised look from many. “I’m sure your friend was just concerned.”</p>
<p>“What he said.”</p>
<p>Tobio shrugged again, looking at Hinata. “We’re fine.”</p>
<p>Hinata nodded quickly. He was sort of thankful Kenma wasn’t there to cast suspicion over the situation. Saying that, he was curious as to why he hadn’t seen Kenma at all. As he asked, Kunimi pointed him towards the upstairs room and told him he might as well check on the other. Leaving Tobio to field his own questions from those in the parlour, he found the room Kunimi had spoken of and let himself in. Kenma being wrapped up in blankets was a common sight and it made him chuckle as he sat on the edge of the bed. In the quiet, the sounds of conversation were hard to hear. Kenma’s slow, steady breathing convinced Hinata that he was fast asleep and not just faking it like he sometimes did in order to get away from the chaos that was the real world.</p>
<p>Honestly, Hinata wouldn’t mind sleeping a few days of this madness away. He gently poked the bundle of blankets and got nothing for it. Kenma was a deep sleeper, that much was true, but Hinata wasn’t dissuaded from trying to rouse him from his slumber. A few more pokes and shoves later, Kenma grumbled something.</p>
<p>“Fuck off Kuro.”</p>
<p>“It’s not Kuroo.” Hinata replied.</p>
<p>“Well fuck off.”</p>
<p>Hinata snorted. “Hey, that’s rude Kenma.”</p>
<p>“So is waking someone up.” Kenma grumbled, pulling the blankets tighter. “Is anyone dying?”</p>
<p>“N-No?”</p>
<p>“Then let me sleep dammit.”</p>
<p>Hinata pouted slightly. “Sheesh, you’re grumpier than Tobio.”</p>
<p>The blankets shifted slightly, enough for a hand to slip out and grab Hinata by the cheek. He let out a squawk of protest at the sudden pain but Kenma didn’t seem to care. Slowly, Kenma sat up, still pinching Hinata’s cheek. “You wanna say that again?”</p>
<p>“N-Nu-uh.”</p>
<p>With a smirk, Kenma let go, playfully punching Hinata in the shoulder. “What do you want?”</p>
<p>Rubbing his sore cheek, Hinata pouted again. “Everyone else is awake, well, Shirabu is asleep? I dunno. I wanted to see if you were okay?”</p>
<p>A softer smile graced Kenma’s face just before he yawned. “’m fine.” He mumbled. “Tadashi told me to go to sleep, so I did.”</p>
<p>Hinata found it likely that Yamaguchi would be insistent, after all, he had to look after a king like Tobio. The number of times Yamaguchi had to basically pull Tobio out of bed on a morning made him seem more like an older brother than an adviser. He wasn’t aware he was smiling until Kenma pinched his cheek again.</p>
<p>“Ack! What?”</p>
<p>“You’re smiling for no reason, what aren’t you telling me?”</p>
<p>Hinata flailed his hands, trying to get Kenma to release him. Eventually Kenma took pity but his question still hung in the air. Hinata wasn’t sure if he should bring it up or not, but he figured that Kenma wasn’t going to let him slip out of the conversation without answering in some form.</p>
<p>“Uh, well, Tobio said something like…I’m lucky he likes me.”</p>
<p>Kenma rubbed his eyes, yawning again. “Right. Do you wanna run that entire conversation by me or are you gonna make me work out what you’re talking about.”</p>
<p>Hinata shouldn’t be surprised at Kenma’s attitude by now, but he still pouted a little at the interrogation. He loosely told Kenma how Tobio was being grumpy and moody and ‘all vendetta-like’ again and it got heated. He left out the more important parts that Ennoshita had divulged, that wasn’t his concern. What <em>was</em> his concern was how Tobio kept flipping back and forth on how he wanted to handle any of this; first he wanted to spare the brothers, then he wanted to kill them, then he wanted to be ‘a better king’, whatever <em>that</em> meant.</p>
<p>“So now he’s all confused and I dunno, I guess he’s just really stressed?”</p>
<p>Kenma rubbed his eyes again. “Yeah, sounds like it. Have you told Yamaguchi any of this?”</p>
<p>“Eh? No?”</p>
<p>“Maybe you <em>should</em>? He is Tobio’s adviser after all?</p>
<p>“Huh.” Hinata actually hadn’t considered telling Yamaguchi. He figured Tobio could confide in the other. Then again, he realised how stupid that sounded, Tobio barely confided in anyone, let alone someone whose sole job was to <em>advise</em> him. The more time Hinata spent with Tobio, the more he realised how little Tobio seemed to know about being a king. Not that he blamed him for that, but it was curious how different he and Tooru were.</p>
<p>“Maybe I should tell Tooru as well?”</p>
<p>Kenma chuckled. “Because I can see that ending well.”</p>
<p>“I mean, Tooru’s a bit more…experienced? At least with annoying noble people.” Hinata scowled. “I hate nobles.”</p>
<p>“So do most people.” Kenma wryly smiled. “Shoyo, I think you should do whatever you can to help Tobio. He clearly thinks of you as part of his royal staff at this point, start talking to them more about these things. A king can only be as good as those he surrounds himself with.”</p>
<p>“Well he’s got a band of lunatics…so what does that say?”</p>
<p>Kenma laughed a little louder this time. “Good point.”</p>
<p>Hinata smiled, not just because Kenma laughed at his remark but because Kenma <em>laughed</em> at all. It had been a long night, one that had taken its toll on some more than others. There were no promises that this day wouldn’t be just as turbulent. They sat for a short while longer, Kenma gradually waking up enough to deem himself ready to go and face whatever was waiting for him downstairs. Hinata told him how Kiyoko seemed fine, but Semi had gotten up and exhausted himself already so Akaashi had taken him back to bed.</p>
<p>“Oh and Yaku’s being loud.”</p>
<p>“Of course he is, dumbass is too much like Kuroo for his own good sometimes.” Kenma snorted as he stood up and stretched. “Doesn’t like being told to sit still.”</p>
<p>Hinata had to laugh at that. He only followed Kenma as far as the staircase before realising Yamaguchi was only a few rooms away. He loudly declared that he was going to get started on being helpful to House Kageyama as opposed to just Tobio. Kenma smiled and nodded in parting. Kenma carried on towards the room he left Semi in. Akaashi was there looking slightly put out as Semi complained of a headache. Shirabu had sat up but like Kenma only a short while ago; he was barely awake.</p>
<p>“Alright, how are you feeling?” Kenma asked Semi.</p>
<p>Semi groaned, rubbing his forehead. “Like someone hit me with a club.”</p>
<p>Akaashi shook his head slightly at Kenma, prompting a silent conversation.</p>
<p>
  <em>‘He got worked up at Ennoshita. I don’t know if he’s worse because of it. I also don’t know if this headache is magic-induced or not. He was pretty beaten up last night.’</em>
</p>
<p>Kenma sat on the edge of the bed and took Semi by the chin. Semi squawked in protest at the rough handling but allowed Kenma to stare at him and tilt his head this way and that. There weren’t any physical signs of massive trauma aside from the swollen eye, only some faint bruising and scratches that had scabbed over. Kenma hummed noncommittally.</p>
<p>“Can you walk without vomiting?” He asked.</p>
<p>Semi squinted slightly at the question. “Maybe?”</p>
<p>Kenma let go of his chin and folded his arms. “You’re bed-bound until further notice.”</p>
<p>“What?!”</p>
<p>“Don’t argue with me.” Kenma stood up and looked to Shirabu. “You’re in charge.”</p>
<p>Shirabu gave him a thumbs up, Semi on the other hand wasn’t letting this go. “Can I at least go downstairs?”</p>
<p>Kenma and Akaashi exchanged a glance. The former shook his head again. “You need to let your head rest Eita,” he started walking towards the door, “trust us when we say it, but you can’t rush back into the fray in your current state. You’ll get yourself or someone else hurt.”</p>
<p>He left without letting Semi argue any further, Akaashi two steps behind him. Once in the hallway at the top of the staircase Kenma revealed the latest part in the Hinata and Tobio saga, at least what he was told. Akaashi sighed heavily at it. They continued exchanging information for a few moments, taking advantage of a precious lull in activity. Whilst neither of them knew where Tooru had gotten to, they were relieved to see Kuroo and Bokuto return in one piece and not looking like they’d been cage fighting.</p>
<p>Kuroo waved up at them before asking where Ennoshita was, Akaashi pointed him to the parlour. Bokuto came up to see them both, greeting them with a smile before lowering his tone.</p>
<p>“So that Goshiki kid? He’s good at cards.”</p>
<p>Kenma blinked slowly. “Well, yes, did you expect him not to be?”</p>
<p>Bokuto rolled his eyes, setting his hands on his hips. “No I mean like, he’s <em>smart</em>.”</p>
<p>“And?” Akaashi sighed. “What are you getting at?”</p>
<p>“I mean, he dealt with Akiteru, he’s smart in his own right…surely we could put him to…I mean, he’d be better off here?”</p>
<p>Akaashi inhaled slowly, the reason they didn’t want him in the manor wasn’t that he needed to be kept out. Well, it sort of was, but there were several factors; they already had Hinata, they already didn’t have enough beds for everyone, they already had the guards being suspicious of them and adding a slightly unhinged mage to that mix wasn’t going to end well in the slightest. Not to mention that Goshiki had been living in isolation for years, introducing him to over twenty people at once and expecting him to be totally fine with it was more than unfair.</p>
<p>And that was without taking into account what would happen if Akiteru found out.</p>
<p>“At the moment, given what happened last night,” Akaashi carefully put, “I think he’s better off there with Ukai and Daichi.”</p>
<p>“But surely more of us should be visiting?”</p>
<p>Akaashi gave Kenma an almost pleading look. Kenma shrugged. “If by some miracle we manage to get a peaceful day, then maybe.”</p>
<p>Miracles were one of the guild’s specialities, but so was sparking unbridled chaos. And as the door swung open with the arrival of Tooru’s frustrated presence, Kenma figured he just jinxed them.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>After Kenma had sternly told him he was to stay bed-bound, Semi started complaining even more. Shirabu was bored of it by now and Lev had fallen asleep on another bed. Though the former entertained Semi’s ranting as long as he didn’t get out of bed. They bargained that Semi could sit up, propping himself up with most of the available pillows in the room, and he didn’t <em>have</em> to try and sleep it off if he didn’t want to. It still meant Shirabu was subjected to his tirades about the Tsukishima brothers, the Serpents and how Ennoshita was being an asshole about them <em>saving</em> him.</p>
<p>“Like did he want to stay in that fucking tavern?”</p>
<p>Shirabu yawned, not purposefully but it was still a yawn. “I mean, you make it sound like he spat in your face.”</p>
<p>“I mean he <em>kinda</em> did.”</p>
<p>“Pft. I think you’re being more dramatic than Kuroo.”</p>
<p>“Take that back you little shit!”</p>
<p>Shirabu grinned, sticking out his tongue in a juvenile manner. Semi scowled at him but didn’t make a move. He sighed heavily and slumped down a little. The headache wasn’t going away even after he drank the foul potion Kenma had left. He glared at Shirabu who seemed content to sit in silence. He remembered a small detail about Shirabu, it had been in passing conversation about mages and their differing powers. He hadn’t cared much at the time, but now he was in this situation, he figured he might as well try.</p>
<p>“You have healing magic right?”</p>
<p>Shirabu raised his eyebrows. “Why?”</p>
<p>“Why do you <em>think</em>?”</p>
<p>Shirabu yawned again, already knowing where this was heading. “I mean, we don’t know if—”</p>
<p>“Feel free to try at least?”</p>
<p>“Try asking <em>nicely</em>.”</p>
<p>“Kenjirou you little—”</p>
<p>Shirabu laughed. “Since when were we on a first-name basis?” He sat up regardless. “Before this crazy fiasco, I barely knew you existed.”</p>
<p>“Yeah well maybe I’m trying to…” Semi trailed off. Saying ‘make new friends’ sounded cheesy as fuck. He wasn’t on first-name basis with many people, certainly not in the Brotherhood just yet. Kenma seemed to be using it as a way to get him to comply with orders, it was a force of habit with Kuroo, and the rest probably just slipped up from time to time. He wasn’t really <em>one of them</em> yet. Even If Yaku considered him to be, there was still this doubt in the air between a lot of them. He didn’t blame them for it, it was just a simple fact.</p>
<p>Shirabu had stepped over to his bed in the time he had spent thinking about these dynamics. Plonking himself down on the edge of the bed unceremoniously, he gave Semi a smug grin. “Are you trying to say that you <em>like</em> the Brotherhood and all their crazy shit?”</p>
<p>“Shut up.” Semi scowled at him as he watched Shirabu crack his knuckles. “You’re not even part of them!”</p>
<p>“I’m an honorary member by now,” Shirabu said still with his smug grin. “You kinda get that honour when they just <em>drag you into everything</em>.” Semi dared to laugh a little. Shirabu smiled more genuinely as he flexed his fingers and held them up, reaching a hand towards him slightly. “Alright, if this is purely a headache caused by being punched in the head, I can fix it. If it’s not…then good luck to both of us I guess.”</p>
<p>Semi was about to ask what that meant but decided against it. Shirabu let out a low whistle, fingertips glowed a faint white light as he gently pressed his hands on either side of Semi’s head. Fingertips pressed against his temples, thumbs rested next to the corners of his eyes. Shirabu remained silent as his eyes closed in concentration. Semi was aware of a prickling sensation in the back of his skull, it wasn’t unpleasant, just odd.</p>
<p>“Is it work—”</p>
<p>“Shush.” Shirabu breathed, shuffling a little closer. “Just let me think.”</p>
<p>Semi nodded, slumping forward so Shirabu didn’t have to stretch so far. He felt his world spinning slightly, like he had stood up too quickly after laying in an odd position. His eyes slipped shut as Shirabu’s fingers began to move in slow circles, gently massaging his temples. It felt calming, like being wrapped in a warm blanket in the winter. He wasn’t aware of the quiet noises leaving him until Shirabu let out a huff of amusement.</p>
<p>“Feel good?” He remarked.</p>
<p>“Ye-Yeah.”</p>
<p>“Good.” Shirabu ducked his head to press their foreheads together. It surprised Semi but it was not because of the close proximity. The warmth felt stronger, like walking into a room heated by a fire. The pulsing pain of the headache was dulling quickly as Shirabu remained silent in concentration.</p>
<p>For two people who hadn’t spoken in-depth, Semi found this entire interaction a nice distraction from the usual on-edge topics he was used to. Every time he opened his mouth he felt like he was walking on a poorly maintained bridge spanning a bottomless pit. As much as the Brotherhood had been welcoming in their own <em>unique</em> way, he still felt like the outsider.</p>
<p>Maybe he needed to properly clear the air with Kuroo and Akaashi. Have a proper sit down and apologise for everything. He knew that they were understanding, that he had been in a lose-lose situation. But there was a difference between them thinking that and him saying sorry.</p>
<p>He had lost himself to Shirabu’s gentle movements. The warmth that had soothed his headache was unlike any he had felt. Shirabu didn’t seem in a hurry to stop and he certainly didn’t feel like telling him to. Eventually the other decided he had done enough, first slowing his fingertips before his hands slowly retreated. They remained close, foreheads still touching even as Shirabu opened his eyes. Shirabu spoke quietly in a tone Semi hadn’t heard from the usually brash, sarcastic mage.</p>
<p>“How do you feel?”</p>
<p>Semi honestly felt drowsy, like he could fall asleep within a few moments if he wanted to. Though there was still an uncomfortable prickling sensation at the back of his head like he was being pecked by a tiny bird. He didn’t feel <em>bad</em> at least.</p>
<p>“Sorta…sleepy?”</p>
<p>Shirabu snorted. “Well that’s good.”</p>
<p>“…what did you do exactly?” Semi asked as Shirabu pulled back and his hands retreated. He didn’t miss the slight grimace, almost like Shirabu wished he hadn’t asked that.</p>
<p>Shirabu was silent for a few moments, having a debate mentally over whether to tell Semi what he had found. He wasn’t even sure <em>what</em> he found. It certainly wasn’t something he had come across before. Eventually he decided that keeping secrets wasn’t his style, that it never did anyone any good in the long run.</p>
<p>“I’m not entirely sure.” He settled on. “I’m not an empath mage, not exactly anyway. I can’t read minds and I can’t read emotions any more than the regular person can. All I can do is detect pain and hasten the recovery.”</p>
<p>Semi blinked a few times, trying to process what Shirabu was and wasn’t saying. “So you got rid of my headache?”</p>
<p>“Sort of.” Shirabu huffed, picking at a loose thread of the blanket. “I hastened your recovery. What caused it…is still there.”</p>
<p>Semi’s brow furrowed. “…what?”</p>
<p>“Some sort of empath magic, I’m guessing Kenma <em>might</em> have an idea if I described it but…Akaashi or that Ukai guy will probably be the only ones actually able to do anything about it.”</p>
<p>As soon as the words ‘empath magic’ were said, Semi groaned. He could remember the voice in the shadows, the golden eyes locked onto his, the way his stomach twisted and turned before he blacked out. He brought a hand to his head, fingertips rubbing his temple to try and soothe a sharp pang of pain. Shirabu gave him a curious look before shuffling closer again.</p>
<p>“Look, as far as I’m concerned, you don’t need to tell me anything.” Shirabu told him, reaching out and pressing two fingertips to the other side of his head. A pleasant ripple of warmth washed over him. “But promise me you’ll tell the others?”</p>
<p>Semi felt his eyes drooping, exhaustion quickly setting upon him as a small pulse of warmth rippled out form Shirabu’s fingertips. “Sure…hey, weird question…”</p>
<p>“What?”</p>
<p>“Can you just…keep talking until I fall asleep? I dunno, like tell me how your powers work or something?”</p>
<p>Shirabu still had his fingers pressed against Semi’s temple, close enough to see the effect of both exhaustion and his powers were having on the other. He had to admit, having anyone be curious about his powers sent raised alarms through him. He didn’t like people knowing what made him different. He preferred to stay out of the limelight. Yet Semi looked too tired to remember anything he’d say, let alone comprehend it. If Shirabu knew anything, it was that someone rambling about things beyond another’s comprehension was a sure-fire way to get them falling asleep.</p>
<p>He found himself smiling softly at the request.</p>
<p>“Alright Eita.” He murmured. With his free hand, he pulled the blankets up around Semi to make sure he was comfortable, not <em>quite</em> tucking him in but making sure he was warm. Semi’s hands fell atop the blanket, Shirabu wasn’t sure what came over him exactly but he gently took hold of one of them. Neither said anything about it as Semi sighed, eyes drooping once more.</p>
<p>“So, for a start, my magic doesn’t fall into either elemental or empathic. It’s a weird hybrid. No-one I’ve spoken to as really understood what it is, but the more I practised, the more I realised its potential to help people, I know, weird for someone as rude as me.”</p>
<p>Semi snorted. “You’re not always rude surely?” He half-smiled, leaning into Shirabu’s touch at his temple.</p>
<p>“I dunno,” Shirabu shrugged relaxing his fingers without much thought and no longer consciously working to soothe any physical pain, “Tora and Iwaizumi will probably say otherwise…anyway, you’re meant to be <em>sleeping</em>, so no more questions.”</p>
<p>Semi pouted slightly but complied, allowing Shirabu to continue his tangent. He listened as best as he could, watching Shirabu’s usually brash and frosty demeanour continue to melt away and reveal a much more humble side of him. He didn’t want to fall asleep necessarily, but he figured falling asleep like this was better than over-thinking everything. It wasn’t like Shirabu had put up much of a fight anyway. And it wasn’t like they’d breathe a word about this afterwards.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0052"><h2>52. An Offer Of Redemption</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>LII</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>An Offer of Redemption</strong>
</p>
<p>Tooru hadn’t been the picture of serenity as he returned to the manor. Kuroo had only returned a few minutes prior and so the previously peaceful day was thrown into disarray as Tooru started demanding he speak to Kuroo and Tobio <em>immediately</em>. He wouldn’t say <em>why</em>, but most knew he had set off to the palace to talk to Yachi so they figured it must’ve been an eye-opening experience.</p>
<p>They were about to find out just how eye-opening.</p>
<p>Tooru spared no detail to the other two. They had managed to get into the dining room before he completely lost his patience, but once the doors were closed, he launched into his tirade. Kuroo listened intently as Tooru recounted how they couldn’t get to Yachi and then were given a letter from an unknown person. As soon as he told them that Kei had been that unknown person and he wanted to help them take down his own brother, Tobio nearly lost it. Between accusing Tooru of lying and then convinced it was a trap that could’ve gone horribly wrong, Tobio was quick to raise his voice.</p>
<p>Kuroo now had two irate kings to deal with whilst he was also trying to keep himself calm. He hadn’t spoken to Ennoshita properly yet, but Tooru indicated that he could fill in the blanks and so that was going to be his first order of business once he talked both kings out of marching over to the Miya family home and tearing Kei’s throat out.</p>
<p>“Hold on a second.” Kuroo sighed as Tooru was getting more wound up about Ushijima’s insistence to take Kei to Atsumu. He waited for both of them to look at him, waiting for his thoughts on the matter. “You said that Kei believes his brother is mad?”</p>
<p>“That’s what he claims.”</p>
<p>“I mean he’s not <em>wrong.</em>” Kuroo said. “But what does Kei gain from us killing Akiteru?” He looked to Tobio. “Kei knows that we want his brother dead for what he’s done to the south, but what does <em>he</em> get?”</p>
<p>“I guess he’d become the head of the family?” Tobio shrugged. “But he never seemed like the type to want that…”</p>
<p>Kuroo folded his arms. “I want to talk to him. Alone.”</p>
<p>“Kei?” Tooru wrinkled his nose. “So he can fuck with your mind?”</p>
<p>“HEY!” Kuroo snapped, succeeding in making Tooru jump slightly. “If he really wants our help, he won’t do anything that stupid. If he tries anything, then it’ll be obvious that he’s not that committed to it.” He looked between them. “It takes a lot to turn to your former enemies for help, you two should know that better than most.”</p>
<p>Neither said anything to the last remark. They knew Kuroo was right, not because he knew them but because he had gone through a similar thing. Sure, he was within friends in the Brotherhood, but there was a recent addition that proved Kuroo’s point. Letting Semi join had been hard for him, but it had no doubt been harder for Semi to admit he needed them. Though it hadn’t properly been addressed, Kuroo admired his courage. Which is what made him all that more determined to talk to Kei. If Kei had willingly reached out to Tooru and by extension, the rest of the manor’s occupants, he must either be desperate or very blasé about how it all looks.</p>
<p>“So, first I will talk to Ennoshita, and then I will go and talk to Kei <em>alone</em>.” He reiterated. “And you two are going to stay here.”</p>
<p>“And do what?” Tobio asked.</p>
<p>Kuroo threw his hands in the air in mild irritation. “I dunno, maybe take a few hours to chill out and enjoy everyone’s company? I know that’s <em>so hard</em> for kings to do apparently, but can you at least try?”</p>
<p> Tobio was mildly offended. He was good at ‘chilling out’, it wasn’t his fault that everyone around him seemed intent on causing chaos. Tooru seemed a little more humbled by Kuroo’s outburst. He realised he hadn’t really spent much time with those in the manor aside from his own staff. He had held the Brotherhood at arm’s length because he felt like he got in the way of their crazy schemes. Maybe it was time to change that. He had seen how easily Shirabu joined in on conversations, how they joked around with him as if he had always been part of them. In a way he sort of envied how his status made that same thing unattainable.</p>
<p>“Very well.” Tooru smiled. “Go talk to Kei.”</p>
<p>Kuroo wasn’t sure if he should take Tooru’s smile at face value but he nodded. Tobio seemed equally as suspicious but didn’t voice it. Kuroo left them in the dining room to seek out Ennoshita. By now everyone was aware that something was either wrong, or about to go wrong. He sighed heavily as he entered the parlour and was met with various concerned expressions.</p>
<p>“Long story short, I need to talk to Ennoshita and then I’m going to talk to the twins.”</p>
<p>He was pleasantly surprised that no-one questioned it. Maybe they all knew he didn’t tend to withhold information unless necessary. Akaashi gave him a curious look but remained silent as Ennoshita begrudgingly got to his feet and followed Kuroo. They ended up in the walled garden, a popular place for private conversations it seemed.</p>
<p>Ennoshita seemed bored already and that was before Kuroo even opened his mouth. That wasn’t a good sign. Kuroo knew time wasn’t really something he had, so he just got to the point.</p>
<p>“Kei made contact with Tooru.” He watched for any reaction that would tell him how the other felt. “He claims Akiteru is going mad.”</p>
<p>“Mad?” Ennoshita remarked, raising an eyebrow. “Look, the Akiteru <em>I</em> met seemed normal. I get it, you all have this weird vendetta against him—”</p>
<p>“He got two kings killed.” Kuroo stated, folding his arms across his chest. “And from what I gather, he had a hand in Kei’s actions.”</p>
<p>“A hand. Yeah.” Ennoshita scoffed. “He was ordering him to do things. I didn’t see all of them, but the letters I did see were pretty descriptive. Like, not much was left for interpretation.”</p>
<p>Kuroo gave him a long-pointed look, they could dance around the subject or they could get to the meat of the situation. “Did he specifically target Tobio with false memories?”</p>
<p>Ennoshita shrugged, glancing around at the flowers in the garden. “Didn’t see that one. I did see rumblings of prompting a war between Tobio and Tooru. I could deduce that he wanted Kei to do whatever he could to help that along and if he didn’t…well he wouldn’t get a happy homecoming parade.”</p>
<p>Kuroo nodded. “So in your opinion—”</p>
<p>“Kei was just following orders.” Ennoshita cut in, meeting Kuroo’s gaze with a stern gaze. “Just like you were.”</p>
<p>That was a low blow, but equally it said a lot. “Are you sure?”</p>
<p>“I’m sure.” Ennoshita nodded. “I can’t vouch for Kei currently, but those letters weren’t friendly suggestions. They were orders. Orders from someone who wanted the south to tear itself apart. Now maybe along the way he got on board with it, but I would go and see what he has to say for himself. I can’t say for sure how willing he was to go along with it.”</p>
<p>Kuroo huffed. “Can’t believe I’m listening to someone defending him and actually considering taking them seriously.”</p>
<p>Ennoshita snorted. “Yeah because I don’t know shit about going along with plans because I fear for my life.”</p>
<p>“Never said that.”</p>
<p>“You didn’t have to.” He hissed, scowling at Kuroo.</p>
<p>Kuroo sighed heavily, letting his hands fall to his sides. “Look, Chikara, I’m sorry for how it all went down. I am. But I couldn’t do it anymore.”</p>
<p>Ennoshita changed the subject abruptly. “Eita said that you were insistent on rescuing me. Why?”</p>
<p>“Why do you think?” Kuroo retorted. “Because I couldn’t rescue you before.”</p>
<p>Ennoshita rolled his eyes. “Do you ever get tired of that ‘good knight’ attitude you’ve got going on? It really doesn’t suit you. I dunno what exactly happened back then, all I know is that you almost killed me in your haste to get away. Maybe I’m still holding a <em>slight</em> grudge over that.”</p>
<p>Kuroo shook his head. He could understand Ennoshita’s reluctance to trust him, but that was something that needed to be worked on over time, not just one conversation. “Maybe I’ll tell you that story if you decide to stick around, but no-one is forcing you to join us. At least stick around long enough to talk to Eita properly.”</p>
<p>“I’ll consider it. Depending on how much mercy you show Kei. ‘because I have a feeling I’m right about him Tetsurou, he was just following orders.”</p>
<p>Kuroo decided to bear it in mind. Assuming Ennoshita was telling the truth, there was an eerie amount of similarities between him and Kei. He didn’t like it. He didn’t like it one bit.</p>
<p>“Alright. Well, time to go see what Kei has to say for himself.”</p>
<p>“Good luck.” Ennoshita smiled ever-so-slightly. “And try not to get anyone killed.”</p>
<p>Kuroo knew he wasn’t saying it to be cruel, it was more of a reminder that his hastiness to put things right often caught others in the crossfire.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Goshiki set down his cards with a smug grin. Daichi looked back and forth between the two hands, a thoughtful expression on his face that soon turned to defeat.</p>
<p>“Again?” Goshiki asked.</p>
<p>“Yes, you win, again.” Daichi sighed. Ukai chuckled. It was obvious that Goshiki was intelligent, being able to beat both of them at a card game he only learnt to play the previous day. It was almost scary in a way.</p>
<p>“So what did those other two want?” He asked as Ukai started shuffling cards.</p>
<p>They had been trading questions with each round, a nice way to let the conversation flow without feeling like there was endless talking just to fill the silence. Daichi had so far told Goshiki the guild’s origin story, how each member joined and some of the crazy antics that had occurred in the few years they had been together. Goshiki had told him about his childhood in return; of the days before he came to the academy, of his aspirations to be great at something. It had been a pleasant conversation with only minor awkward silences and pauses to reflect on the past.</p>
<p>“Kuroo and Bokuto?” Daichi remarked. “Well, Kuroo is currently in charge of the others whilst I’m here. Bokuto is one of his closest friends and an equally important leader.”</p>
<p>“That doesn’t tell me what they wanted.” Goshiki raised an eyebrow.</p>
<p>Daichi glanced to Ukai who shrugged. Telling Goshiki about the whole kidnapping saga wasn’t exactly a preferred topic of conversation but he figured it could resort in him spilling some knowledge he didn’t realise he had.</p>
<p>“One of the others got word from the Tsukishimas than an old friend of his was going to be killed.” He stated bluntly. “So he went to try and find out more details, in the process he and another got kidnapped. Within a few hours, Kuroo had the entire Brotherhood and King Tobio’s court mage going through with a rescue mission.” He watched Goshiki’s expression shift from curious to thoughtful. “They encountered Akiteru, and someone of them came off worse because of it.”</p>
<p>“Anyone die?”</p>
<p>“No.” Daichi stated, a little unnerved how <em>that</em> was Goshiki’s first question. “Nearly, but no.”</p>
<p>Goshiki swallowed. “Did your aura mage not get involved?”</p>
<p>Daichi didn’t recall Kuroo mentioning Hinata. “Uh, I don’t think so. This was a more…traditional Brotherhood job. Cause a distraction and have people slip in the back door.”</p>
<p>Ukai nodded in understanding, giving him an impressed smile as Goshiki’s thoughtful gaze didn’t yield. “So you sent just…normal people in against Akiteru?”</p>
<p>“To be honest, they didn’t know Akiteru would be <em>there</em>. Kuroo thought it would just be henchmen.”</p>
<p>Goshiki clicked his teeth. “That’s his first mistake.”</p>
<p>“How so?”</p>
<p>He half-shrugged as Ukai began dealing cards between them. “Akiteru likes being involved. Doesn’t like delegating. Even if he ‘hires’ someone, he’ll be there when it all goes down,” his tone lowered to an utterance, “…even if it’s to be a witness to some heinous crime.”</p>
<p>“And he does this…all the time?”</p>
<p>Another half-shrug. “From the limited conversations I overheard, yeah. I don’t remember anything from when I…” he shook his head. “I would bet gold he was there in some capacity that night.”</p>
<p>That was good to know. Daichi didn’t push the topic as the next round of cards began. If Akiteru was obsessed with being in the middle of all his antics, then perhaps that could be used against him. Knowing that even if it <em>appeared</em> that he wasn’t involved, he could be close by would need to be factored into any further plans.</p>
<p>“Can I visit them, the ones who came off worse?” Goshiki asked.</p>
<p>Daichi thought about it. “Why?”</p>
<p>Goshiki looked up from the cards in his hand. “I know his habits. One of them is probably worse than the others, they might not even know it.”</p>
<p>“Go on.”</p>
<p>He shrugged. “It could be a matter of time before they…” he raised his hand and clicked his fingers, tattoos glowing momentarily. “If you catch my drift.”</p>
<p>“None of them were mages.”</p>
<p>“They don’t have to be. After all, Tobio isn’t a mage and they managed to nearly push him to war, right? That’s what I’ve been told.”</p>
<p>The uncomfortable truth was that Goshiki was right, being a mage just made it easier in some ways to be more destructive. Easier to explain the symptoms away as freak happenings. There was nothing stopping Akiteru performing the same feat with a normal person. A person like the empress. Daichi froze as he came to the realisation. A conversation many days ago with the twins came back to the forefront of his mind; how Akiteru could ‘prove Yachi’s incompetence’ as a way to claim the throne. If Kei managed to get Tobio to almost declare war, then a mage like Akiteru was capable of similar feats and take a lot less time to achieve them.</p>
<p>“…you say you know Akiteru’s habits,” Daichi carefully put.</p>
<p>“He assumes control.” Goshiki said flatly. “I don’t remember much, but if anyone succumbed to it, then they’re in danger.”</p>
<p>Daichi wasn’t sure the details of what happened to who. He knew both Yaku and Semi were gone for several hours whilst the others got a plan together, he knew Kiyoko nearly stabbed herself but was that the worst it got? He wasn’t sure he wanted to be apart from them for much longer if Goshiki was right.</p>
<p>“We’ll take you back tonight.” Daichi stated. “But if things get dicey, we’re returning here.”</p>
<p>Goshiki nodded quickly. Ukai wasn’t entirely convinced but he nodded in support. After all he wasn’t in charge of the guild, he was just a bystander in most of this, offering what assistance he could. It was agreed that they’d leave once the sun set, giving them the best cover possible and hopefully things wouldn’t have gone to hell in the few hours since Kuroo visited.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>“…so Kei isn’t as bad as we thought?” Hinata asked Tobio as they sat in the room Yamaguchi and Asahi shared. It was slightly larger than Tobio’s chosen room so it felt a lot less cramped with five of them in there.</p>
<p>“That’s what Tooru is confused about too, trust me.” He sighed. Yamaguchi and Asahi were both frowning at the apparent revelation. Inuoka almost seemed underwhelmed by it all, whether by reluctance to accept this was happening or knowing that this was probably just the beginning of another chaotic chain of events.</p>
<p>“But he still committed treason.” Asahi stated. “Even if he was ‘following orders’.”</p>
<p>“Oh I don’t intend to pardon him, don’t worry.” Tobio snorted. “But if, and that’s a big if, Kuroo is also convinced that he’s not the main problem, we need to focus on Akiteru.”</p>
<p>“So let me get this straight,” Yamaguchi scratched his head, “he asked to meet Tooru anonymously, he confessed that he wants his brother stopped and then revealed that he’s not wanted to do any of this shit he’s done. And <em>coincidentally,</em> the guy the Brotherhood rescued from that tavern is providing him an alibi?”</p>
<p>“That’s what I was told.” Tobio nodded.</p>
<p>“And now it’s going to fall to Kuroo’s judgement?”</p>
<p>Tobio met his gaze, Yamaguchi was worked up and confused. Quite rightly, he might add. None of this excused Kei’s behaviour, what he did and said were still horrific and irreversible.</p>
<p>“I trust Kuroo’s judgement.” Tobio stated. “I trust him because he’s put demons to bed before, he was the one who knew how bad the Serpents were and was determined to put an end to their activities.” He glanced to Hinata briefly before looking back at Yamaguchi. “He also knows when to be merciful, to offer second chances. I admire how he’s come through his struggles and continues to battle on.”</p>
<p>There was a beat of silence, Hinata felt a swelling of pride. The Tobio of months gone by would’ve immediately dismissed any idea of being merciful, that someone else could pass any judgement over him. The Tobio that sat with him now was openly admitting that someone else was better equipped to handle this situation. It was a step in the right direction.</p>
<p>“So, I will wait for Kuroo’s judgement, to hear what our friends in the Brotherhood say. I won’t be looking to hunt Kei down personally.” He continued. “But rest assured, I’m not letting him get away with what he’s done. When the time comes, he will answer for what he did to me, to us. But right now there are much, <em>much</em> bigger problems.”</p>
<p>Bigger problems that no-one really seemed any closer to offering solutions for. Now it would seem that a lot rested on Kuroo’s meeting with Kei. Kuroo knew how Akaashi would react to it, he wasn’t surprised at Akaashi’s raised eyebrow in curiosity quickly being replaced by a frown. He wasn’t surprised as hands took hold of his and Akaashi seemed torn by how to respond to the idea.</p>
<p>Kuroo wasn’t asking him for permission, Kuroo was asking for him not to get mad that he wasn’t being allowed to go. Akaashi knew the risks of being in the same room as Kei, he knew the capabilities of the other. He knew that he needed to conserve his own strength. He knew that if this was a trap, Kuroo wasn’t going to fare well. However he also knew that out of everyone in the guild, only Kuroo could make a decision like this and get everyone else’s backing.</p>
<p>And that’s why Akaashi didn’t argue, he didn’t kick up a fuss or complain. He smiled, squeezing Kuroo’s hands in reassurance more for himself than Kuroo.</p>
<p>“Hey,” Kuroo broke the silence as they stood in the foyer of the manor, “I’ll be fine.”</p>
<p>“I know you will be.” Akaashi nodded. “But that doesn’t mean I won’t worry.”</p>
<p>“As I said to the kings, if he tries anything, it’ll just prove he’s not serious about helping us and then we will have no reservations about killing him.”</p>
<p>Akaashi nodded again, letting out a small hum. “Honestly, I’m not sure which outcome I’d prefer; him being helpful or him being the scheming shit we know he is.”</p>
<p>Kuroo laughed quietly. “I’m trying not to think too hard into it. Whatever happens, happens.”</p>
<p>“Good luck.” Akaashi smiled.</p>
<p>Kuroo nodded, before leaning in and kissing him slowly. It didn’t feel like he was going anywhere inherently dangerous, the twins were probably well equipped to deal with Kei and his shenanigans. Or at least, if Kei did anything outlandish, they would be witnesses to it. That didn’t mean he wasn’t at least a little apprehensive about it.</p>
<p>Was he scared? A little. He was curious, that was for sure. With what Kei had told Tooru and then what Ennoshita had said, there was a lot to unpack. And given that Kei was willing to talk to someone, it was an opportunity Kuroo wasn’t going to pass up. He didn’t want anyone else going into this, not because he didn’t want them to know, but he was the guild leader right now and he needed to protect the others.</p>
<p>Especially if it was all a ruse.</p>
<p>Having gotten directions from Kiyoko, he made his way towards the Miya family manor. A gentle breeze cooled his nervous body as he strode through the city streets. He tried to keep his thoughts from running wild, thinking about what could happen, what could be said. He needed to keep his cool, he couldn’t let Kei get under his skin. As he rounded a corner, he saw Ushijima stood guard outside the manor. They exchanged a nod in greeting as he got close enough to catch the other’s eye.</p>
<p>“Atsumu and Osamu were expecting someone,” Ushijima remarked, falling in step with him as he made his way to the door, “wasn’t expecting it to be you.”</p>
<p>Kuroo smiled. “I bet. Well, Daichi is still out so leadership falls to me. And as guild leader, who better than me to confront one of the guild’s ghosts?”</p>
<p>Ushijima raised his eyebrows but said nothing as he opened the door for him and ushered him inside. The furnishings of the manor were a little distracting but Kuroo wasn’t allowed to linger as Aone noticed his presence and gestured to a stairway leading down into a cellar of sorts.</p>
<p>“They have him down there.” He stated.</p>
<p>“Since he arrived? This entire time-”</p>
<p>“Please,” Aone cut in, exchanging a glance with Ushijima, “they’re not having much luck.”</p>
<p>That amused Kuroo a little bit. With a certain amount of caution, he descended. The cellar was illuminated with two braziers, fire crackling as shadows danced along the stone walls. Atsumu was pacing the room as Osamu sat and regarded their ‘guest’ who was sat in the centre of the room. As soon as he reached the bottom of the staircase, Atsumu’s attention shifted to him.</p>
<p>“Huh. They sent you of all people.” He remarked, seeming neither pleased nor displeased.</p>
<p>Kuroo snorted. “Problem?”</p>
<p>Atsumu shrugged. “We’ll see.”</p>
<p>There was a heightened sense of hostility in the air. Atsumu wasn’t smirking like he had been last time Kuroo met him, Osamu was giving nothing away as he silently regarded Kei Tsukishima. Kei for his part, didn’t meet Kuroo’s gaze. Ushijima and Aone had followed him downstairs but remained removed from the conversation.</p>
<p>Kuroo figured they were waiting on him to initiate some sort of interrogation. He paced forward slowly, clasping his hands behind his back as he mulled over how to approach this. The silence was deafening, Atsumu watched him expectantly from where he was leaning against an iron gate that led away from the house. He felt like he was being judged, that he was the one on trial here.</p>
<p>“So,” He murmured, halting next to Osamu’s chair and looking at Kei, “you have our attention.”</p>
<p>Kei said nothing. His gaze firmly on the floor. He wasn’t restrained in any way, but it seemed like the twins had made it clear to him they were not happy about housing him. He looked less like a noble and more like a scout caught in an enemy’s lands. His clothes were more akin to the scouting leathers Kuroo had met him in, a far cry from the silks of nobility.</p>
<p>“The longer you hold out, the less time we have to stop him.” Kuroo stated. “And the impression I got from Tooru is that you’re very insistent that we help.”</p>
<p>“I didn’t expect them to send <em>you</em>.” Kei muttered, keeping his gaze on the floor.</p>
<p>“Yeah? Did you want us to send someone less likely to take your shit? Did you expect us to send Akaashi? Or even Hinata? Did you really think we’re that fucking stupid?”</p>
<p>No response. Kuroo shook his head as he met Atsumu’s gaze. Another veil of silence fell in the room, convincing Kuroo that having so many spectators was probably hindering the process.</p>
<p>“If I tell the others to go, are you gonna actually tell me the shit I need to know?”</p>
<p>Kei inhaled sharply. “Maybe. But I know you won’t leave—”</p>
<p>“Everyone but Ushijima, out.” Kuroo cut in. He met Atsumu’s gaze and saw a disbelieving and almost loathsome look. “As I said, the more time we waste, the less time we’ll have to act on whatever fucked up shit Akiteru’s got going on.”</p>
<p>“Fine.” Atsumu uttered. “But don’t you dare withhold information—”</p>
<p>“Yeah yeah, keep your noble breeches on.” Kuroo sighed, already slightly done with Atsumu’s attitude. With a scoff, Atsumu prompted his brother to rise from his seat and follow Aone up the stairs. Kuroo nodded at Ushijima, gesturing to stand behind Kei. As the footsteps of the others faded, Kuroo turned the chair Osamu vacated and sat down, leaning his arms atop the backrest. “So then,” He propped his chin on his arms, “talk.”</p>
<p>Kei snorted, appearing to get some of his usual snarky attitude back. “Where should I start?”</p>
<p>Kuroo kept his patience. “Wherever you need to.”</p>
<p>“What, no questions? You just want me to tell you my sob story?” Kei lifted his head just enough to glance up at Kuroo. “Thought you said you didn't want to waste time?”</p>
<p>Kuroo shrugged. “Alright, what’s your brother planning?”</p>
<p>“As far as I know, to take the throne.”</p>
<p>“How?”</p>
<p>He lifted his gaze a little more, Kuroo could see a large red mark on his face. It wouldn’t surprise him to hear if Atsumu was responsible. “Use your imagination.”</p>
<p>Kuroo rolled his eyes. So Kei was going to be a little shit, he could deal with that. “Okay, you told Tooru that you were Akiteru’s first ‘test’. Wanna tell me what that means?”</p>
<p>A coy smirk was spreading across Kei’s face, almost maniacal in appearance. “Think back to what I did to Tobio, then just…add a bit of family pressure, some childhood trauma…”</p>
<p>“Everyone’s got issues Kei.” He stated in a bored tone. “I can count on one hand the number of people in the Brotherhood who <em>don</em><em>’t</em> have at least one dead parent or haven’t experienced some sort of life-altering trauma.”</p>
<p>“But how many of them had their own brother using them to hone his powers?”</p>
<p>Kuroo let a pause hang in the air, this wasn’t exactly a revelation he expected. “I see. So what did he do?”</p>
<p>There was a snort. Kei’s hands were resting on his knees, fingers silently drumming against his kneecap. Kuroo couldn’t see his tattoos due to his long-sleeved shirt but he could just about see the tips of some of them around his neck. So far they weren’t glowing, for that Kuroo was thankful.</p>
<p>“In short, it’s like I just said, he did to me what I did to Tobio. Except this was a lot less…purposeful. The memories are fragmented and make no sense whatsoever.” He kept his gaze shifting around the room, never looking Kuroo in the eye for more than a moment. “There are entire parts of my childhood that I don’t remember properly, what is real and what was made up…”</p>
<p>As much as Kuroo wanted to disregard this as a sob story, he was mindful that if this was all true, it explained why Kei seemed so cold and uncaring. Didn’t excuse his actions of course, but it explained them. Context that was helpful in regard to the wider picture.</p>
<p>“So he started early.” He stated.</p>
<p>“Yup.” Kei squeezed his knees. “Our parents weren’t really sure how to handle him. Our uncle was the head of the family at the time and having a rogue mage in the family wasn’t good for our image.” He shrugged. “Akiteru continued doing what he did,” his maniacal smirk growing a little, “and then one day I fought back.”</p>
<p>Kuroo nodded. “And he wasn’t expecting it?”</p>
<p>Kei laughed, a short sarcastic cackle. “You bet he wasn’t. The look on his face, fucking <em>priceless</em>.”</p>
<p>“Yeah?” Kuroo allowed himself to smile. “I bet you felt good, being able to say ‘fuck you’ to him.”</p>
<p>“Yeah…and it was kinda weird, we grew closer because of it.”</p>
<p>Kuroo nodded, waiting as the smirk shifted into a grimace. “So when did he turn?”</p>
<p>There was a pause. “Our uncle died, caught some sickness off some bad food. There was nothing suspicious about it, just poor cooking. Our father became the head of our family and that’s when things started getting ugly. Akiteru was now an heir to the position and that made him the golden child.” He uttered before taking a sharp inhale. “The eastern part of the Summer Vale is a hopelessly boring place, things are too <em>nice</em> down there. Up here, the wilderness of the western lands, this is where family names rise to glory.” He shook his head. “So both of us were sent here to ‘get to know the system’. The court meets up here, the nobles who spread the Empress’ will are up here. So Akiteru was sent here to rub shoulders with them ahead of…becoming the head of the family.”</p>
<p>“And you?”</p>
<p>He wetted his lips. “I was sent to that academy. To ‘hone my skills just like he did.’ Except they missed out the part where <em>I</em> was the tool he used.”</p>
<p>“And you hated that they just shrugged it off.”</p>
<p>“Don’t assume shit.” He snapped the faintest glow of purple glossing over the inked lines that poked out from his shirt collar. “I just did what I knew my brother did. I saw how he became a powerful mage and I did the same but <em>apparently</em> his methods were ‘<em>not acceptable</em>’.”</p>
<p>Kuroo shrugged, trying to remain impartial. “I mean, you had to know that, right?”</p>
<p>“I was fucking <em>thirteen</em>.” He uttered. “Remind me again what <em>you</em> were doing at thirteen?”</p>
<p>Kuroo inhaled sharply, not quite appreciating Kei making it personal but let it roll off him. “Right.”</p>
<p>Kei smirked slightly before continuing. “So the kids at the academy hated me. They told me I was worthless because my powers weren’t visible and then when I did show them off, everyone lost their shit. And you know where Akiteru was in all of this? He was down south fucking up Tobio’s family and planting a little gift in Tooru’s father’s mind.” He grimaced, gritting his teeth. “He wasn’t here when I fucking needed him to be.”</p>
<p>Kuroo stayed quiet. This was falling into place now; family issues piled on top of contempt for his own brother hadn’t done Kei many favours. But that wasn’t the whole story and that alone wouldn’t be enough to placate the others.</p>
<p>“So when he returned?”</p>
<p>Kei sat up straight, rolling his shoulder like he had a crick in it. “Well, he came back just in time for me to nearly lose my shit. And when I told him everything, well, let’s just say I thought he only considered me a waste of space, but when he found out that they had made my life miserable…” he sighed. “He decided he wanted to do something about it.”</p>
<p>“And you let him?”</p>
<p>“I didn’t get a choice, Tetsurou. I wasn’t there.” Kei stated. “Because the dumbass didn’t kill off House Kageyama entirely, did he?”</p>
<p>Kuroo scowled, something didn’t add up. “You both knew Tobio was alive so soon after it all?”</p>
<p>“There were rumours, the crown jewels were never found after all and there was always some air of…something being off about how all that went down.” He shrugged. “So Akiteru decided that I was to find out if anything else needed to be done. I didn’t get a say in the matter. He told father that I had ‘graduated early’ and that I was going to explore the world a little before settling down.” He smiled sweetly. “Sounds peachy doesn’t it?”</p>
<p>“You came down south willingly, well, not under duress?”</p>
<p>“More or less. It got me away from the people who hated me.” He shrugged. “I figured one of two things would happen; I’d find Tobio’s body and be able to put the matter to bed or…I’d find the prince alive and have to choose what to do about it.”</p>
<p>Kuroo let the silence fall for a moment, processing what he had just been told before continuing. “Ennoshita mentioned letters came for you via the Blue Serpents. How did that factor into it?”</p>
<p>Kei leaned back in his chair, relaxing a little as the topic shifted. “The Serpents were very keen to assist in anyone who disliked House Oikawa. I figured that they could help me keep out of their reach long enough to figure out what I was going to do. Until that first letter arrived I didn’t have many ideas.” He said. “And when it did arrive, Akiteru was pretty direct about his desires; fuck up the south.”</p>
<p>“And why did you go through with it?”</p>
<p>Kei tilted his head slightly. “Why did you go through with what the Serpents asked you to?”</p>
<p>Kuroo narrowed his gaze. Kei wasn’t smirking, he was genuinely asking that. “I had my reasons.”</p>
<p>“I had quite a few conversations with those who knew your old friends, Eita is quite spirited isn’t he? And Chikara was salty about how you left them. Oh and Satori, heh, he was wild. Annoying as fuck, but heck he knew how to get shit done.”</p>
<p>“Get back to your point.” Kuroo uttered. He didn’t need Kei of all people to pick apart his past acquaintances. “Your reasons for going through with your brother’s—”</p>
<p>“Yeah I’m getting to it.” Kei scoffed, rolling his eyes. “Well it was simple; the Tsukishima name is one that’s always been held in high regard, though recent generations strayed a little from our lofty position. And Akiteru wanted something to parade to the other nobles. A grand accomplishment...” He paused. “I’d say that proving House Kageyama, the empire’s thorn in its side, was obliterated by their own neighbour and seizing the crown jewels for ourselves would be a good start hm?”</p>
<p>“Except Tobio was alive when you found him. And he was pissed.”</p>
<p>“Exactly. And he was pissed at House Oikawa, who coincidently just lost their king…putting his former friend on the throne and let’s just say; the letter I sent back to Akiteru telling him all these juicy details certainly went via the Blue Serpents and Takeshi found it <em>very</em> interesting.”</p>
<p>“You son of a…” Kuroo shook his head. “You still haven’t told me why. Akiteru could’ve done this himself. You could’ve said <em>no</em>.”</p>
<p>Kei shrugged. “I had no reason to do the south any favours.” He paused for a moment, reflecting a little on the wider question. “Maybe I thought that if I did what he asked, he would actually see me as more than…a tool.” His voice wobbled slightly. “Maybe he’d return to being my brother again.”</p>
<p>An uncomfortable feeling came over Kuroo. He remembered thinking a similar thing, wondering if keeping his head down and following orders would get Suguru to consider him as more than a weapon. All the things he did to try and win approval from the monsters that eventually killed his mother started coming back to him.</p>
<p>“So you did everything…all of the fucked up shit to Tobio, to Tooru…” he paused for a beat, not wanting to hear the answer really, “to <em>us</em> because you wanted your brother to value you?”</p>
<p>Kei didn’t reply immediately, giving Kuroo a blank stare. It was a little disconcerting. “Would saying yes make any of it right?”</p>
<p>Kuroo swallowed. “No.” He exhaled, “But it gives me something to work with.”</p>
<p>“Work with?”</p>
<p>“Trying to explain any of this to the others, to <em>Tobio</em>, all he’s wanted the past year is an answer. Why him? Why was his family slaughtered? Why was everything he knew taken from him in one day?” He sighed. “At least I have an answer for him, whether he accepts it or not.”</p>
<p>“It happened because a mage on a power trip decided he needed to prove a point. And prove many points, he did.” Kei uttered. “I’ll level with you, you can believe everything I just said if you want, but the fact of the matter is I wouldn’t have told you any of it if it wasn’t necessary.”</p>
<p>Kuroo nodded quickly, sitting back slightly to rub his face before returning to leaning against the backrest of the chair. “Right. So, what’s Akiteru planning?”</p>
<p>The sombre feeling in the room shifted to one of more intense emotions as Kei leaned forward slightly. “He’s going to make another statement. He wants to be seen as a competent leader, one better than Yachi. So he’s going to make sure she seems inept at leading.”</p>
<p>“How?”</p>
<p>Kei held his gaze for the first time. “You think he’s let Hinata and Ukai roam freely after being broken out of the dungeon out of kindness? Or not hunted down Kunimi because it’s too much effort? Or left you all in that manor without a single search by the guards because it’s polite to? I don’t necessarily know exactly what he knows about all of that, but I’m willing to bet he’s going to use Yachi’s lack of action as a starting point in his dismissal of her.”</p>
<p>“He’s going to publicly—”</p>
<p>“He’s probably going to accuse her of aiding foreign forces to undermine the empire, couple it with the treaty nonsense it’ll be an assassination unlike any your guild has done. And that’s without getting into the magic.”</p>
<p>Kuroo quickly jumped to the question he already knew an answer to. “He’s fucking with her mind, isn’t he?”</p>
<p>Kei nodded. “Just like I did with Tobio. I don’t know to what extent exactly, but you and I know the only person who can possibly take on fixing it is.”</p>
<p>“I’m not sending Keiji in—”</p>
<p>“Kuroo, think about it.” He said, no trace of a smirk or grin. “I can’t go against him, he knows all my weaknesses and how to pull the strings. He hasn’t met Akaashi, has he? He hasn’t tried to dig into what makes him hurt. He doesn’t know how Akaashi is just as stubborn as you.”</p>
<p>Kuroo had to smile slightly at the last remark. The idea of sending Akaashi to deal with Akiteru was abhorrent. There was no way he could let him do that. There was no telling what Akiteru would do. He had seen Akaashi shoulder so much already, he couldn’t ask him to do it.</p>
<p>“Also, if Akiteru wants the throne, getting him to reveal himself as a maniac won’t be easy. He’ll hide behind pomp and pageantry, behind customs foreign to all of you. We need to break his facade and we need to do it in a calculated fashion. Any slip-ups, any loose ends, any witnesses not properly dealt with will make this delicate house of cards come falling down.”</p>
<p>“Answer me this,” Kuroo was almost ready to believe Kei was in this to help them, “what do you gain from all of this?”</p>
<p>Kei paused for a moment. It almost felt like he hadn’t considered gaining anything from it. Kuroo expected a reply akin to ‘revenge’, ‘satisfaction’ or maybe even ‘peace of mind’. Yet Kei didn’t reply as he expected.</p>
<p>His voice was quiet, more sombre than Kuroo had ever heard him.</p>
<p>“Would you believe that maybe I just want him to be beaten? To prove that his way of doing things is wrong.” He tore his gaze away, hanging his head and staring at the floor. “Truly, I know this is near impossible, but I just…I just want my brother back. The brother I remember from before magic made itself known in our veins.” The tattoos began to glow again. “I never wanted to be a mage, I never wanted to have these powers. All they’ve done is ruin my life and others.” He looked up again, eyes misty behind his eyeglasses. “I don’t want to feel guilty anymore.”</p>
<p>Kuroo realised that he was actually starting to <em>relate</em> to Kei. True he may not have magic but they shared similarities. They both had done horrific things to innocent people, taken lives without remorse at the time, all in the name of a deluded cause that was beyond their control. They both just wanted to survive, to have a semblance of a normal life.</p>
<p>He was still hung up on what had happened, on what Kei was responsible for, but he was beginning to understand and, dare he say, sympathise.</p>
<p>“I see.” He murmured. “Well…I can’t promise that the others will understand entirely, or that they’ll come around as quickly…Tobio is still pissed but that’s something for you and him to discuss. He might understand, he might not.” He sighed heavily. “But one thing I’ve learnt since starting the Brotherhood is that people don’t like holding grudges, they prefer to forgive and forget. Letting grudges hang over your life just makes you miserable, it’s better to confront it and move on.”</p>
<p>Kei glanced up. “How did you tell them?”</p>
<p>Kuroo smiled slightly, remembering the conversations he’d had in hushed whispers. “I told half of them whilst we were camped in a mine on the way to Kitamine. I told Bokuto and Keiji on a jetty in Kōshi, the rest found out over time. No-one is saying you have to come clean and open all your wounds at once, but once you start and you feel that sense of relief, it becomes a little easier each time.”</p>
<p>“Huh, I guess…this is the first time I’ve…” He shrugged as he trailed off.</p>
<p>“And hopefully it won’t be the last.” Kuroo kept a reassuring smile on his face. “I’m not saying I forgive you, but I understand you did what you had to do at the time. And now you have the opportunity to help us stop him fucking up the entire empire.”</p>
<p>Kei nodded. “Yeah. So now what?”</p>
<p>“Now, I tell Atsumu not to rearrange your face.” Kuroo glanced up to Ushijima who nodded in agreement. “And then I get to go back to the others and try to convince them I’ve not gone mad whilst I loosely explain that you’re genuinely going to help us.”</p>
<p>There was a wry smile. “Good luck.”</p>
<p>Kuroo shrugged. “Well, Keiji will be able to tell I’m not lying. Tooru and Tobio will be harder to convince but hey, I’ll do my best. Question is, what are <em>you</em> going to do?”</p>
<p>“I guess…I’ll go back home and start working out how to best expose my brother.”</p>
<p>“There is one other thing you can do.”</p>
<p>“Yeah?”</p>
<p>“Can you get a message to Yachi?”</p>
<p>Kei nodded slowly. “I can. What is it?”</p>
<p>Kuroo wetted his lips. “Tell her that the Brotherhood won’t abandon her.”</p>
<p>“Alright.” Kei nodded. “For what it’s worth, you have my word that she’ll get that message.”</p>
<p>“From one fuck-up to another, it’s worth something.” Kuroo met his wry smile. “I’ll take my leave.”</p>
<p>He rose from his seat, nodding to Ushijima before walking towards the stairs. Kei cleared his throat, summoning his attention. “Hey Kuroo,”</p>
<p>“Yeah?” He glanced over his shoulder.</p>
<p>Kei paused for a moment, worrying his lip between his teeth. “Thanks, for taking a chance on talking to me.”</p>
<p>Kuroo smiled. “I’m a firm believer in second chances Kei. Just don’t make me look like a fool for granting you one.” He continued walking up the stairs. Atsumu and Osamu were waiting in the foyer expectantly. Kuroo glanced at Ushijima. “I trust you can tell them what they need to know?”</p>
<p>“Of course.”</p>
<p>“Good. I need to fill in the others.” He nodded to the twins. “I’ll be in touch.”</p>
<p>If either of them had any objections, they didn’t voice them. He was allowed to leave the manor without further harassment. The entire conversation weighed heavily on his mind. He had figured there was a sob story from Kei and that they shared a similar past in some ways, but the gritty details had thrown him off. All this time they had been thinking he was acting of his own volition, that fucking up everything he touched was his desire.</p>
<p>The simple fact he wanted to try and put some of it right, or at least stop it reoccurring meant something to Kuroo. After all, he couldn’t sit there and say that Kei didn’t deserve a shot at redemption when his entire Brotherhood was founded on the principle that everyone deserves a second chance. He had built a group of friends, a found family on that basis. He wasn’t proposing Kei <em>joined</em> them, no that was insane right now, but they could work together to lighten his conscience at least.</p>
<p>After that, well, whatever happened after all of this was largely up to fate. The consequences of their actions and choices would manipulate it to a degree, but the only one who seemed to be able to truly force the Gods’ will was a slightly eccentric aura mage.</p>
<p>Kuroo wasn’t sure he wanted Hinata anywhere near this, but he would have to take that up with the others later. For now, he had to explain all of this to them and hope they didn’t accuse him of going mad.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0053"><h2>53. Confronting the Past</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>LIII</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Confronting the Past</strong>
</p><p>It was an agonising wait for Kuroo to return. Akaashi did his best to not think about it, but the reality was that Kei was more than capable of getting under Kuroo’s skin. There was so much they thought they knew about him but equally so much they didn’t know. Supposedly, Kuroo was going to find out what was and wasn’t true. Supposedly, Kei wanted to help them.</p><p>Akaashi wasn’t sure if he totally believed this claim. Why now? Why had Kei waited nearly three weeks to approach them? Was this a trap? If <em>felt</em> like a trap. They had been working on the assumption that the brothers were close, close enough to work together for a common goal but there had always been this nagging question; if Akiteru got the throne, what did Kei get out of it? In the limited time Akaashi had known him, he never struck him as the type to want a noble title.</p><p>He couldn’t believe that Kei would do half the shit he did just because his brother asked him. There had to be something. A reason. A caveat. A promise of something great to come out of tearing half the known realm apart.</p><p>“You know, if you keep frowning like that, your face will get stuck like it.” Bokuto remarked, nudging his side.</p><p>Akaashi shook his head. “You sound like my mother.”</p><p>“That was the idea.” Bokuto grinned at him. “Hey, Kuroo will be fine.”</p><p>“I know,” Akaashi sighed, “but I’m trying to work out what the fuck Kei wants from us.”</p><p>Bokuto shrugged. “I wouldn’t think too hard into it. I’m sure Kuroo will have some answers.”</p><p>Akaashi appreciated Bokuto’s optimistic outlook, but at the same time it wasn’t very believable. At least for him. This waiting game was making him more nervous than usual. The stakes were higher, but not in the sense that lives were at stake, but the personal stakes were more obvious. Letting Kuroo go alone was dangerous, but in a way it was only him who could go. Only Kuroo could manage to keep his composure, contrary to what most seemed to think.</p><p>“How long do you think it’ll take?” He found himself asking Bokuto.</p><p>“A few hours?” Bokuto replied. “Hey,” he nudged Akaashi again, “c’mon, you can’t just stand here at the window waiting.  Let’s at least go and talk to Yaku before Kenma kills him for disobeying orders.”</p><p>There was a small smile on Akaashi’s face. Yaku had been a lot noisier than usual since he woke up. Kenma was getting more and more annoyed with him as he kept telling everyone he was fine to get up but Kenma wasn’t having it. “Sure, maybe he’ll be more reasonable with me.”</p><p>Passing through the parlour, Akaashi paid little attention to the congregation of people; most of House Kageyama’s staff were sat with various members of the Brotherhood but they weren’t alone, Yamamoto and Iwaizumi were there as well as Tooru himself. The parlour was feeling cramped with so many people, but it was almost necessary. No-one wanted to miss out on Kuroo’s return. No-one wanted to be left out of the loop. So everyone crammed into the parlour, everyone who wasn’t confined to other rooms by Kenma’s medical orders anyway.</p><p>Yaku was pouting at Inuoka almost pleadingly when Akaashi and Bokuto walked in. His demeanour shifted immediately.</p><p>“Thank god, you can tell them both that I’m fine.” He sighed at Akaashi. “Because I’m fine.”</p><p>Yaku didn’t look fine, but it wasn’t anything out of the ordinary; his left eye was bruised, bottom lip split and scabbed over. He had bruises over his neck where the knife had pressed hard against him. But he was behaving like normal, so really Akaashi wasn’t sure why Kenma was intent on keeping him bed-bound.</p><p>“Are you really.” He replied, pulling up a stool and sitting next to Yaku. “And you’ll let me confirm that?”</p><p>Yaku nodded. “I’m going crazy just sitting here.”</p><p>Akaashi reached out and took Yaku’s hand. “Did you blackout at all whilst you were there?”</p><p>Yaku squinted at him momentarily, his confident and brash attitude waning. “…possibly?”</p><p>Akaashi blinked slowly. He looked to Bokuto.</p><p><em>‘If I look like I’m about to pass out, yank me out of it</em>.’</p><p>Bokuto’s brow furrowed in thought before he nodded quickly. Understanding quickly what Akaashi was getting at. As Akaashi met Yaku’s gaze again, he blinked past the mental barrier with no difficulty. Most of what he saw to begin with wasn’t anything extraordinary, walking around Hinode with Kunimi and Semi, a slightly tense conversation about whether to go to the old district at all. As they walked through the deserted streets, Kunimi split off from them. Before he and Semi could walk much further, footsteps were heard behind them.</p><p>Glass shattered and smoke filled the air, he got disorientated as someone punched him. He fell to the floor. Next thing he was aware of was waking up in the tavern with a guard loosely standing watch.</p><p><em>Screaming. Semi. Semi is in pain. Who the fuck is orchestrating this nonsense? Time passed slowly, no-one spoke to him, the guard seemed like the type to concentrate on his job and only that. The door opened. A hooded figure approached. He knows that Yaku is part of the Brotherhood. He knows Yaku</em> <em>s reputation. They’re talking in third person. It’s Akiteru, the hooded one is Akiteru but he isn’t outing himself.</em></p><p>
  <em>Yaku’s ungagged. Akiteru wants him to talk. He won’t say anything. Yaku is smarter than that. He knows the tactics. Yaku was figuring it out quickly, that this was Akiteru. He taunted him in his head and waited for Akiteru to inevitably read his thoughts. Though it outed him as knowing who Akiteru was. And that in turn was going to lead to one place. Insults are traded back and forth as Yaku put up a fight he knew he wasn’t going to win. Darkness. Things are foggy. Thoughts aren’t in complete pieces. He couldn’t see anything clearly but the waves of sorrow, hatred and a sense of fierce protectiveness told him everything he needed to. A barrier of sorts was blocking him seeing any further.</em>
</p><p>Akaashi inhaled sharply. This was what he feared had happened, what Kenma had assumed took place; Yaku had succumbed to Akiteru’s torture. He blinked a few times to bring himself out. Yaku didn’t seem overly fazed by any of it. He appeared to not remember what Akiteru made him see. Akaashi wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not.</p><p>“Well?” Yaku asked.</p><p>Akaashi gave it a few moments of thought. He could lie to Yaku, but that wasn’t going to help anyone. “He made you revisit something. I couldn’t see what, there’s some sort of barrier in place.”</p><p>Yaku frowned. “…huh.” His brow furrowed in thought. “I don’t…”</p><p>Akaashi squeezed Yaku’s hand. “I know. But I’m pretty sure this is what Goshiki also experienced; a memory block.”</p><p>Inuoka spoke up as Yaku’s confusion was clear on his face. “Kenma isn’t sure if that’s a magical block or not. He was waiting for you to determine that.”</p><p>Akaashi nodded, Kenma had gone upstairs to check on Semi. He wasn’t entirely sure if this memory block was a product of empath magic or not. He couldn’t sense anything lingering, but then again it wasn’t him who could always sense it.</p><p>“Let me go and get Lev.” He said, slipping his hand away from Yaku’s. “He might be able to help.”</p><p>Bokuto and Inuoka exchanged a look of uncertainty. After all, Lev was a lion, not a mage. What could he do that they couldn’t? Akaashi didn’t see the need to explain just yet, only if Lev were actually able to sense anything would an explanation be required. He left the back room and quickly made his way upstairs to Semi’s room. Kenma was mid-conversation with Shirabu when he walked in. Semi looked like he was struggling to stay awake as Akaashi closed the door behind him.</p><p>“Where’s Lev?” He asked, disregarding the conversation taking place. Shirabu gestured to the bed in the far corner, Lev’s tail was poking out from under it. Akaashi paid the slightly awkward atmosphere in the room no mind. He wasn’t sure why it felt that way and almost didn’t want to know. He crouched down and poked the tail that was twitching back and forth. “Oi, I need your help downstairs.”</p><p>Lev made a noise of complaint as he shuffled under the bed, turning around so his head poked out. “What?”</p><p>“Yaku got messed up by Akiteru, I need to know if he’s got that lingering energy about him.”</p><p>Lev’s nose twitched. His gaze flickering over to where Shirabu and Kenma hadn’t said a word since Akaashi entered. “You might wanna sort this out first.”</p><p>Akaashi sighed heavily. “Fine. Go downstairs ahead of me then.”</p><p>Lev scampered out from under the bed and waited for Akaashi to open the door for him to leave. As the door closed again, Akaashi turned to look between Kenma and Shirabu. He let the silence rest for a few moments.</p><p>“So,” he said, “what happened?”</p><p>Shirabu refused to answer, leaving Kenma to speak first. “Apparently Shirabu found something.”</p><p>“Found something?” Akaashi repeated, looking to the other. “What is it?”</p><p>Shirabu sighed loudly. “I’m not sure. He had a headache so I went about trying to soothe it and see if it was caused by a physical ailment.” He glanced nervously between Semi and Akaashi. “It’s empath magic.”</p><p>Akaashi mulled it over for a few moments. That didn’t explain the awkwardness, but maybe that was something unrelated.</p><p>“You determined it wasn’t a physical ailment at least,” Akaashi deduced before looking to Kenma, “I’m guessing you don’t know either?”</p><p>Kenma shrugged. “I can’t feel anything <em>odd</em> per se. He’s just very drowsy, unlike Yaku who’s being almost extra loud and obnoxious.”</p><p>Akaashi glanced to Semi. The other was finding it hard to keep his eyes open, the bruising from the tavern hadn’t gone down as quickly as it should’ve, even with Shirabu’s intervention. To him it was obvious that Semi had come off worse than Yaku, whatever that meant.</p><p>“Give me a few moments with Semi.” He stated. Kenma left without a word, Shirabu lingered for a moment, unsure if he wanted to say anything but eventually deciding against it. Once alone, Akaashi sat on the edge of Semi’s bed. The silence returned but it felt lighter than previously.</p><p>“Don’t be mad at him.” Semi murmured, eyes heavy as Akaashi looked at him. “I asked…I insisted he do something.”</p><p>“Why would I be mad?” Akaashi reached out and took hold of Semi’s hand. He expected Semi to flinch away from the contact, when Semi squeezed his hand he was surprised.</p><p>“I dunno…Kenma seemed mad when he came in and saw…anyway.”</p><p>Akaashi quirked an eyebrow. “Saw what?”</p><p>There was a slightly rosy tint to Semi’s cheeks. “It’s stupid, but I just…wanted him to hold my hand whilst he talked me to sleep, didn’t realise he’d continue holding my hand after I fell asleep but whatever...”</p><p>Akaashi smiled slightly. “Sometimes a comforting touch has more power than we give it credit for. There’s nothing wrong with that. And Kenma is just under a lot of stress and wasn’t expecting to find-”</p><p>“We’re not like that.” Semi uttered. “Don’t…I barely know him. I was just exhausted and needed to rest but the headache and everything…”</p><p>Akaashi decided not to push it. The reality was that Shirabu had the relevant powers to ease physical pain and was simply doing what he had been taught to do with them. Reading into the emotional ties that came with that wasn’t his business. Reading into other emotional situations however, that was his priority.</p><p>He nodded. “It’s okay, I won’t say anything about it. Now about this empath magic he found…do you mind if I…”</p><p>Semi shrugged. “Do what you need to.”</p><p>Akaashi nodded, squeezing his hand. He gave Semi a few moments to relax a little before starting the intrusion.</p><p><em>Darkness, the dim light of a torch is all he could see. His head hurt. Wrists and ankles are bound. He</em> <em>’s on his knees, forced to kneel within the ashes of the tavern. Breathing is hard but he’s not gagged. A hooded figure is stood in front of him. It’s Akiteru. At least, that’s what they know now.</em></p><p>
  <em>“Eita. Oh Eita.” His tone is condescending, like he’s talking to a child. “Now look what you’ve gotten yourself into. Another desperate attempt to save someone gone awry. Except it’s not just you in danger here is it? First the Serpents and now the Brotherhood, you seem to have a talent for getting those around you killed hm?”</em>
</p><p><em>There</em> <em>’s a sharp inhale. He’s right. This keeps happening. Couldn’t save Satori. Couldn’t save Suguru. Couldn’t stop Chikara getting taken. Now Morisuke is here with him and god knows what’s gonna happen.</em></p><p>
  <em>“So tell me Eita. What made you so determined to try and change your ways?”</em>
</p><p><em>Fuck you. You don</em> <em>’t need to know these things. You don’t care about these things. Just kill me already.</em></p><p>
  <em>“Awh, not much of a talker? How about I loosen that tongue of yours?” </em>
</p><p><em>A hand grabbed his hair and tugged him to look up properly. A flaming torch was closer than he realised, illuminating the blond hair and smirking face behind a mask. Akiteru</em> <em>’s eyes found his. </em></p><p>Akaashi was plunged into darkness. Memories were shifting as he felt Semi squeeze his hand tighter.</p><p>
  <em>Light burst forth, fire was catching on the roof. There were shouts of panic, orders being yelled between men. The familiar face of a young teenage Suguru approached out of the chaos, smirking and shoving a knife into his hand. Looking around, they were in a village but their actions were centred on one place.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“You know what to do.” Suguru told him. “You know our creed and what he agreed would happen.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He nodded. The door was hanging off its hinges as he passed over the threshold of the home. Two others were already in the room holding the woman down. She had been sobbing but now she glared at him through curtains of black hair as he approached. The knife felt heavy in his hands as he turned it over. She watched the blade catch the light.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Who the fuck are you people?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He swallowed. There was already a heaviness on his chest. He didn’t want to do this. Why the hell was his hand forced? This was Suguru’s sick way of keeping him in line wasn’t it?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“We are the Blue Serpents.” He stated, well-rehearsed words, “And your son betrayed us. So now you must pay for that betrayal.”</em>
</p><p><em>Her eyes widened. </em> <em>“Tetsurou.”</em></p><p>Semi ripped his hand away from Akaashi’s, breaking Akaashi’ concentration and forcing him out of the memory. As he came back to the present, he saw tears streaming down Semi’s face, his hand covering his mouth as he shook his head.</p><p>“I’m sorry.” He sobbed. “I couldn’t…you don’t need to see what I did—”</p><p>Akaashi was in a slight state of shock. He knew the story from one side, he hadn’t foreseen that the one on the other side would find his way into their lives. They had assumed it was Suguru himself who had done it, not one Kuroo once called friend. “I already…knew of it.”</p><p>Semi sobbed louder. “I didn’t want to remember. I thought…I thought I had blocked that shit out.”</p><p>He chose his words carefully, trying not to project any of his own feelings in the process. “You probably did, but Shirabu may have accidentally brought it back when he…did whatever he did.”</p><p>“I didn’t want to do it.” He grabbed Akaashi’s hand again. “I-I never wanted to kill…certainly not Kuroo’s own mother but Suguru and his fucking ego—”</p><p>Akaashi reached out and patted his hand. “Eita,” he softly spoke, “it’s okay. I promise. Tetsurou’s moved on from that. Even if you told him now, I doubt he’d hold it against you personally. He knows Suguru ordered it. He knows how Suguru was as a person, that he would’ve gotten someone else to do it. He remembers how it felt to follow orders he didn’t agree with, remember?”</p><p>Semi nodded, tears still staining his cheeks. “I’m sorry…”</p><p>“I know.” Akaashi told him, squeezing his hand. “Just look forward. It’s not your job to linger on the past.”</p><p>Semi squeezed Akaashi’s hand back before letting go. He hastily wiped his eyes. “Y-Yeah, yeah you’re right.”</p><p>Akaashi knew that this was just the beginning. For one, Semi had blocked out that memory for a reason, now it was back at the forefront of his mind he could prove to be more unstable than before. That in itself was an issue. What worried him more was the idea that both Yaku and Kiyoko had similar handicaps. The former was still bed-bound, Kiyoko however was up and about and potentially more unaware of the wider implications. He couldn’t waste any time.</p><p>“I need to go and make sure Yaku isn’t affected by the same thing.” Akaashi told Semi. “Are you going to be okay?”</p><p>There was a pause as Semi sniffed loudly and wiped his red cheeks. “Can I come downstairs at least? It’s…lonely up here away from everyone.”</p><p>Akaashi could understand that. “Just take it easy,” he stood up and extended his hand to help Semi to his feet, “and don’t feel like you need to tell the others what’s happened. You don’t need to tell them anything about your past that you don’t want them to know.”</p><p>“Thanks.” Semi took Akaashi’s hand and got to his feet. As they left the room, Shirabu and Kenma looked at them expectantly. Akaashi held off on saying anything for now. He was still wrapping his head around it all.</p><p>If his theory was correct; Akiteru had tapped into previous traumatic experiences of those he came into contact with and done <em>something</em> to them. Whatever it was, removing it or interacting with it brought those memories back to the individual and forced them to confront their ugly pasts. It wasn’t a comforting thought at all. If Semi was like this, then there was every chance both Yaku and Kiyoko were the same. Whilst the latter seemed fine now, Akaashi wasn’t sure if she was hiding it.</p><p>His first priority though was Yaku, considering he was the most vocal and also the least aware of any of this. Once Semi had been left in the parlour surrounded by the equally comforting and chaotic energy of the others, Akaashi returned to Yaku’s side. Shirabu and Kenma followed him. Lev perked up from where he had been sat next to Yaku.</p><p>“Well?” Akaashi asked the lion.</p><p>“It’s not the same, but there’s something.” He replied.</p><p>“Care to explain any of your thoughts to the rest of us?” Kenma remarked as he met Akaashi’s gaze.</p><p>Akaashi gave them all a brief rundown of his current theory; how Shirabu inadvertently stumbled across some empath magic of Akiteru’s that was connected to some traumatic memories of Semi’s that he had previously blocked out. Yaku took it all in silently, confusion still plastered all over his face as he came to terms with what Akaashi was implying.</p><p>“So, the question is,” Akaashi looked to Shirabu, “what did you think Akiteru was doing digging up these memories?”</p><p>“Me?”</p><p>“Well you interacted with the remnants of what he was doing.” Akaashi nodded.</p><p>“I think that Goshiki kid might be a better person to ask. This sounds like the kinda shit that he went through.”</p><p>“Well he’s not here.” Akaashi shrugged.</p><p>Shirabu pouted slightly. “Honestly, I don’t know what the fuck it is. It just seemed like a headache at first, but then it didn’t react to my powers so I concluded it had to be empathic magic.”</p><p>Akaashi wasn’t sure what the point of any of this was. Why was Akiteru going to all this effort to pull up memories in the moment but then put them back behind blocks again? He looked to Yaku who still seemed unsure how to take any of this. Akaashi took a few moments to let him think before asking a more pointed question.</p><p>“Morisuke, I can have another look, but obviously if Shirabu gets rid of the block, there’s a chance that something you’ve buried will come back to you. Do you want us to do anything about it?”</p><p>Yaku swallowed. Confronted with this situation, he had no idea what he wanted. “Can I have a moment to think about it in peace?”</p><p>Akaashi nodded, looking around the room as if to convey an order. Soon Yaku was more or less alone, the only living soul still present was Lev sat beside him and staring up with bright green eyes. Absentmindedly, Yaku petted his head, trying to come to terms with everything Akaashi had dumped on him. If he was right, then what the hell had he buried in his mind? He could think of a few things, but none of them were what he’d call traumatic. Aside from the battle only a few weeks previously, there wasn’t much he could call life-altering, even the day he left home was fairly tame.</p><p>“What do you reckon?” He asked Lev.</p><p>Lev purred, content with the head pets. “I mean, I don’t think what he’s left is dangerous but…”</p><p>“But what?”</p><p>Lev moved out of Yaku’s reach, prompting Yaku to look him in the eye. “It’s not what he did, it’s how he did it and how quickly he did it.”</p><p>“What do you—”</p><p>Lev yawned. “That Goshiki guy, he said Akiteru did it to him after weeks of knowing him, right? Or something like that at least. Akiteru was with you for a few hours?”</p><p>Yaku didn’t like what Lev was implying. “I guess.”</p><p>“So if he did that to you in mere hours, what else can he do?”</p><p>Yaku honestly felt sick. He also felt powerless. He was used to not having magic in his veins, often he was thankful for it. Having seen how much trouble is brought those who wielded it, how much pain they were often in after overexerting themselves, he was convinced he had lucked out by not being gifted. Though now being faced with an enemy who was basically untouchable because of that magic, one who used it to render them weak and distressed, he wanted nothing more than to gut him.</p><p>“Gods this is so fucked up.”</p><p>Lev yawned again, flopping down on the floor. “Well, if it’s any consolation, you’ve got smart people around who can help you. At least you have that. Goshiki didn’t have that.”</p><p>Yaku exhaled through his nose. This was true. He had people willing to get him through this, to make it as painless as possible. He was sort of morbidly curious what Akiteru had found. Whilst he was mulling all of this over, Akaashi and Shirabu returned, the doors firmly closed behind them.</p><p>“How are you feeling?” Akaashi asked.</p><p>Yaku let out a sarcastic laugh. “Honestly, I’m a little ticked off, but I’m also curious.” He looked between them. “Do whatever it is you did before.”</p><p>Akaashi looked to Shirabu and nodded. He took up his position from before; sitting on a stool and taking Yaku’s hand in his as Shirabu stood behind him and rolled up his sleeves. It was the latter who spoke first as Akaashi rubbed gentle circles into the back of Yaku’s hand.</p><p>“Alright, so it’s gonna feel weird but just try to relax and not fight it.” He stated.</p><p>Yaku nodded, keeping his gaze locked with Akaashi’s. Shirabu’s fingertips pressed against his temples; a soothing feeling quickly took hold as Akaashi nodded reassuringly. He wasn’t sure what Shirabu meant by ‘don’t fight it’ until he felt a sharp prickling at the back of his skull. He grimaced, it wasn’t painful but it wasn’t a great feeling either. It felt like an age passed as Shirabu muttered under his breath, fingers beginning to move in soothing circles. Soon he started feeling woozy, his head felt heavy as Shirabu’s hands held him in place. Akaashi’s gaze was unyielding even as Yaku’s vision blurred slightly.</p><p>The prickling sensation ceased abruptly. Shirabu’s hand pulled away slowly. “Alright, I think I got it.”</p><p>Akaashi nodded. “Morisuke?”</p><p>Yaku still felt woozy. “Yeah?”</p><p>“Are you okay?”</p><p>“I’m not dead, so yeah.”</p><p>Akaashi rolled his eyes. “I mean are you okay for me to—”</p><p>“Yeah.” He squeezed Akaashi’s hand. “Go digging. Figure it out.”</p><p>The way he said it was peculiar but Akaashi shrugged it off. He held Yaku’s gaze, easily slipping through to see what scene awaited him. He expected fire and destruction. He expected some sort of near-miss with death.</p><p>He did not expect to see a new-born baby.</p><p><em>“She’s so…small.</em>” <em>Yaku</em><em>’s voice sounded a lot younger than the voice Akaashi knew. Everything seemed bigger, everything seemed different. The baby in the woven basket was sleeping soundly, a picture of peace.</em></p><p>
  <em>“Well yeah, she was born earlier Morisuke.” An older voice said. He looked up, though Akaashi had never met Yaku’s father, he figured this must be him; the same rust red hair and facial features gave it away. There was a sad smile on his face. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“When can I see mother?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The sad smile was being forced. Confusion washed over him as Yaku’s thoughts took over. Mother was okay, right? Why wasn’t father saying anything? He looked back at the baby.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“What’s her name?”</em>
</p><p><em>There was a pause. </em> <em>“Miyu.”</em></p><p>
  <em>“Huh. Short. Not like my name.” He seemed confused still. “So when can—”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Your mother’s gone away.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>His confusion deepened. </em>
</p><p>Akaashi could feel the present and past melding together. Yaku squeezed his hand. Quickly memories shifted, nothing really made sense for a few moments until the scene stabilised.</p><p><em>The knife turned over in his hand, blade catching the firelight as he watched the young girl examining a chunk of wood before deciding how to start whittling it. She didn</em>'<em>t look much older than nine summers old. Old enough for Yaku to have realised what his father really meant.</em></p><p>
  <em>She</em>
  <em>’s gone. She left. Instead I have a sister. I don’t want a sister. I want my mother back. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>The knife halted in his hand. As much as he wanted to hate her, he couldn</em>
  <em>’t. He hated the world but he couldn’t hate her. She didn’t know, she didn’t understand. He understood though and it ate away at him. He understood that his father hadn’t been the same since, that the four summers of being a single parent had ruined him. He understood that he was married to the bottle now, that he spent more time in the tavern than at home.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Frustration was building. Why did it have to be his mother who left, why couldn'</em>
  <em>t it be his father? Why was he stuck with a deadbeat instead of his loving mother? Why was Miyu going to grow up without knowing how great she was?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He saw Miyu hold up the small chunk of wood that was starting to take shape and smiled at the progress. There was a small sense of pride in him at seeing her skills improving. She came over and offered the half-whittled sculpture to him. </em>
</p><p>Akaashi was unsure where this was going, so far there wasn’t anything overly ‘bad’. Not on the same scale as Semi’s memories. Though this was bittersweet, he was bracing for chaos to break loose. He continued watching as Yaku’s younger sister insisted he showed her how to do a fanciful design, he was patient with her, careful not to let the sharp knife get close to her as he worked a design into it.</p><p>
  <em>She smiled as he presented her with the finished product. Her eyes were wide, curious and in awe at his quick work. There was another swelling of pride in him as she turned it over in her hands. She was so innocent. She had no idea what she had been robbed of. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>The door burst open. He tensed. Her smile vanished as he gripped the knife. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“The fuck are…why are you still up?” A stern voice made Yaku clench his jaw. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Waiting for you to get home.” He replied, standing up and ushering Miyu to hurry along to a different room. She seemed unsure as he turned to confront their father. Their drunk father. “I was wondering if I needed to call the guard—”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“You wouldn’t fuckin’ dare.”  His father glared at him. “Who the hell are you to tell me what I should and shouldn’t do.”</em>
</p><p><em>Yaku didn</em> <em>t reply. That seemed to enrage their father. He strode over and grabbed Yaku by the front of his shirt, getting up in his face. The smell of ale on his breath was enough to make his stomach turn.</em></p><p>
  <em>“I asked you a question, boy.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I’m your son.” Yaku uttered. “In case you fucking forgot that.”</em>
</p><p><em>The slap stung, it rang out in the tiny room before he was shoved back. He rubbed his cheek with his free hand, the knife still in the other. </em> <em>“Sometimes I wish you had never been born.”</em></p><p>
  <em>Yaku snorted. There was a strong desire to rush his father and end this misery once and for all. The only thing stopping him was the fact Miyu was still there watching the entire thing play out with misty eyes. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I wish it had been you who left.” He uttered. That was the snapping point it seemed. His father strode towards him again, fist raised to strike him. He held up the knife, pointing it at his face. “Don’t you fucking dare.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Or what? You’ll gut your own flesh and blood? Your family?”</em>
</p><p><em>Yaku scowled. </em> <em>“Family? You call this a fucking family? Last I heard, family was meant to care about you, protect you, want to help you better yourself. What the fuck have you done recently? Gotten drunk? Made me do everything? Who the fuck are you to tell me what family is.”</em></p><p>
  <em>The knife hovered between them. His father scoffed, dismissing his question. He turned and strode towards the front door. He left without another word. Slowly, Yaku lowered the knife. His chest felt tight, his cheek was throbbing still as he slumped against the wall and slowly slipped to sit on the floor. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Light footsteps approached him. Miyu</em>
  <em>’s misty eyes contradicted her smile as she sat next to him. “Morisuke.”</em>
</p><p><em>He looked at her and forced a smile. </em> <em>“I told you to go into the other room.”</em></p><p><em>She shook her head. </em> <em>“But you told me family sticks together. And we’re family.”</em></p><p>
  <em>He wanted to cry. Not because he was in pain, not because he felt sorry for himself but because this wasn</em>
  <em>’t meant to be how her life started. He held out his hand and pulled her into a hug. The knife clattered to the floor as he held her tightly.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I’ll get us out of here. I promise Miyu. I’ll get us out of here.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I know.” She replied. “You’re the best brother.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The tears couldn't</em>
  <em> be ignored any longer.</em>
</p><p>Akaashi inhaled deeply as he pulled himself out of the past. He expected Yaku to be a sobbing mess but he was pale, eyes wide as he stared ahead at nothing. Shirabu seemed unaware of everything, as Akaashi would expect.</p><p>“Give us a few minutes.” He murmured. “It…was rough.”</p><p>Shirabu nodded quickly, leaving the room. Akaashi found Yaku’s other hand and held them both. He waited for a while as the colour came back into Yaku’s cheeks. He was shaken, but he wasn’t broken. Akaashi squeezed his hands gently.</p><p>“I knew you and your father didn’t get along but—”</p><p>“He was an ass.” Yaku shrugged. “He’s better now.”</p><p>“That doesn’t make it okay.”</p><p>Yaku shrugged again. “It was a long time ago. He…he didn’t take mother’s death well.”</p><p>“And you didn’t either.” Akaashi moved closer. “You felt like you had to pull it together for Miyu, that you had to protect her. It’s okay for you to feel robbed of a normal life.”</p><p>He weakly smiled. “It’s kinda funny, she actually ended up sort of pulling my father’s head out of his ass.”</p><p>Akaashi wasn’t letting him deflect it. “But he wasn’t there when you needed him to be. And it’s okay to be upset about it.”</p><p>“I thought I had gotten over it. I mean after all we’re on good…ish, terms now.” He shrugged. “I guess part of me still hates him for it. Still resents him for everything.”</p><p>Akaashi nodded. “You were right about one thing though, family cares about you, protects you and seeks to make you a better person. We’re your family Morisuke.” He smiled. “And if you need time to deal with all of this, we’ll understand. But equally, I hope you understand that I can’t let you go anywhere near Akiteru until you’ve dealt with it.”</p><p>Yaku nodded. “Yeah, yeah I get it. Don’t worry Keiji, I won’t go rogue on you.”</p><p>They shared a smile. This was far from over, but it was promising progress.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>As Semi had joined them in the parlour, there were a few raised eyebrows. He didn’t look much better than when he had stumbled downstairs a few hours earlier but he smiled in greeting nonetheless. No-one asked what had happened, most of the guild had heard about the aftermath experienced and were fine to not address it for now. Tooru looked like he wanted to say something but Iwaizumi jabbed him in the side.</p><p>Kunimi was the first to offer Semi take a seat with them. Or rather, sit next to him on the floor as there were no more benches, stools, or chairs to pick from anymore. There was a lazy card game being played between Yamamoto and Tanaka as the rest relaxed around them and took part in idle conversation both as one big group and several smaller conversations. Semi didn’t feel too out of place any more as Kunimi shot him a smile.</p><p>“You doing better now?”</p><p>Semi shrugged. “As good as I could be.” He forced a smile. “Good job you scaled that building huh.”</p><p>Kunimi didn’t smile, he sighed slightly. “I guess, though the fact we were there in the first place—”</p><p>“Hey, that’s on me, not you.” He poked Kunimi in the side, getting a small yelp in surprise. “Don’t blame yourself for my carelessness.”</p><p>Kunimi opened his mouth to protest but seemed to think better of it. He shrugged it off and redirected his attention to the conversation between Suga and Tooru. The two hadn’t spoken much in recent days but Tooru seemed intent on getting everyone’s thoughts on their current plight.</p><p>“Are we in agreement then that if Kuroo decides Kei is to be trusted, that he needs to explain himself?” Tooru asked.</p><p>Suga nodded. “Of course. Whilst we have a relaxed policy about letting people join us, this is entirely different.” He glanced around at the others gathered; Tobio was nodding in agreement as he continued. “If Kei wants to help us, we have no quarrel with it, but like hell is he joining us without being held accountable.”</p><p>Semi found that interesting. He had been interrogated when he showed up at the fort, it was Daichi who showed pity on him mostly, but as far as he knew Kei hadn’t actually tried to kill anyone like he had. Sure, Kei had done horrible things, but he hadn’t killed anyone.</p><p>“So,” Tooru glanced to Tobio, “the bastard lied to me, but it’s his brother I want. I see it fit you pass any further judgement on him.”</p><p>Tobio nodded, looking thoughtful. “We certainly have questions.”</p><p>“Questions…” Tooru nodded.</p><p>“Mainly why.” Tobio continued. “And what it was all for.”</p><p>There was a pause as the conversation stalled. The common agreement was that Tobio and his staff were going to have the first crack at him as he was the most directly affected. Tooru only wanted Akiteru at this stage, viewing Kei as a mere pawn in a larger game. The Brotherhood were irked, but Suga had already ruled that there was no way he’d ever support Kei joining them.</p><p>“So what do you think Kuroo thinks?” Iwaizumi directed the question at any of those listening from the Brotherhood. Suga refrained from answering. He had no idea what Kuroo thought about all this. As there was a resounding silence in response to Iwaizumi’s question, Kenma returned from the back room with Bokuto and Inuoka; evidently asked to leave by Akaashi who was dealing with Yaku.</p><p>“You know Kuroo better than most people,” Tooru remarked to Kenma and Bokuto as Inuoka immediately sat next to Tanaka to take an interest in the card game, “how do you think Kuroo feels about this Kei stuff?”</p><p>Kenma glanced to Bokuto, Bokuto shrugged at first. “Honestly, I don’t think any of us know how he’s going to react.”</p><p>“Kuro is hard to read.” Kenma added. “And given the personal stakes involved, I don’t think even <em>he</em> knows how he’s going to react.”</p><p>The ominous feeling that came with Kenma’s statement wasn’t shaken off lightly. Throughout all of this, one person had remained quiet, though not because they felt they needed to be, but because they had nothing of note to add. That was until now. Ennoshita cleared his throat, summoning the attention of the others.</p><p>“Well, considering the conversation I had with him, I can say that he’s at least open to hearing Kei out.”</p><p>Semi raised an eyebrow, meeting Ennoshita’s gaze. “Yeah? What did you say?”</p><p>Ennoshita showed no sign of caring who was in the room as he stared Semi down. “I told him that Kei was following orders, just like we all did.”</p><p>There was a slow inhale from Semi. “Of course you did.”</p><p>Uncertain glances were exchanged between those gathered around them. Ennoshita shrugged. “I’m still adamant that there’s more to this than we know, and if Kuroo really cares about getting answers, he’ll figure it out.</p><p>“I have no doubt about that.” Semi looked to Kenma, seeking to divert this conversation already. “How’s Yaku?”</p><p>“He’s…” Kenma trailed off, “stubborn as always.” He gestured to the closed doors behind him and Bokuto. “Akaashi and Shirabu are doing something to try and understand what Akiteru did.”</p><p>Semi had a very good idea what Akiteru did, but he didn’t want to incite panic. There was also the minor aspect that him explaining it would undoubtedly mean he’d have to tell them how he was the one who killed Kuroo’s mother. Akaashi was the only living soul who knew, and he wanted to keep it that way.</p><p>“How long do we reckon Kuroo will be?” Tobio directed his question at Suga. “Hours?”</p><p>“Honestly I don’t—”</p><p>Suga was cut off by the door to the manor opening. All eyes were on the door as Kuroo entered the foyer and closed it behind him. As he noticed the audience in the parlour, he smiled.</p><p>“Don’t tell me you’ve all been waiting for me.” He remarked as he stepped into the parlour. “I would’ve at least freshened up.”</p><p>There were a few laughs at his demeanour, but there was an air of expectation, of curiosity about them now. The unspoken question hung in the air but Kuroo seemed content to let it remain unanswered.</p><p>“Where’s Keiji?”</p><p>Kenma gestured to the closed doors. “Sorting out Yaku.”</p><p>Kuroo nodded, looking back and forth between Kenma and Bokuto before looking back to the group of curious faces. “Alright, I need to have a short while to think about stuff…just trust me. Trust me.” He put up has hands like he was trying to calm a spooked horse. “I know you want all the details, but it’s a lot to…” he sighed, “and I just need some time to think about how to explain it.”</p><p>Bokuto moved first, striding over and clapping his hand over Kuroo’s shoulder. “You got it, also you missed dinner and Keiji will kill me if I don’t make sure you eat.”</p><p>Kuroo snorted but nodded along. “Alright,” he looked back to the others, “I’ll tell you all in a little bit once I’ve eaten. I promise.”</p><p>No-one was going to argue, he was met with nods of understanding, a few murmured ‘take your time’s and even a few thumbs up. Bokuto shepherded him into the dining room, Kenma hot on their heels and the dining room doors were closed behind them. Bokuto was true to his remark, going into the kitchen and politely requesting a hot meal be made up for Kuroo, even offering to help if they needed him to.</p><p>Kenma sat next to him and remained quiet for the most part; watching as Kuroo rubbed his face with his hands. Though he wasn’t gifted with empath powers, he could see that whatever had been said troubled Kuroo. Bokuto returned a short while later with a bowl of meat stew and some bread, setting it in front of Kuroo before taking a seat across the table from him.</p><p>Neither said a word as Kuroo ate, it was almost ominous. It was only when the bowl was empty that he broke the silence.</p><p>“So, the short version is Ennoshita was right.” He stated quietly. “Kei was following orders.”</p><p>“Right.” Bokuto nodded.</p><p>“And the long version?”</p><p>Kuroo glanced between them. “It’s weird, I actually felt…sorry for him.”</p><p>Kenma inhaled sharply. “Are you—”</p><p>“I’m sure I wasn’t fucked with.” He cut in. “No, Ushijima was there the entire time anyway. The entire conversation was weird and…” he paused to run a hand through his hair. “Kei actually got dealt a shit hand by fate.”</p><p>Bokuto didn’t seem convinced but he didn’t voice it. “Alright. You wanna tell us or would you rather wait—”</p><p>Kuroo shook his head. “If you both will listen, at least you can tell me if the others are likely to understand where I’m coming from?”</p><p>Kenma reached out on the table and took his hand. “We’re all ears,” he looked to Bokuto, “aren’t we?”</p><p>Bokuto nodded quickly. “Always have been, always will be.” He grinned. “Lay it on us.”</p><p>Kuroo smiled at both of them in thanks. “Alright, I’ll try and keep it to the point.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0054"><h2>54. A United Front</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>LIV</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>A United Front</strong>
</p>
<p>As the evening drew in, Daichi and Ukai prepared to finally leave the academy. It had only been a couple of days but the news from the others made it seem like entire weeks had passed. Goshiki didn’t appear nervous about leaving, not like last time anyway. He packed up a satchel with some of his things; oddly shaped runestones, a leather-bound journal, a few odd trinkets and scraps of parchment before declaring he was ready. He made sure to place his ward back on the door, just in case.</p>
<p>The walk to the manor felt short in comparison to how it usually felt travelling across the city. The streets were quiet, almost suspiciously so. Guards were patrolling as usual but none paid them any attention. Ukai wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not. As they caught sight of the manor, a sense of relief washed over them. Daichi paused before they got to the door and signalled for Goshiki to listen.</p>
<p>“Obviously it’s only been half a day, but if I know these idiots well enough, there’s every possibility that something dramatic has happened. So be prepared for anything.”</p>
<p>Goshiki rolled his eyes at Daichi’s warning but nodded. “Alright, I’m sure it’ll be fine.”</p>
<p>Daichi wasn’t going to try arguing. He merely gestured for them to continue up to the main door. As soon as the door was open, he heard confused voices. That in itself wasn’t odd, but the number of voices is what concerned him. Shepherding Goshiki inside, he got his first glance into the parlour at the group huddled around the fireplace.</p>
<p>“Alright, what happened now?” He sighed as he walked in. Both kings and their entourages were there, as was the entire Brotherhood apart from Kuroo and Kenma. Bokuto had been halfway through explaining something when Daichi walked in.</p>
<p>“Daichi!” Bokuto greeted with a grin. “You picked a great time.”</p>
<p>“Did we really?” Ukai remarked, ushering Goshiki into the room. Goshiki looked like a spooked rabbit as he felt everyone’s eyes on him. As his gaze found Hinata’s, he relaxed a little. Hinata blinked a few times in mild confusion before gesturing for him to sit beside him on the crammed bench. Inuoka shuffled over to give him some space.</p>
<p>“What is this, some sort of court session?” Daichi gestured around at everyone.</p>
<p>“Well—” Bokuto began before Kuroo’s voice cut in.</p>
<p>“Ah, you’re here, great.” He slapped Daichi on the shoulder in a playful manner. “I won’t have to repeat myself.”</p>
<p>“What are you talking about…” Daichi was getting a bad feeling about this.</p>
<p>“Just sit down and I’ll explain everything.” Kuroo gestured to the room. “If you can find somewhere to sit that is...”</p>
<p>Daichi did as he was told, finding a spot on the floor next to Kindaichi. Kenma had followed Kuroo into the room and closed the doors behind him. It felt stuffy in the parlour but the closed doors gave them a semblance of privacy. Kuroo nodded to himself as the silence was noticeable.</p>
<p>This was nerve-wracking. Bokuto and Kenma had heard him out and gave him some pointers on how to word it better. Wording was going to be key here. Whilst Kei had said a lot, the way he said it mattered. The way Kuroo explained it was going to shape how the others understood it. He met Akaashi’s gaze momentarily, a reassuring smile was all he needed from the other to quell his nerves.</p>
<p>“Right. So I went to speak to Kei.” He stated, “he had asked to speak to Tooru in the interest of forging some sort of alliance against Akiteru. Obviously this was weird all things considered, but I decided to go and speak to him at the Miya’s manor.” He was recounting this for Daichi and Ukai’s benefit mainly, but it didn’t hurt to remind everyone else how he even got to this point. “And first of all, I wanna say that the entire time I was there Kei barely looked me in the eye and the moments he did there were no feelings of being fucked with. Ushijima was present the entire conversation and would’ve done something if Kei had tried anything.”</p>
<p>He paused, waiting for nods of understanding. He wanted to make it as clear as possible that Kei hadn’t manipulated him in a magical sense. The entire conversation had been weird as fuck, but it had been a pure conversation.</p>
<p>“So, you all wanna know how I feel about his offer to help take down his own brother. I’ll just put it bluntly; Kei told me upfront within a few seconds of the conversation starting that he was used by Akiteru. Used in the sense that his childhood was filled with Akiteru testing his powers on him. I don’t know exactly what happened, I sure as hell didn’t want details.” He began pacing what little floor space was free as he continued. “What I can say is that it fucked him up. Gave him this weird ride or die complex. He did whatever Akiteru asked him to, he did it because he had been told to always support his brother in his ambitions or else.”</p>
<p>Respectfully, no-one interrupted yet. Kuroo did give them a few moments to comprehend what he was saying before he went on to explain the version of events from Kei’s point of view; that their father sent them both to the east in order to try and maintain the family’s reputation and even improve it in the noble courts. How Kei had been sent to the academy and he found it overwhelming, that his brother’s methods of training were frowned upon by others.</p>
<p>As he detailed how Kei was ridiculed for his methods, Goshiki tensed up beside Hinata. He shook his head and cut in, not that Kuroo didn’t expect him to.</p>
<p>“He said that he did that because he ‘didn’t know any better’,” Goshiki uttered. “I call bullshit.”</p>
<p>Kuroo shrugged. “It might be a case that he thought the only way to hone empath powers are by…using them on people.” He looked to Akaashi for assistance.</p>
<p>Akaashi gave it a moment of thought before shrugging as well. “It’s possible. After all, I read my mother’s mind on multiple occasions without realising it. But…”</p>
<p>“Whatever.” Goshiki uttered. “Continue.”</p>
<p>Kuroo sensed Goshiki wasn’t going to believe anything he said, and he sure as hell wasn’t going to defend Kei’s actions. He continued.</p>
<p>“Akiteru would return and find out about all this, and apparently his solution was to send Kei down south to ‘double-check’ that…Tobio was dead.” He paused. “Kei got as far as the Northern Territories, hiding from House Oikawa’s influence whilst he figured out what to do.”</p>
<p>“Which is where the letters come in.” Ennoshita added. “The ones I saw passing through.”</p>
<p>“Yes. Letters from Akiteru.” Kuroo nodded. “Apparently Akiteru was very specific with what he wanted Kei to do. And Kei did it without question, but…” he tried to work out how to word this without making it seem like he was making excuses. “He says he didn’t want to do it, that he only did it because he wanted to ‘be of value’ to his brother.”</p>
<p>Tooru and Tobio exchanged a glance. The former spoke first. “Did he know what his brother did?”</p>
<p>Kuroo nodded. “He was aware of everything Akiteru did and he…loathes him for it.” He carefully put. “He felt that Akiteru abandoned him to play politics.”</p>
<p>“Oh but he doesn’t loathe him for killing two families.” Tooru scoffed. “Good to know.”</p>
<p>Kuroo exhaled slowly. “He doesn’t exactly approve of it either.” He replied. “Simply put; Akiteru needed a ‘grand accomplishment’ to win notoriety as a competent leader. Kei was a pawn in that. He reckons Akiteru only views him as a tool. He doesn’t see any sense to it and he doesn’t want Akiteru to succeed any further than he already has.”</p>
<p>“Peachy.” Tooru muttered, looking to Tobio. “What do you have to say to any of this?”</p>
<p>Tobio shrugged, eerily calm all things considered. “So what is Akiteru planning and how does Kei think we can stop it?”</p>
<p>Kuroo didn’t want to put it bluntly, but if he tiptoed around it then it would only feel worse. “What he did to you; got inside your head and made you…not as good as you now are.” He held Tobio’s gaze. “He’s going to do that with Yachi. He’s begun to do that. And when she can’t explain herself to her own nobles, he’ll bring up how Hinata and Ukai managed to escape, he’ll bring up the treaty issues, accuse her of undermining the empire.”</p>
<p>“He’s going to do what Atsumu warned us he’d do.” Tobio concluded, eerily calm considering the situation. “So how do we stop it?”</p>
<p>“Kei mentioned that Akiteru will use pomp and pageantry to try and catch us off guard. I think he means that Akiteru is going to try and orchestrate something big, something we won’t have any power in and then—”</p>
<p>“It’ll be a ball.” Goshiki stated like it was obvious. He didn’t appreciate the eyes on him but he met Kuroo’s gaze. “He likes to be close by when he…does things. And if he wants to inflict the most amount of chaos, it’ll be a ball.”</p>
<p>There were nods of agreement, Tanaka beat everyone else to the punch. “Of course, throw a ball, make a big deal out of something or other. Then when the empress doesn’t show up; he throws her under the cart. He exposes her to her own people and then claims the throne there and then.”</p>
<p> “Fucking bastard.” Yamamoto cussed under his breath. “And how the fuck are we meant to stop that?”</p>
<p>“We don’t.” Tobio stated, standing up and looking around the group. “We’ll play along, cause if he’s a noble through and through, he’ll invite us just to shove it in our faces. So we’ll go,” he looked to Tooru, “you and I will go as guests and we’ll pretend we have no idea what’s going on.”</p>
<p>“And the Brotherhood will sneak in.” Kiyoko added. “The twins have a way into the palace, Ushijima showed me. It goes through the servant’s quarters but it gets us right near the throne room.”</p>
<p>“That sounds great and all.” Shirabu’s tone said it all. “But how the fuck are we going to take on Akiteru? In case the rest of you haven’t noticed; everyone who comes into contact with him gets fucked mentally. He doesn’t discriminate.”</p>
<p>“Not everyone.” Ennoshita uttered. “But I see your point.”</p>
<p>Kuroo put up a hand to stop any further interruptions. As quiet fell once more, Kuroo met Akaashi’s gaze again. He didn’t need to say what he was thinking, Akaashi could hear his thoughts.</p>
<p>
  <em>‘Kei says you’re the only one who has a hope in hell of doing it.’</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>‘Does he now. And how sincere do you think he is?’</em>
</p>
<p>Kuroo shrugged. ‘<em>I know you</em><em>’re the strongest empath mage we have. And that sending Hinata in there is a disaster waiting to happen. As much as I was opposed to it before…it might be the only way.’</em></p>
<p>“We can work that out later.” Akaashi stated to the group. “For now, we should consider other risks; if Akiteru is going to be deposing the empress, he must have a plan for her. If he’s going to hold her hostage between now and when he makes this statement, we need to save her.”</p>
<p>“And besides,” Kenma spoke up, “every mage bleeds.” He stated. “Even Akiteru is vulnerable to a blade. Worst case scenario: someone slits his throat.”</p>
<p>The abrupt call to spill blood took some by surprise but the overall sentiment was agreed with. It wasn’t a desirable outcome, but if there was no other way, they would resort to it. The conversation felt like it was at an end, except there was one last question.</p>
<p>“So Kuroo,” Tobio turned to him, “answer me this; do you think we should trust Kei?”</p>
<p>Kuroo took a moment, Tobio’s gaze was intense and unlike anything he had seen from him. He was asking Kuroo for his judgement and it felt like he was going to wholeheartedly believe it.</p>
<p>“I think, for now we can trust him. But I would act cautiously in person. He’s…got a lot going on and I don’t know how stable he is.”</p>
<p>Tobio nodded. “Very well. I will follow your guidance.” He looked to Tooru. “What do you say?”</p>
<p>Tooru didn’t seem as ready to believe it all. “As long as he doesn’t get in the way of me holding his brother accountable for the murders he committed, I’ll go along with it.” He murmured. “But the moment he steps out of line, I will gut him.”</p>
<p>“That’s understandable.”</p>
<p>A sense of relief washed over the room. Whilst not entirely what they expected to hear, they had a direction to pull in. If Goshiki’s hunch was right, then there would be a ball of sorts soon. They needed to have a solid plan by then, a way in, a way out, they needed help and Kuroo reckoned that the twins were going to be paid another visit. With the important information now shared, the parlour emptied somewhat, the air felt lighter as some left to find food, others left for fresh air and a few remained to digest what had been said.</p>
<p>Hinata followed Tobio upstairs with the rest of his entourage. Once within the confines of Yamaguchi’s room, more frank thoughts were put forth.</p>
<p>“So you believe Kuroo.” Yamaguchi said.</p>
<p>“Yes.” Tobio answered. “Is this a problem?”</p>
<p>“No. Are you really at peace about it? Kuroo’s basically said to side with Kei—”</p>
<p>“Because Kei wants his brother taken down.” Tobio cut in. “In my eyes right now, if he helps us and doesn’t double-cross us, it shows he wants to try and fix things.”</p>
<p>Hinata waited for Yamaguchi to disagree. Instead, Yamaguchi sighed in relief, a smile graced his face as he abruptly pulled Tobio into a hug. It was a little peculiar, yet Asahi and Inuoka didn’t seem surprised.</p>
<p>“What…is this for?”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi pulled back, holding Tobio by the shoulders. “You’re finally letting go of grudges.”</p>
<p>Tobio gave him a confused look. “I mean, I still want to <em>talk</em> to him. I ain’t just shrugging it off.”</p>
<p>“I know, but the fact you’re not after his blood anymore…it’s different. It’s good.”</p>
<p>Tobio mirrored the smile. “Well, I had someone remind me to start being the king I want to be. And the king I want to be is a reasonable one. Yeah Kei did us wrong, but I want to hear his reasons, even if only to understand why.”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi looked like he was about to burst into happy tears. Hinata found it a little funny but then again; Yamaguchi had seen Tobio’s rocky journey through life. This must feel like they’ve finally found the light at the end of the tunnel. They sat for a short while discussing how Tobio wanted to handle this presumed ball, thinking about how to ensure he was going to be safe throughout all of it. Inuoka stated upfront that he wanted to be there, treaty be damned.</p>
<p>Then the question of Hinata came up. He hadn’t been pardoned. He had also escaped the dungeon and no-one had said a word on it since.</p>
<p>“Well,” Asahi folded his arms, “Kei implied that Akiteru will use your escape as a weapon. So if anything, he’d <em>want</em> you at Tobio’s side.”</p>
<p>“That’s…true.” Yamaguchi rubbed his neck. “Though if we cause a scene, I don’t know how that’ll help Yachi.”</p>
<p>Tobio shrugged. “If they try to arrest him, I’ll say it’s a declaration of war.”</p>
<p>“Tobio no.” Asahi immediately said. “That won’t help.”</p>
<p>“I mean—” Hinata spoke up. “…surely if it’s…a ball like last time; they won’t know it’s me? Only those in the court really knew who I was and the balls have way more people? So…with the right mask and a bit of luck, I’ll be fine?”</p>
<p>The four of them exchanged glances before Tobio nodded. “Yes. You’ll be fine. And with Tooru there, we won’t be alone.”</p>
<p>All they had to do now was wait for this ball to be declared. Already there were talks of how they were going to handle the situation; how the Brotherhood was going to sneak in, who was going to do what, what their end goal was and so on. For the first time in what felt like forever, they felt like they were ahead of their foe.</p>
<p>That didn’t mean they weren’t going to ask the twins for help. Once the evening had given way for the night, Kuroo and Daichi ended up deep in discussion with some of the others about how they were going to talk to Atsumu and Osamu about this, what they were going to ask of them. It was agreed that if the twins were so insistent about protecting Yachi, they were going to be asked to follow up on their words with actions. It was as much a proving moment for them as it was for Kei.</p>
<p>“So you want them to be in charge of finding Yachi?” Daichi asked Kuroo.</p>
<p>“At least locating her and getting us past guard checkpoints.” Kuroo replied. “I don’t expect them to draw swords.”</p>
<p>“Fair.” Daichi nodded. “So should we split the guild or move as one?”</p>
<p>“Gotta split, can’t all be going in the same direction.” Kuroo chuckled. “But not spread ourselves too thin.”</p>
<p>“In pairs or trios then.”</p>
<p>“I’d say so, like when the others explored the old district.”</p>
<p>“Question,” Daichi smiled slightly. “Lev?”</p>
<p>Kuroo hummed. “I wanna say yes, but…”</p>
<p>Kiyoko chose to cut in. “I took Lev to the palace, I said he was a gift from the twins. The guards didn’t like it per se, but they didn’t say no either.”</p>
<p>Daichi raised his eyebrows at Kuroo. “Take the lion.”</p>
<p>“Alright I’ll take the lion.” Kuroo sighed. “But he stays away from the main ballroom.”</p>
<p>“Deal.”</p>
<p>This conversation would go deep into the night, the guild leaders pouring over options with various others adding their thoughts as and when they passed by or overheard the conversation. It had been a long day but given how precarious the situation was now; every minute they wasted could spell disaster later.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Akaashi had a headache. Given everything that had happened that day, it wasn’t surprising. He had been all over the place mentally speaking, it wasn’t often that he put himself through that kind of stress several times in one day yet here he was. The manor had finally fallen asleep, the last few candles were starting to burn out across the various rooms. There was a lone candle in the room he and Kuroo were sharing with some of the others, gentle - and not so gentle - snoring provided some near-constant noise so the silence didn’t drive him insane.</p>
<p>Kuroo’s arm was wrapped around him protectively, pulling him flush against Kuroo’s chest. He appreciated the warmth, the feeling of safety. Every time he closed his eyes, he got brief flashes of the memories he witnessed. Given their nature, he wasn’t enthusiastic about reliving them. His head pounded, like he had stared at the sun too long or been sat next to an anvil whilst Bokuto worked at it.</p>
<p>He tried not to toss and turn too much, but it was inevitable that Kuroo would wake up sooner or later.</p>
<p>“Hey…” he whispered, hand coming up to cup Akaashi’s face in the gloom. “What’s wrong?”</p>
<p>“Headaches.” Akaashi breathed in return, burying his face in Kuroo’s chest. “It’s been a long day.”</p>
<p>Kuroo hummed, his hand moving to rub Akaashi’s back. “Wanna talk about it?”</p>
<p>Akaashi hadn’t had the chance to properly go through it all with Kuroo. The last two days had been a whirlwind of activity, too much had happened and they felt like they were on the cusp of more chaos. He was starting to wonder if it was ever going to stop.</p>
<p>“Semi and Yaku have had…troublesome pasts.” He murmured, keeping his voice quiet so not to wake any of the others. Tanaka’s loud snoring was enough to signal he was fast asleep but both Bokuto and Nishinoya were sleeping more quietly that night.</p>
<p>“Yeah.” Kuroo nodded though Akaashi couldn’t see it, he felt the movement. “I know bits and pieces. Yaku and his old man never really got on.”</p>
<p>“You could say that again.”</p>
<p>“Was it bad?”</p>
<p>Akaashi shrugged, feeling Kuroo’s arm shift with the movement. “There wasn’t any blood at least.”</p>
<p>“And Semi, well, he was a Serpent, so he’s been through all sorts of shit.”</p>
<p>“Mhm.” Akaashi wasn’t going to tell Kuroo. There was no point. Kuroo had already made peace with that part of his life, the bottom line was that his mother died at the hands of the Serpents, he didn’t need to know it was Semi. Semi didn’t want to do it, Akaashi could testify to those feelings. Bringing it up now would only reopen old wounds unnecessarily.</p>
<p>“And now you’ve got them all in your head.” Kuroo concluded. “And you can’t sleep.”</p>
<p>“Yup.”</p>
<p>There was a pause, Kuroo sighed heavily. His hand clumsily made its way up to cup Akaashi’s face. He slowly pressed their foreheads together. “I know it doesn’t work quite the same way,” he whispered as Akaashi covered his hands with his own, “but feel free to take some of my calmer thoughts.”</p>
<p>Akaashi had to fight to stop himself laughing too loudly. He smiled, turning his head, and pressing a kiss to Kuroo’s palm. “I appreciate it.”</p>
<p>He didn’t consciously go looking for anything as he let out a sigh. The barrier between their minds was a lot more blurred than most. He felt in tune with Kuroo, and in turn that made it easier to let Kuroo’s calm thoughts soothe his anxious ones.</p>
<p>
  <em>‘You’ll be okay Keiji. We’ll all be okay. This’ll all be over soon and we can go home again. We can sleep in our own bed and not worry about battles, politics, or death around every corner. It’ll just be us, the ones we care about and our home. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Don</em>
  <em>’t worry about how all this empire shit ends, just look ahead to beyond all this. Just think about watching the sunset over the ocean again.’</em>
</p>
<p>Akaashi let Kuroo’s calm thoughts echo in his mind, conjuring up the image of watching the sunset from Kēpu yōsai’s walls. It was a nice distraction from the other images that flickered in his head, and one he wanted to dwell on as he fell asleep finally.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0055"><h2>55. The Planning Begins</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>LV</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>The Planning Begins</strong>
</p><p>The morning dew on the grass glittered in the light. The air was crisp, cooler than in the south. It was refreshing in many ways, especially as she held her sword in front of her. She had only been practising for a short while, but she had worked up a sweat already and the cool air was blissful against her heated body. Sleep hadn’t been hard to come by, but she had awoken before Suga and the others who shared their room. Laying in darkness hadn’t yielded much in the way of comfort.</p><p>So she had dressed, armour and all, and made her way outside to the walled garden. The early morning asked only one question as she parried imagined blows; what will she do now?</p><p>She pivoted, drawing her second blade as she did so. The night in the tavern had rattled her. There had been an unwelcome reminder in the encounter with Akiteru. A reminder that she had fought a mad mage before. A mage who had shown her what happens when no-one rises to challenge them. Letting out a short exhale, she held her stance, a blade in each hand. She closed her eyes and lunged, pivoting on the balls of her feet on the wet grass.</p><p>Her answer to the morning’s question was simple; she will be better this time. She will not be intimidated by the sorcery. Being better meant she had to be able to dance with blades without looking at her foe. It was no easy feat. It would require hours of practice, but she was determined. She would not be bested again.</p><p>The slick grass squeaked as she moved with speed. Mud caked her boots. The cold air rushed around her as she twisted and turned. She needed a partner to help her really, but for now she could get used to moving without looking. As she halted, she became aware someone was watching her. She opened her eyes and took in the churned-up mud around her before glancing to the door. Kunimi was decked out in his scouting leathers, idly flicking one of his throwing knives between fingers.</p><p>“You’re up early.” He remarked.</p><p>She smiled. “So are you.”</p><p>He shrugged. “Kindaichi shoved me out of bed. Figured I’d get up and see what was going on and saw you through the window.”</p><p>“Yeah?” She sheathed her shorted blade. “And you usually put on your scouting leathers first thing in the morning?” She knew full well Kunimi wasn’t the type to be up and ready to fight within minutes. He was a lazy person. To be armed to the teeth so early meant he was planning something.</p><p>Again, he shrugged. “I was watching for a bit, realised you had your eyes closed.”</p><p>“I figured if Akiteru depends on eye contact to fuck with people, not giving him eye contact would be a good way to level the playing field.” She tilted her katana as she picked off stray blades of grass. “By all means, if you want to help me hone my awareness, be my guest.”</p><p>He returned her smile. “Alright. I’ll borrow a sword—”</p><p>She unsheathed her shorter blade again and held it out to him. “Here’s a sword.”</p><p>Pocketing his throwing knife, he accepted her blade. It was heavier than he was used to wielding but it would parry blows easily enough. They set a few ground rules before beginning; mainly a code word to stop if things got too dangerous and another to signal if she got too close to the building.</p><p>“For now, I’ll just close my eyes. At some point I want to try being blindfolded.” She stated as she took a few paces back.</p><p>“I think we’ll need a third person keeping watch by then.” He said. “And maybe an actual swordsman for your duelling partner.”</p><p>“We’ll see.” She smiled. “Ready?”</p><p>He swung the blade a few times, getting used to its weight. “Come at me.”</p><p>With a nod, she closed her eyes once more. It was a weird sensation, charging into a duel without sight but it was also exciting in a weird way. She knew how to hold her own in a normal duel, she knew the signs to watch for, but relying on her hearing and spatial awareness made her focus more intently. The squeak of the wet grass underfoot, the air moving with each swing of the blade, the surprise of a hit against her armour. Sensations that she knew but felt magnified as they duelled.</p><p>Kunimi was by no means a bad swordsman, but he wasn’t a knight. In some ways he was a good partner to begin with. He was quick enough to evade any serious hits but competent enough to take advantage of her sloppy defending. Whilst they took several breaks to catch their breath, they continued for a while. She was sure most of the others were waking up by now but Kunimi showed no inclination to stop. He parried her blows, some with more ease than others. She wasn’t sure if it was because she was slowly becoming aware of where he was at all times or if he was tiring.</p><p>Confidence was half the battle with duels. Hesitation got you killed, that was what Daichi had said to her when they duelled. So even with her self-imposed disadvantage, every swing was designed to strike and even kill. As his sword clashed with hers, she felt the air shift. Figuring out how he was stood, she moved her weight and allowed herself to pivot quickly. She extended her leg as she turned, striking his ankle with hers with enough momentum to topple him.</p><p>Her eyes opened to find him on the ground with a bewildered expression. She smiled, sheathing her sword and offering him a hand up.</p><p>“I didn’t see that one coming.” He huffed as he accepted her hand and getting back on his feet.</p><p>“You weren’t meant to.” She remarked.</p><p>He handed her sword back to her. “Well, I think you’re far above my skill level. I’ll stick to hiding in trees I think.”</p><p>They shared a laugh. She shrugged after sheathing her second sword. “I appreciate your help, I know duelling isn’t your forte.”</p><p>“Think nothing of it. It felt good to do something vaguely productive. But now you know you gotta challenge someone like Iwaizumi right? ‘cause he’s the type that won’t go easy on you.” He smirked. “He’s got a reputation to protect.”</p><p>She considered it. Iwaizumi would be a fitting duelling partner, though she wasn’t going to ask him immediately. Depending on what else was happening, he might appreciate the distraction and challenge. It could even be entertaining for some of the others. They made their way inside, both sweaty and in need of food. True to her assumption, most of the others were awake and eating breakfast in the dining room. A few curious glances were directed at them but no-one pried any deeper as she shrugged and said they had been duelling.</p><p>As they pulled up chairs and sat with the others, the matter of that day’s business was brought up. Whilst the guild was all on board with Kuroo’s idea to trust Kei, until they received word of any formal ball, they needed to be on guard. That meant no-one was to leave without saying where they were headed, no-one was to go alone and under no circumstances was anyone to approach the palace.</p><p>Kuroo could say he was being paranoid, but he was painfully aware of how it would all look if he inadvertently got someone kidnapped or killed over his choice. Thankfully, no-one objected. Everyone understood that now was the time for caution. As Kei told him; any slip-ups or loose ends could prove fatal.</p><p>Approaching the twins was the next part of the plan. He needed them on side as without them, getting the Brotherhood into any ball was going to be a tall order. He hoped Ushijima had told them what they needed to know or else this was going to be an explosive conversation. He got the feeling Atsumu didn’t like being kept in the dark, which felt incredibly rich coming from a noble who hadn’t been very upfront with his own ambitions.</p><p>He took Daichi with him this time. He didn’t want to be alone in this and Daichi was more than happy to accompany him. The day was young as they left the hive of activity that was the manor. Most who were awake had begun preparations akin to how they prepared for the Battle of the Dynasty. Swords were being sharpened, armour was being maintained. There was talk of Bokuto finding a harness for Lev. More importantly, between Kiyoko and Kunimi, they had figured out a loose floor plan of the parts of the palace they had been and were starting to form a plan of attack.</p><p>The Brotherhood knew how to do one thing well and it was how to pull themselves together and pool their knowledge. They put army generals to shame and Kuroo couldn’t help but feel proud of his family.</p><p>They got to the Miya family manor and found Aone on guard. He didn’t miss a beat as he opened the door for them and followed them in. Once inside he gestured for them to sit in the parlour before walking through a separate door. It wasn’t long before both brothers arrived, Osamu seemed unsurprised at their arrival, Atsumu looked less pleased than usual.</p><p>“Ah, you decided to come back.” Atsumu remarked as Osamu sat down, he remained standing. “Wakatoshi told me what happened. He says you’re inclined to trust Kei?”</p><p>Kuroo nodded. “At least for now.”</p><p>“On what grounds?”</p><p>Kuroo wasn’t particularly perturbed by Atsumu’s reaction, he let a confident smile rest on his lips as he replied. “Because he doesn’t gain anything from Akiteru succeeding.” He gestured between them both. “Wasn’t it you two who said there’s only one throne?”</p><p>Osamu nodded. “It was. And there still is.”</p><p>Atsumu rolled his eyes. “He’d still gain notoriety, and if Akiteru were to fall he would become emperor in his stead.”</p><p>“Ah, that’s the point.” Kuroo held up a finger. “Who says he wants that? The Kei <em>we</em> know wants nothing like that. The Kei we dealt with down south liked being unassuming and out of the centre of attention. And I’m inclined to think that part of him is honest.”</p><p>Atsumu narrowed his eyes. “Uh-huh. So what does he gain from taking his own brother out?”</p><p>“Revenge.” Kuroo stated. “Justice.”</p><p>“Pardon?”</p><p>Kuroo glanced to Daichi briefly. “I believe that Kei is holding the mother of all grudges against his own brother. I’m sure Ushijima told you about the trauma of being subjected to his brother’s magic at a young age. I’d be pretty damn pissed too.”</p><p>Atsumu shook his head as he turned to begin pacing the room. “I don’t know if I buy it. Turning against family is—”</p><p>“Tough.” Osamu finished. “But doable.” He looked at Atsumu. “We’re fortunate that we share common values. Not all do.”</p><p>“I know that.” Atsumu snapped. “But noble families are taught that family is everything. You live and die by your family name. Going against your kin is seen as abhorrent.”</p><p>Daichi found himself nodding in understanding. “But what if you never felt like you were of the same blood?”</p><p>Atsumu halted, glaring at Daichi. “Look, it’s tough shit that Kei has sibling issues. But you don’t get it, up here those who go against their families are killed. Those who undermine their fathers are exiled. I refuse to think Kei is going to double-cross his brother. He wasn’t taught that—”</p><p>“He barely grew up in his family.” Kuroo cut in. “Not in the same way you did. From what he told me, Akiteru started on him young. Before he even knew he had powers. That must be what, seven or eight years old? And within a few years both of them were sent here but he wasn’t under his father’s guidance, was he?”</p><p>“You said he was at the academy—” Atsumu started before Kuroo continued regardless.</p><p>“So really, he spent three or four years of living memory with his parents. The rest of that time was with only Akiteru for reference and well, he doesn’t seem the brotherly type to me.” He shrugged. “So, would he really feel allegiance to a family name?”</p><p>There was a pause as Atsumu appeared to mull it over. He started pacing again as Osamu remained quiet. Kuroo had to admit he got a little bit of a kick out of Atsumu’s frustration. It wasn’t that he hated nobles, it was more that he genuinely believed Kei didn’t give a toss about a family name or the creed of many nobility. Kei only wanted one thing and it was revenge, Kuroo was confident in assuming that because that’s what he would want.</p><p>And he and Kei were far too similar in many aspects for him to be wrong.</p><p>“Right.” Atsumu sighed.</p><p>“Oh and there’s the idea that Akiteru blew up the old city.” Kuroo added like it was nothing.</p><p>Atsumu and Osamu both gave him a wide-eyed expression. He had to admit, dropping that nugget of information was a little cheap but the brothers <em>had</em> asked them to figure it out.</p><p>“Come…again?”</p><p>“It’s a long convoluted story, but the essence of it is Kei got bullied by some brats at the academy, Akiteru found out, sent Kei away. Once Kei was out of Hinode, Akiteru apparently took another mage under his wing, fucked him up and made him blow up the old city.”</p><p>Daichi sighed, there was probably a better way to have explained all of that but Kuroo wasn’t interested in getting caught up in that aspect of things. They didn’t have time to sit here explaining things in detail.</p><p>“From my conversation with Kei, he hates Akiteru for it all. The callous way he dealt with it—”</p><p>Atsumu put up a hand to stop him. “Hold on a damn second. How long have you—how did you even figure it out?”</p><p>Kuroo took great delight in smiling at Atsumu. “Keiji put it all together actually, and we found the mage Akiteru fucked with. He’s quite eager to have Akiteru killed.”</p><p>Osamu inhaled sharply. “So you’re saying a noble orchestrated the destruction of the old city over some petty bullying?”</p><p>Kuroo shrugged. “It’s not my job to find out <em>why</em> he did it. You asked Tobio, and us by extension, to find out how it happened.” He sat back on the bench. “And we can all sit around the fire later and pick it apart, I’ll even bring Keiji to tell you himself—”</p><p>“Not necessary.” Osamu said. “For now at least.”</p><p>Atsumu shook his head, frustration obvious on his face. “What he said, we can sort that out later. Right now we’re focused on Kei. So what does he gain, or rather, what does he expect will happen to him after all of this? His family name will mean nothing once we expose Akiteru. Does the south want him?”</p><p>“Within reason,” Kuroo nodded, “Tobio shows no desire to execute him. Tooru wants Akiteru’s head.”</p><p>Atsumu laughed, Osamu smirked slightly. “Does he really?” Atsumu remarked. “Well maybe we can agree to hand him over. Only the gods know how Yachi will wanna deal with this if he really is responsible for burning the old city down.”</p><p>“Speaking of,” Daichi interjected, “have you heard from her?”</p><p>Osamu nodded. “I managed to speak with her yesterday. She still seems herself. I can’t say for sure that Akiteru isn’t being more…forceful. I had to talk my way past several new guards.” His smirk vanished. “Honestly, I’m not sure how you intend to—”</p><p>“That’s why we’re here.” Daichi smiled. “Because we have a theory, but we need your help.”</p><p>“Go on.” Atsumu’s attention was on them both. “We’re listening.”</p><p>Kuroo went on to explain the idea that Akiteru wouldn’t stage a coup without making a statement about it. That the twins’ own mentions of how he’d grab power pointed to Akiteru trying to frame Yachi as incompetent. That Hinata and Ukai hadn’t been hunted down to further add to the list of things he could pin on her. The entire treaty dispute hadn’t been solved yet and he could even stretch to bring up the old city fire as a final point of contention. As he finished, Atsumu’s confident demeanour had shifted, he seemed genuinely concerned that this was the plan.</p><p>“So we think, he’s going to do something big, like, a public event. And then he’s going to call her out in front of everyone.” Kuroo summarised. “And whilst Tobio and Tooru could feasibly get in, the Brotherhood can’t.”</p><p>“Which is where you come into it.” Daichi stated. “Kiyoko told us about the passageway downstairs. You just let us sneak in and we’ll handle the rest.”</p><p>“When you say, ‘handle the rest’, what are you saying?” Osamu asked, brow furrowing. “Are you implying—”</p><p>“We’re assassins.” Kuroo stated like it was obvious. “If he doesn’t surrender, we’re killing him.”</p><p>The twins shared a glance, yet neither objected to it. Atsumu finally sat down, leaning forward and propping his elbows on his knees. “Alright. We’re in. But just so we’re clear; we’re not getting involved in fighting him directly. We can’t take that chance. But we’ll help where we can.”</p><p>Kuroo mirrored his pose with a smirk. “Great. Here’s what I was thinking; you help get some of our fighters to wherever he’s keeping Yachi. Smuggle them in as staff if you have to. Our priority is making sure he doesn’t kill her.”</p><p>“Agreed.” Atsumu nodded. “And we can do that. Anything else?”</p><p>“As soon as you hear any murmurings of an event, you tell us. I don’t care if it’s the middle of the fucking night. You tell us.”</p><p>Atsumu nodded again. “Alright, so what are the kings doing? Are they going to attend this event like normal or do they have alternative goals?”</p><p>“If possible, they’re going to attend as normal guests, but should something ridiculous happen, and let’s be honest there’s every chance it’ll explode into chaos,” he raised his eyebrows, “they won’t hesitate to act.”</p><p>“Interesting.” Atsumu said, glancing at his brother momentarily. “So, how do you plan to apprehend Akiteru? He won’t go down easily.”</p><p>“We’re working on that. But it’ll involve a few tricks of ours that we can’t let you in on. I’m sure you understand.” He grinned.</p><p>Atsumu raised his eyebrows. “Sure…do you require anything else?”</p><p>“Not presently.”</p><p>Atsumu stood up, extending a hand to Kuroo. “Well then, we’ll be in touch I guess.”</p><p>Kuroo rose to his feet too, taking Atsumu’s hand in a firm handshake. “The Brotherhood will be waiting.” He smiled.</p><p>Daichi nodded in parting as they decided the conversation was over. They were seen out by Aone and given a short nod before the door was closed behind them. He didn’t say anything to Kuroo as they made their way back, only when the manor came into view did, he break the silence.</p><p>“That went well. Maybe I should leave you in charge more often.”</p><p>Kuroo laughed. “Uh-huh. Honestly, I’m just eager to get this shit sorted already.”</p><p>“Yeah?”</p><p>“Yeah.” He looked at Daichi with a smile. “I’m thinking its time me and Keiji take some time out, just me and him y’know?”</p><p>Daichi understood what he was getting at. “I’d say you’ve both earned it, heck, <em>deserve</em> it.” He sighed. “I certainly won’t stand in the way.”</p><p>“Geez thanks Dai,” Kuroo laughed again, “here was I fearing you’d ground us both.”</p><p>“You and I both know that’ll be useless. You’ll just make my life living hell. And anyway, those stone walls of Kēpu yōsai aren’t able to <em>completely </em>keep the sounds out.”</p><p>Kuroo just laughed harder at Daichi’s expense. It felt good to laugh, to think about happier times that awaited them once all this was over. Though as they entered the manor he was quick to focus on the task at hand. Despite there not being a forge or even a workshop, Bokuto was already taking over the back room of the ground floor laying out everyone’s armour so he could determine what needed doing. Even if they were going to be infiltrating a noble event, there was a common understanding that some of them would be sneaking in and exchanging blows with guards. That meant armour had to be perfect, swords had to be sharp.</p><p>That also meant that the mages needed to be ready. For this was shaping up to be a battle of wits and magic over swords and shields. This was especially true for Akaashi. He had been locked away with Shirabu since Kuroo and Daichi left. No-one seemed to know why but speculation pointed towards him needing to sort his head out.</p><p>After all, he had been subjected to a lot in the last two days, and now he was carrying far more traumatic memories than usual.</p><p>Shirabu wasn’t entirely sure why Akaashi felt <em>he</em> was the most useful person to have on hand, but he went along with it. He figured Goshiki might’ve been a better choice but Kenma was adamant they didn’t stress him out needlessly. Besides, Goshiki was now asking Semi and Yaku about their encounters with Akiteru so that left Shirabu having to agree to Akaashi’s request to sit in the dark room in silence as he meditated.</p><p>It was boring but also concerning in equal measures. He didn’t want to take advantage of the quiet time by napping in case he missed something. Akaashi didn’t seem anywhere close to unhinging but with empath mages it was always hard to tell what would tip them over. The fact he was carrying horrific false memories from a year ago along with whatever he saw in Semi and Yaku’s minds was enough to concern Shirabu.</p><p>He wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do if Akaashi did unhinge, but he was paranoid enough to remain awake and alert as Akaashi sat on a bed with his legs folded under him and hands clasping his knees. The room was illuminated by a single candle, but the longer Shirabu watched, the more aware he became of the purple wisps taking hold around Akaashi’s wrists.</p><p>This purple element was intriguing. It seemed anyone could wield it if they knew of it and was in control of themselves. He wasn’t sure what it meant that Akaashi was sat so calmly and this volatile element was just <em>there</em>. Akaashi was silent, though Shirabu could see his lips moving, forming words not spoken aloud.</p><p>Inside his mind, Akaashi could see the fragmented thoughts of those he had witnessed. He hadn’t taken them from Semi and Yaku in the same way he took them from Tobio, but they were just as vivid. He was still trying to work out why Akiteru had gone to such lengths. What was the point in all of this? Was it just a method of torture or did it serve a purpose?</p><p>He tightened his grasp on his knees. He hadn’t seen if Kiyoko had anything similar, though he could already imagine the scene; the soul of a dragon left a mark. The only line he could draw between them was that they all involved family. His head hurt as he tried to piece them together and make sense of them. Maybe, just maybe, they meant nothing. Maybe Akiteru just homed in on a random thought. Maybe he sought to render the Brotherhood fearful of facing him. Fearful of what ugly past he’d drag up.</p><p>Akaashi opened his eyes. He couldn’t drag up an ugly past if there was none. This is what brought him to the conclusion that whilst he was indeed the most powerful mage of that calibre, he was also carrying more than enough troublesome memories to be brought to his knees within moments. They needed someone without an ugly past. Someone without childhood trauma or secrets in their closets.</p><p>They needed Hinata.</p><p>“You good?” Shirabu asked when he noticed Akaashi’s eyes were open.</p><p>“Yes.” He replied quietly. “I just realised something.”</p><p>“Yeah?”</p><p>“Akiteru preys on those with ugly pasts. So really, the only one who could go against him is Hinata.”</p><p>Shirabu got the idea that Hinata was going to immediately object to this plan. As much as Hinata didn’t seem to have much to be traumatised about compared to others, he had been through his fair share of shit. Throwing oneself into a volcano isn’t exactly an everyday occurrence.</p><p>Though maybe it’s things like that which Akiteru wouldn’t be expecting. Now Shirabu found himself smirking at the idea of Akiteru stumbling across that.</p><p>“You think so? Like, do we actually have a plan for…how we take down Akiteru? Are we gutting him? Arresting him?”</p><p>Akaashi shrugged, moving to stand up. “I guess once we know what sort of event Akiteru will be planning for this occasion, we’ll find out.”</p><p>It seemed that Akaashi was done with the conversation and being locked in the room. Shirabu quickly followed him out and downstairs to meet up with the others in the dining room. There had been a minor change in the manor that morning, one that seemed insignificant but would no doubt get back to Akiteru.</p><p>Tobio had dismissed all the manor staff. He had explained in a calm manner to the head housekeeper that he felt it was unfair of him to ask so much of her and her staff and that he was dismissing them. She had been confused but didn’t resist. As soon as they were gone; the Brotherhood had taken over entirely. The dining table was now covered in parchment rolls with floor plans of the palace sketched out from memory. Bokuto had taken over the backroom as a makeshift armoury. The walled garden was being used as a training ground. The parlour remained the only room unchanged drastically, the fire was roaring as those with nothing to do sat around it.</p><p>Akaashi walked in and found Hinata’s gaze. He beckoned the other over to talk in slightly more hushed tones.</p><p>“I have a theory.” He stated. It seemed to be his new favourite statement. “But you’re not going to like it.”</p><p>Hinata swallowed, gaze darting to Shirabu for any clues, Shirabu shrugged, trying not to get involved. “Yeah?”</p><p>“I think you’re the only one who can go up against Akiteru.”</p><p>“M-Me?!”</p><p>“Yes you.” Akaashi insisted. “To put it bluntly, you’re the only one who doesn’t have any buried trauma.”</p><p>Hinata would be the first to say he actually had more than any of them realised. He held his tongue. “Right. But, well, I need to stay with Tobio.” He gestured to Tobio who was sat by the fire looking over in mild curiosity. “So…I can’t.”</p><p>Akaashi nodded slightly. “I’m not saying it’s the only option. I’m saying the <em>safest</em> option would be for you and only you to tackle him—”</p><p>“And <em>I</em><em>’m</em> saying that I have a duty to my king.” Hinata replied, giving Akaashi an almost defiant stare. “And I’m also <em>not an empath </em>like you. So what would I even do? Kill him?”</p><p>That was yet another question they needed to figure out an answer to. The common understanding was to get Akiteru to surrender rather than kill him outright. However if he was a stubborn and possibly, mad as they thought, it wasn’t going to be a simple task. It was going to be an intense fight, one of dirty tactics where nothing was out of bounds. Where and how they cornered Akiteru would play a large part; alone they could be ruthless and make up a slightly twisted tale to convince the nobles to go along with it.</p><p>However if it was done in public, they’d need a level of tact unlike anything they were used to. They were used to confronting their foes head-on and without fear of retribution. This was different. This was dangerous territory. Fates of kingdoms rested on how they dealt with Akiteru. They had just fought one war, starting another wasn’t going to go down well with their people back home.</p><p>Akaashi nodded. “I see your point.” He replied. “I apologise for seeming pushy.”</p><p>Hinata smiled. “It’s okay, it’s a big deal, like…” he glanced over his shoulder, “I get it. We need to stop him, and I’m…well <em>me</em>, but maybe for once we don’t need a big display of—” he waved his hands in front of him as if to gesture to the chaotic elemental magic, “y’know? And with this treaty stuff it’s probably better that I stay as <em>far </em>away from it as possible?”</p><p>Hinata was speaking sense, which Akaashi was honestly a little surprised at. He made valid points, it was risky enough taking him back to the palace, let alone asking him to seek out Akiteru and attack him. No this would have to be a Brotherhood affair, an <em>old school</em> Brotherhood affair.</p><p>“You’re right.” Akaashi nodded, offering a small smile of his own. “You’re actually very right.”</p><p>“I mean, if he attacks Tobio, then of course I’m gonna do something in return.” Hinata quickly added. “But, yeah, I—”</p><p>Akaashi reached out and ruffled Hinata’s hair, cutting him off. “It’s fine Hinata, I understand. Don’t worry about it.”</p><p>Hinata watched as Akaashi turned and gave a polite wave in parting before leaving the parlour. Shirabu shrugged at the entire conversation and decided to remain. Both Tooru and Tobio had taken up residence by the fire whilst the more strategic planning was beginning in the dining room. It wasn’t that they didn’t want to get involved, it was more that they wanted confirmation of an event first. As such, they found themselves with plenty of time to kill.</p><p>Iwaizumi and Yamamoto were taking it in turns to keep watch out the main window overlooking the main road, Asahi was helping Bokuto in the back room with the armour maintenance and Yamaguchi was helping Suga in the kitchens. Inuoka had taken it upon himself to help Kenma for most of the day so the parlour felt a lot emptier than it had been in previous days. Shirabu nodded in greeting to Iwaizumi as he pulled up a stool, wanting to ask what both Tooru and Tobio thought of all of this but getting beaten to the punch by Tobio.</p><p>Tooru shrugged at first. In a way his opinion hadn’t changed at all, he still hated Akiteru and wanted him to pay for what he did. Kei just lied to him a bunch. Sure, those lies nearly caused him to declare war, but in the grand scheme of things, that was a fairly minor offence.</p><p>“Honestly, I just want to see Akiteru for myself…and maybe decapitate him.”</p><p>Iwaizumi didn’t react, this was clearly a sentiment voiced already. Tobio’s eyes widened almost comically, Hinata frowned and Shirabu honestly thought he was about to start challenging Tooru’s choices.</p><p>“Would you do it in front of everyone or at least take him home first?” Shirabu asked.</p><p>Tooru thought for a moment. “I suppose taking him back would mean I can finally put the matter of my father’s death to rest. We told the people that he got sick but…” he shook his head. “I’m sure my mother would like to know I found out the truth.” He held Tobio’s gaze. “What about you? What are you going to do with Kei?”</p><p>“I don’t know yet.” Tobio shrugged. “Tadashi wants me to talk to him, <em>I </em>want to talk to him. But once the talking is over…I don’t know.”</p><p>Hinata instinctively reached out and took one of Tobio’s hands in his. Tobio made no show of linking their fingers together as he slipped into deeper thought. Tooru raised an eyebrow at the silent gesture, a small knowing smile spreading across his face.</p><p>“I guess,” Tobio eventually continued his vein of thought, “if he wants to make amends for what he did, he can work for me again. Though this time we won’t be trusting him with sensitive topics.” He looked back to Tooru, if he noticed the smile, he didn’t say anything about it. “He can put to work on improvements to my city first and foremost, maybe some labouring will bring him to his senses.”</p><p>“Worked for Lord Takamatsu.” Iwaizumi remarked, getting a chuckle out of Tooru. “Lady Ise said that he was rather humbled once he realised how hard our farmers worked to put lavish food on his table.”</p><p>“Whatever happened to that other one, the one who was working with Takeshi?” Tobio asked.</p><p>“Suzuki?” Tooru chuckled. “She’s dead. Executed before I left, sliced her head clean off.”</p><p>“Huh,” Tobio wasn’t disturbed by the manner of speaking, “seems efficient.”</p><p>“It was, but hey, enough about my stupid nobles.” Tooru gave a dismissive wave. “Back to the here and now; if Akiteru is throwing a ball or whatever that Goshiki kid reckons, what’s <em>our</em> plan? I know your lunatics have their own thing going on, but what are we hoping to achieve?”</p><p>“Uh, not dying?” Shirabu remarked, sort of unhelpfully.</p><p>“I second that.” Iwaizumi nodded. “No dying please.”</p><p>Tooru pouted at them both before looking back to Tobio pointedly. Tobio wasn’t sure he was meant to have a plan beyond exactly that; not dying. The Brotherhood seemed to have it all under control so far. He and Tooru were just going to be there to keep them from being suspects really.</p><p>“I guess…throw our support behind Yachi?” He suggested. “If Akiteru wants to paint her as incompetent, then our support might count for something?” He nodded to himself. “Yeah. Think about it, neither of our kingdoms have spoken to the empire in generations, mine in literally centuries, yet now we’re both here and we’re both in favour of her remaining empress?”</p><p>Tooru found himself nodding too. “Takes a special kind of person to unite kingdoms. Disregarding the treaty nonsense, I mean, they could say we’re only kissing up to her for that <em>but</em>—”</p><p>“I didn’t march up here to let some madman like Akiteru take the throne.” Tobio cut in. “If he gets on that throne we can forget peace, we’re gonna be on the brink of war again.”</p><p>“Exactly.” Tooru smiled. “So we need to…” he seemed to have an idea as his smile grew. “What if <em>we</em> stage a rebellion?”</p><p>Iwaizumi gave him a confused look. “You are aware we’re not nobles here and it’ll be an act of—”</p><p>“But the <em>twins</em> are.” Tooru grinned.</p><p>Iwaizumi rolled his eyes and cuffed Tooru on the back of the head. “We’re <em>not </em>staging a coup. The idea is to keep Yachi <em>on</em> the throne.”</p><p>Tooru rubbed the back of his head and scowled at Iwaizumi. “I know that, but I refuse to just show up and look pretty at this event, there’s gotta be something we can actually do.”</p><p>“Yeah, there is.” Shirabu shrugged, “it’s called not die.”</p><p>As much as the conversation felt it was going in circles, it was by no means pointless. It was no secret that both kings would find not being at the forefront of this planned intervention difficult. Just a month ago they were leading men into battle, now they were being told they had to just ‘show up and act nobly’. Tobio thought Tooru would enjoy such a lavish affair, it seemed like the sort of thing he’d love doing, drinking and gossiping.</p><p>“Say Hajime,” Tooru coyly smiled at the other, “if there’s nothing I need to do…we could always do a repeat of that one ball back home.” He paused, waiting for Iwaizumi to understand what he was getting at. “You know, the one where we got drunk and—”</p><p>Iwaizumi slapped his hand over Tooru’s mouth. His cheeks were flushed red as Tobio and Hinata gave them both puzzled looks. “Tooru, that’s somehow an even <em>worse </em>idea.”</p><p>“How?!” Tooru’s voice was muffled.</p><p>“How do you think?”</p><p>Hinata leaned over to Shirabu. “What are they talking about?”</p><p>Shirabu had a vague idea. It was before his time but he had heard a few stories of a certain rebellious prince and his numerous not-so-secret rendezvous with his knight. “Uh…uhm…nothing important. Don’t worry.” He lied.</p><p>Hinata shrugged it off. Shirabu was thankful for that as Tooru and Iwaizumi continued to bicker until Iwaizumi stood up and declared it was his turn to watch the window. There was an air of amusement about them as Tooru laughed at how red Iwaizumi’s face was still. It was far from a conversation usually expected with two kings present but somehow it felt less like two royals and more like a group of friends.</p><p>Even more so when Iwaizumi threatened to make Tooru sleep on the floor that night.</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0056"><h2>56. Personal Growth</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>LVI</strong>
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  <strong>Personal Growth</strong>
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<p>The skies opened as Kuroo and Daichi returned to the manor. They had barely gotten through the door as a loud rumble of thunder preceded the downpour. Nishinoya shrugged when asked about it, stating that he didn’t feel it was anything odd. The timing of such a storm could be called into question, but he was adamant he had nothing to do with it nor did he think it was created by a mage. Conversations about weather aside, Kuroo was quick to report to the others that the twins had agreed to their ideas so far and that they could help sneak the Brotherhood into the palace.</p>
<p>Now all they had to do was wait for the official declaration of the event they were all assuming Akiteru was going to hold. Kuroo fully expected them to have only hours to put any plan into action, so he wasn’t going to waste this precious time. Between he and Daichi, they split the preparation into two parts.</p>
<p>The first was trying to anticipate what the ball would look like. How big was the ballroom, how easily it would be to sneak some of them in, how many back passages could they anticipate and so on. Iwaizumi and Asahi were brought into the dining room to offer any insight into how the floor plan of a royal palace would be laid out. So far there was no real telling just how many there were, only someone like Ushijima could tell them. Right now it wasn’t that important so they didn’t feel the need to summon him.</p>
<p>The second part of the preparation was more to do with how exactly to tackle Akiteru as a threat. That required a heavier conversation with Goshiki and the rest of the mages. Kuroo hadn’t been looking forward to it, but he wanted to be totally in the know; what were they expecting, what was the worst Akiteru could do, how could they prevent it? Kiyoko’s efforts to learn how to fight blinded was a step in the right direction but not everyone was going to be able to take that route.</p>
<p>Akaashi hadn’t shared his conclusions with Kuroo, but as all the mages sat in one of the upstairs rooms with both guild leaders and Ukai, he felt it was the best time to do so. Goshiki hung onto his every word as he explained how he and Shirabu had worked to figure out what Akiteru had done to the likes of Yaku and Semi, how he had been a witness to past memories and it seemed Akiteru targeted a particular type of trauma.</p>
<p>“From what I can tell,” Akaashi summarised, “Akiteru seems to home in on a particular type of trauma that links to family.”</p>
<p>“Family.” Daichi repeated. “I’m assuming you have a theory for why?”</p>
<p>Akaashi shrugged slightly. “I’d prefer not to speculate on the detailing. Though if Kei is holding a grudge over his lack of familial connection, there might be some value in assuming Akiteru has figured that it’s a topic everyone would react to.” He glanced around the group. “It’s no secret that a lot of us have family issues, and he specifically dug those out as opposed to much more recent memories of war. We all saw horrific things that day, and most of us haven’t had time to properly process it.” He paused, not quite wanting to dwell too much on the latter point. “What I’m saying is, he’s got a reason for digging those memories up, and whilst I don’t know why, what I <em>do</em> know is that he does it quickly and efficiently. Therefore, I can’t condone anyone even attempting to best him.”</p>
<p>Goshiki gestured to Hinata. “Not even him?”</p>
<p>Hinata looked spooked at the suggestion, yet Akaashi shook his head. “He needs to protect Tobio first and foremost, as is his duty.”</p>
<p>Goshiki wrinkled his nose. He must’ve missed that part. Kuroo rubbed his chin in thought, mulling over what Akaashi stated as he cast his gaze around those gathered. Nishinoya and Inuoka both seemed to understand the gravity of the situation and how they were less useful than most, Kenma picked at a loose thread on his shirt sleeve and Shirabu huffed in defeat. Ukai seemed the most pensive, also rubbing his chin in thought as Kuroo met his gaze.</p>
<p>“What say you, Ukai?”</p>
<p>“Me?”</p>
<p>“Yes, you.” Kuroo nodded.</p>
<p>Ukai rubbed the back of his neck. “I mean, if Akaashi is right in the sense that there are more…recent memories ripe for the picking and Akiteru didn’t use them for his agenda, it does seem odd.”</p>
<p>“Are you able to read memories like Akaashi?” Daichi asked.</p>
<p>“Used to. Now I’m just more aware of shifts in emotional energy. Before I got locked up, I was comfortable using my powers to do a lot, but since many meetings with the Seeker…” he shuddered, “yeah, not really top of my game anymore.”</p>
<p>At the mention of the Seeker, several reactions happened in tandem. Hinata stiffened, remembering how adamant Ukai had been that he didn’t get to meet this stranger. Shirabu on the other hand seemed both surprised and disgusted. Akaashi’s brow furrowed, like he felt as if he should remember something.</p>
<p>“Wait, they gave the sick bastard a name?” Shirabu remarked.</p>
<p>Ukai nodded, unsure why Shirabu was reacting this way. “You…knew him?”</p>
<p>“Knew him?!” Shirabu near exploded, “fucker was the one in charge of giving me these-” he yanked the collar of his shirt down to reveal a series of faded scars that stretched from the base of his neck down his chest. “Kept saying that the ‘studies into my magic would benefit the empire’ and all sorts of other shit.”</p>
<p>Akaashi’s brow was still furrowed as Shirabu righted his shirt once more, still scowling at the idea this Seeker character had a title now. Kuroo noted Akaashi’s thoughtful expression and raised an eyebrow at him, prompting him to voice his thoughts.</p>
<p>“…do you remember what colour their eyes were?”</p>
<p>Shirabu and Ukai exchanged a glance, the latter responding. “Uh, it was hard to tell in the candlelight but I reckon they were…brown? A gold-ish colour maybe?”</p>
<p>Akaashi inhaled sharply. “Right.”</p>
<p>“Care to enlighten the rest of us?” Kenma asked.</p>
<p>“In short, when I looked into Yaku’s memories of what happened in the tavern…one of the guards mentioned ‘The Seeker’ was going to talk to him.” He let the silence rest for a moment. “And then Akiteru walked in.”</p>
<p>“Akiteru.” Kenma repeated.</p>
<p>“Yep.”</p>
<p>“Akiteru is the Seeker.”</p>
<p>“I think so.”</p>
<p>Daichi and Kuroo exchanged a glance. Kuroo let out a heavy sigh. “Alright, let’s think it through, Akiteru was here when the old city went up in flames…” he cast a wary glance to Goshiki. “He then rounded up the mages, or rather the guards did, and then ‘interrogated’ you all?”</p>
<p>Shirabu begrudgingly nodded. “Yeah, ‘interrogated’.”</p>
<p>“It fits the timeline.” Daichi quietly confirmed. “Question is-”</p>
<p>“Why.”</p>
<p>Nishinoya sighed heavily. “As great as all this speculation as to why and how <em>is</em>. The fact of the matter is, we still need a plan to stop him.” He looked to Kenma. “You said that even mages bleed, so you reckon it’s gonna be a matter of who stabs him first?”</p>
<p>Kenma wryly smiled. “Not necessarily. It’s more…if nothing else works, we stab him.”</p>
<p>“So you reckon there is something magic can do?”</p>
<p>“He’s a seasoned mage, but so are most of you.” Kenma glanced around. “Whilst I agree with Akaashi that none of us should go against him, we shouldn’t discount our powers as useless. Depending on how big this ends up being, we may find that we have our uses elsewhere in the grand scheme of things.”</p>
<p>Kuroo nodded in agreement. “Given our current plans, we’ll need to protect Yachi. If some of you could sneak in, perhaps under the guise of serving staff or hired mercenaries.”</p>
<p>Inuoka snorted. “Well I’m sticking with Tobio, so count me out of that.”</p>
<p>“Noted.” Kuroo didn’t miss a beat as he looked to Goshiki. “And I’m already going to heavily advise you don’t get involved, at least in the actual job.”</p>
<p>Goshiki didn’t react at first, almost like he was comprehending what Kuroo was saying. “I see.”</p>
<p>Daichi decided to put it more tactfully. “Akiteru doesn’t know you’re alive Goshiki. There’s no reason for you to put yourself in danger, not when he has a bone to pick with us, with the kings.” He smiled slightly. “Use this opportunity to chart your own course now you’re no longer alone.”</p>
<p>Goshiki gave Daichi a sceptical look but nodded in apparent understanding. There was a brief pause before Hinata raised his hand as if to ask for permission to speak his thoughts. Kuroo nodded at him.</p>
<p>“Uhm, so…if we,” he gestured to himself and Nishinoya, “aren’t going to be useful against Akiteru…does that mean that…” he trailed off as he looked to Akaashi. “Does that mean you’re going to go it alone?”</p>
<p>Akaashi didn’t reply immediately, even if it was to give the impression, he was thinking it over. “Well, throughout all of this, I am so far the only one who has powers close enough to Akiteru’s to try and overthrow him. I’ll admit, even I’m not sure what a final confrontation like that would look like.”</p>
<p>“Those sorts of things aren’t really…recorded.” Kenma remarked. “Empaths don’t tend to let the world know what they’re up to.”</p>
<p>Hinata couldn’t deny that he felt guilty for declining Akaashi’s idea earlier. As much as he knew he was right to stand by the oath he made, he didn’t want Akaashi shouldering all the burden and coming off worse because of it.</p>
<p>“I know.” Akaashi replied to a question not asked aloud, he gave Hinata a small smile. “But you made an oath to protect Tobio, and if things so awry, you can’t hesitate to act on it.”</p>
<p>There was a sense of foreboding in the way Akaashi spoke. Hinata didn’t like the feeling of how finite the outcome of this encounter was being spoken about. As much as he worried for Akaashi, he knew Akaashi was powerful, he was able to lead a ritual to bring Kiyoko back, he was capable of taking false memories and never backing down from a challenge. If anyone could even hope to best Akiteru and his bag of dirty tricks, it was him.</p>
<p>But as Hinata had come to realise, often victory required a cost. Sometimes that cost was obvious and they could anticipate it, but more frequently now the cost was shrouded in mystery and seen as an unknown consequence. What would the cost of this sort of victory be?</p>
<p>He shook that thought away and tried to give Akaashi a confident smile. “Yeah, well, you know I’m ready to help however I can.”</p>
<p>“Hey don’t go forgetting about the rest of us.” Nishinoya pouted. “Just 'cause we ain’t got a plan yet doesn’t mean we won’t be of use.”</p>
<p>“Of course!”</p>
<p>Kuroo shared a smile with Daichi. Shirabu still seemed less than pleased at the turn of events, the revelation that Akiteru was the one who orchestrated his torture hadn’t gone down well. In truth, it was another thing that would take time to process, much like a lot of other things.</p>
<p>Kuroo couldn’t wait though. They needed a plan. He directed his attention to Goshiki. “So, you say a ball will be held?”</p>
<p>“Uh, yeah, at least that seems reasonable to me?”</p>
<p>“Any idea how he’d be involved? Like surely a ball is something Yachi would host, not him.”</p>
<p>Goshiki shrugged. “All I could guess is that he’d pressure her into it, make up some pompous reason for inviting the nobility and former ruling families of the old kingdoms…and then depose Yachi publicly.” He shifted in his seat. “Think about it; get the two visiting kings invited, one of whom has a mage who broke a treaty and then escaped the dungeon…not to mention how inactive Yachi has been in their eyes and you’ve got the perfect storm.</p>
<p>“As irritating as it is,” Shirabu spoke up, “he’s right in the sense that balls are the perfect battleground for shit like this.” He uttered. “Tooru hates them for that reason.”</p>
<p>Hinata snorted. “I thought Tooru liked balls, at least the ones that he and Iwaizumi went to.”</p>
<p>Shirabu blinked slowly, a slight smile spreading across his face. “Uh, well those were before he was king, so he could afford to be a lot more…relaxed.”</p>
<p>Kuroo raised an eyebrow. “As interesting as that story sounds…back to business.” He glanced around the group. “We’re gonna have to wait for the inevitable invitation. We told the twins everything and they’re prepared to help us get in the palace but want no part of the further plan.”</p>
<p>“What <em>is</em> the plan exactly?” Kenma asked.</p>
<p>“It’s a working progress. However, given the nature of the situation, I think you should focus your efforts on getting to Yachi.” Kuroo said. “But I’m not sure on the details yet so I’d rather keep it under wraps for now until—”</p>
<p>A low rumble of thunder made him pause. Nishinoya cast his eyes up to the ceiling but offered no insight into his thoughts. Daichi sighed slightly, deciding that this meeting wasn’t going to yield any further useful discussion.</p>
<p>“When we have a solid idea for what part you can play, we’ll let you all know. Until then focus on honing your skills and preparing yourselves.”</p>
<p>The direct order seemed to satisfy those from the Brotherhood at least. Shirabu wrinkled his nose at the idea of being directly involved after all of this. Goshiki equally seemed unsure of what he could offer at this point. Ukai was the only one who smiled and nodded in agreement.</p>
<p>So now the waiting game began. It wasn’t going to be the most thrilling of games, but they couldn’t afford to be careless right now. They had the twins on their side, they had confidence in each other’s abilities, and the Brotherhood was ready to effectively go to war <em>again</em>.</p>
<p>They just needed Akiteru to make his move.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>The thunderstorm passed quickly, leaving the grass in the walled garden wet and slippery. Kiyoko decided to take Kunimi up on his suggestion and politely challenged Iwaizumi to a duel with a difference. He had found the idea ridiculous at first; duelling her whilst she was blindfolded but he was assured by both her and Tanaka that she was more than capable of taking a few hits in the name of learning.</p>
<p>He still didn’t seem particularly fond of the idea as she tightened a scrap of cloth around her eyes, but he was already out there in his armour and once Tooru had found out, well it was all over.</p>
<p>“Try not to embarrass yourself Hajime~” He cooed.</p>
<p>Iwaizumi sighed. Of course Tooru would find nothing else to do in the manor that afternoon. Tanaka was helping them alongside Kindaichi, both of them tasked with calling out if things looked too precarious but ultimately they were also spectating. Iwaizumi was competent enough to make sure he didn’t hurt her, but she was a fearsome opponent. He had heard that she duelled Asahi. He had heard of her skills on that battlefield.</p>
<p>After all, she had been trained to be the same level as him. The same warrior as him. He wasn’t sure how happy he was to be duelling a former rival candidate for his job.</p>
<p>Once she had readied herself, she nodded in confirmation. She was duelling with both blades this time, he with only one but he had the added protection of his shield. It was certainly an increase in challenge from the early morning session with Kunimi. But she wanted to be challenged. She wanted to sense that her life depended on her awareness and her trust in her skills.</p>
<p>He took up a defensive stance first, watching her as she started to circle the grass. He wasn’t sure if he should strike first or not, if she was waiting for him. There was an element of suspense. After a few moments he decided to act on his instincts, treating it as a practice duel back home. Lowering his shield he sidestepped, the backswing was short and the flash of steel caught the light as the sharp edge of his blade came down. Her short blade came up to defend her, her body following through the movement before she pivoted and brought her katana back towards his face.</p>
<p>A clang rang out as his shield caught the hit. Stepping back with the force of the rebound she exhaled. Rotating her wrist as she listened for the rattle of fastenings and the squeak of the grass underfoot, she waited. He gave her barely a few moments before he led with a lunge at her. She felt the point of his sword clip her side as she lost her footing on the mud. Quickly she brought a blade up to deflect it with force.</p>
<p>They traded parries, her form was sloppy as she got used to his pace of flurries and the way the mud hindered her stable footing. It was by no means a walk in the park for her, but she felt she was getting there. A few more duels of this speed and ferocity would probably put her in the right frame of mind to try it for real. The way the swords sliced through the air, the shifting of weight from foot to foot was getting easier to discern from other noises. She clumsily sheathed her shorter blade and focused on her katana. The more familiar two-handed wielding gave her more confidence but hampered her ability to defend herself.</p>
<p>For those watching it would seem that Iwaizumi unfairly had the upper hand, both being able to see and deflect hits with a shield, he was barely struck. But whilst he had an advantage in those factors, he was relying on sight too much. He didn’t realise how heavy-footed he was, how he always inhaled sharply before lunging, how his gauntlet rattled with the backswing. Things he didn’t realise were cues were what gave Kiyoko a chance to anticipate his moves.</p>
<p>Slowly, it became apparent that Kiyoko wasn’t dodging hits out of luck, she was pivoting, ducking and side-stepping away after hearing cues. It was a quick learning curve, but she hadn’t gotten her reputation by being slow on the uptake.</p>
<p>Iwaizumi caught her blade with his, but rather than pull away he twisted the swords so they screeched against one another. She winced, feeling her wrists trembling with the force being exerted. As she felt his weight pressing down on the blade, she shifted her footing, pivoting once more. It was pure guesswork, but as her knee clashed with the side of his with just enough force to catch him unaware, he lost the weight advantage he had.</p>
<p>She stepped back quickly, completing a large backswing and narrowly missing his throat. He stumbled backwards and held up a hand to Tanaka who gave the call to stop. She halted immediately and untied the blindfold. Blinking in the light, she took in the sight of Iwaizumi tossing his shield on the ground, panting as he stood with his hands on his hips.</p>
<p>“Did I hurt you?”</p>
<p>He laughed. “You kick me in the knee and ask if you hurt me?” He remarked. “You fight dirty.”</p>
<p>“You should fight Kuroo then.” She replied. “He’s the worst.”</p>
<p>“Huh,” Iwaizumi sheathed his sword, “no wonder he’s managed to keep himself alive.”</p>
<p>There was a shared laugh as they both took a moment to catch their breath. Tooru gave them both an applause of approval as he strode over and  gave Iwaizumi a shit-eating grin. Kiyoko tuned out of their playful teasing as Tanaka offered her a fresh cut of cloth to wipe the sweat from her brow.</p>
<p>“So how did it look?” She asked him.</p>
<p>“Scrappy.” He shrugged. “But you held your own,” he tilted his head slightly, “how’d you work out how to hit?”</p>
<p>“There are cues.” She explained. “Sounds mainly. I could tell what he was doing after a while. It’s a matter of taking enough hits to realise that and then putting it to use.”</p>
<p>He nodded along. “Damn, that’s…really fucking cool.”</p>
<p>He giggled. “I don’t think I’m good enough to face off against say…someone actually trying to kill me, not whilst blindfolded. But,” she handed back the cloth, “by honing other skills and senses, I can put them to use <em>alongside</em> my usual style and improve over time.”</p>
<p>He nodded again, taking her thoughts on board before smiling at her. “Damn Suga got lucky.”</p>
<p>She playfully slapped his shoulder, he feigned pain but it sounded more like a plea for more, which she promptly ignored in favour of striding over and thanking Iwaizumi again for duelling. All of them returned inside in time for Suga and Yamaguchi to declare that there would be food shortly so everyone needed to ‘get the plans for the grand heist <em>off</em> the table if they wanted to eat before sundown’.</p>
<p>Parchment and charcoal were tidied away quickly with the promise of food imminent. With over twenty people in the manor, there was no way everyone could eat around the table at once, though that didn’t mean they didn’t at least <em>try</em>. Some of them were holding bowls as they ate, others were stood up, those who did grab table space were limited to very little. Suga almost despaired at the scene, but he found it strangely comforting in a way.</p>
<p>So far, they hadn’t heard a thing from the palace. No messages had come from the twins. Kei had sent no word. As the evening turned into night, so ended their first day of planning. It was almost too calm considering what was happening. No-one was worried, these things took time.</p>
<p>But it meant they felt like they were waiting to be caught unaware. At least that’s how Hinata felt as more and more of the manor began to turn in for the night. It had been a calm day, a productive one for many. Plans were being made, information being gathered. The agreement between the mages was that in the fight against Akiteru specifically, they were a little useless, but on ensuring Yachi’s safety, they could be a rather interesting choice. It was easy to hide magic after all, therefore easy to pretend to be something they weren’t.</p>
<p>Like servants for example.</p>
<p>Of course, Hinata was exempt from that plan. He had a different role to play. Not that it was really a role anymore but more just an extension of who he was. Tobio took his hand as he stood up, tugging Hinata to follow him upstairs. They didn’t quite manage to get upstairs without being followed, though Lev was considered a silent observer by many, he certainly could be anything <em>but silent</em>.</p>
<p>He was allowed into their room for the time being, making it obvious to Hinata that Tobio wasn’t tired yet. At least not enough to want sleep immediately. Lev made no effort to make himself the centre of attention, flopping down on the floor and yawning. Hinata had to smile a little at the lion’s attitude, though he was quickly distracted by Tobio stripping off his shirt and falling back onto the bed with a heavy sigh.</p>
<p>“What’s up?”</p>
<p>Tobio huffed in reply. “All this waiting.”</p>
<p>Hinata nodded. “Yeah it sucks, but we have to be patient, and like…” he glanced to Lev who was doing his best to appear asleep, “we need to stalk our prey, wait for him to be all unaware an then pounce.”</p>
<p>Tobio laughed. “Uh-huh.”</p>
<p>“What are you laughing at?” Hinata pouted.</p>
<p>“You.” Tobio rolled over onto his stomach so he could look at Hinata properly. “Your way with words is…something.”</p>
<p>Hinata set his hands on his hips. “Well sorry I wasn’t brought up in a palace and taught all these fancy ways of talking. Sometimes I forget—”</p>
<p>“I wasn’t saying you spoke like a commoner,” Tobio snorted, an easy-going smile on his face, “it was more…you explain things very…Hinata-like.”</p>
<p>“The clue is in the namesake there.”</p>
<p>They shared a laugh. Hinata didn’t think much of taking his shirt off and letting the scars show. They still stung a little if he scratched them, but since his slightly frightening experience of removing his runestone he was content with the slight itching as opposed to the alternative. Tobio’s fascination with them was a little odd at times but Hinata didn’t mind. Feeling Tobio’s fingertips tracing each jagged outline was oddly soothing. They didn’t say much in these quiet moments, almost like there was an unspoken agreement <em>not</em> to address how comfortable they were with each other.</p>
<p>Hinata sure as hell wasn’t going to make it awkward by asking questions again. At least he would wait until they were back in the south, back with familiar walls around them and the threat of being arrested was a distant memory.</p>
<p>“Shoyo?” Tobio murmured from where he had been resting his head on Hinata’s chest. They hadn’t made a habit of cuddling whilst awake, but on more than one occasion had he woken up to find Tobio pressed up against him in his sleep. Hinata hadn’t known what to make of it at first but Tobio seemed to appreciate the simple things so he didn’t question it.</p>
<p> The quiet had become the new normal and hearing words spoken aloud caught him off guard. It probably didn’t help that he had been half-asleep.</p>
<p>“Yeah?” He yawned, wondering if Tobio thought this was the best time for a conversation. “What is it?”</p>
<p>“When you…before you arrived at the battle, you made a deal with Hēishān, right?”</p>
<p>Hinata wondered where the fuck this was coming from. “Yeah I did. I threw myself into your damn volcano to do it.”</p>
<p>He felt Tobio smile slightly. “…what did you agree with him? You say you made a pact.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, to protect your family, your name…blah blah…” he yawned again. “Why?”</p>
<p>Tobio paused for a moment. Hinata was almost convinced he had fallen asleep abruptly.</p>
<p>“Why’d you do it?”</p>
<p>“Eh—”</p>
<p>Tobio sat up a little, propping himself up on his elbow. They were a lot closer than Hinata was used to being, the last time they were this close was when they were dancing. “Why’d you make such a pact…signing your soul over like it’s just the deed to some land. Why for my family? For <em>me</em>?”</p>
<p>Hinata blinked, his sleepy mind wasn’t going to be very helpful. He was pretty sure they had gone through all this before but Tobio seemed insistent he answer it all again. “I mean…why shouldn’t I have? You were going to lose that battle if I didn’t.”</p>
<p>Tobio shook his head. “I don’t…I don’t get it.”</p>
<p>“What’s not to get?” Hinata’s voice was quiet as Tobio studied his expression. Deep blue eyes flickered over his features, brows furrowed slightly as his lips framed words that weren’t audible. Hinata didn’t say anything. He didn’t want Tobio to force himself into this conversation, he had brought it up, he could back out if he wanted to.</p>
<p>Except Tobio didn’t seem to want to back out. He wanted an answer.</p>
<p>“You’re…my friend.” Hinata murmured. “And…I couldn’t let you die.”</p>
<p>“But you, you weren’t even…” he shook his head, brows furrowing again. “Tadashi and Asahi are sworn to protect me, you weren’t.”</p>
<p>Hinata could feel his chest tightening. “That doesn’t mean I didn’t want to.” He could put this conversation to bed, he could make up something believable. He could tell Tobio any number of reasons but the reality was staring him in the face.</p>
<p>“You threw yourself into a<em> fucking volcano</em> Shoyo,” Tobio huffed, a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, “don’t sit here and tell me you’d do that for just anyone.”</p>
<p>“I…” Truthfully, he had done it for several people. But there had been a resounding thought from back then, when Hēishān told him he’d be bound to House Kageyama.</p>
<p>
  <em>‘Something within him didn’t mind being bound to Tobio for eternity.’</em>
</p>
<p>The idea of being by Tobio’s side hadn’t made him reconsider his actions. It was far from a sacrifice in his mind. If anything it seemed like a benefit. He couldn’t describe the way he felt around Tobio, around Hokubujōsai, it wasn’t just a trivial fondness or love for him, it felt like it was where he belonged. He was aware he hadn’t said anything as his thoughts raced. Tobio was still studying his face for a trace of something, understanding? A slipping facade?</p>
<p>“So why me? What made me worth saving? Why—”</p>
<p>“Because you’re you.” Hinata cut him off. “And…” he swallowed dryly, his heart was pounding, he could feel the runestone heating up as the blush rose in his cheeks. “I don’t know how to explain.”</p>
<p>Tobio’s gaze darted over his face. He seemed confused even as the rosy tint began to spread across the rise of his cheekbone. Hinata wasn’t sure what compelled him to reach up and cup Tobio’s face but Tobio certainly wasn’t expecting it. He flinched in surprise, blush deepening as his eyes widened. Hinata froze, unsure if he should reconsider listening to the voice in his head.</p>
<p>“Why do you care so much anyway? And why now?”</p>
<p>Tobio swallowed, gradually relaxing enough to let Hinata’s fingertips brush against his cheek. “Like I said, I have people sworn to my service…but it was <em>you</em> who did…the ridiculous thing you did.” He mumbled. “And even now you’re just shrugging it off like you were born to do it and it’s not a big deal.”</p>
<p>“I mean I can’t go back and change it.” He murmured with a coy smile. “So…you’re stuck with me.”</p>
<p>“…yeah.” Tobio’s tone was lighter, lacking the confusion from before. “I guess I am.”</p>
<p>“You sound <em>so</em> torn up about that.”</p>
<p>Tobio let a pause hang in the air. His elbow was starting to go numb from holding him up. Hinata’s fingers felt unusually warm against his cheek. He found himself leaning into the other’s touch. The unspoken feelings were getting too much. He couldn’t keep fooling himself like this. He couldn’t hold it off any longer. This couldn’t wait for them to return home.</p>
<p>“I have something for you.”</p>
<p>Hinata blinked in surprise. “Y-You what?”</p>
<p>Tobio pulled away abruptly, leaving the bed entirely and rummaging around in some of the satchels and bags piled in the corner of the room. He returned with something wrapped in a cut of cloth. The flush in his face was noticeable as he sighed slightly.</p>
<p>“I uh…I wanted to give you something that wasn’t tied to my family.” He stated. “Like, something that’s only for <em>you</em>.”</p>
<p>Hinata eyed the cloth in both curiosity and mild panic as he sat up. “Why?”</p>
<p>Tobio shot him an almost fearful look. “Just, look at it first, and if you…” he shook his head, forcing the bundle into Hinata’s hands.</p>
<p>With only mild trembling, Hinata peeled back the corners to reveal a silver circlet much like the one he already had. Except this one was much more ornate, the centrepiece of the design was a carved sun, the rays stretching out in vertical, horizontal, and diagonal rays. Within the centre was a carefully cut gemstone he had never seen before; mostly colourless like a diamond but a vibrant splash of orange burst out from the centre of it. Smaller gemstones of varying gold and yellow hues decorated the sun’s rays. Either side of the sun were trails of feathers looping around the circlet as if left in the wake of a bird taking flight.</p>
<p>He held the circlet and tilted it to get a good look at it. It wasn’t a copy of any royal headpiece. This was new.</p>
<p>He met Tobio’s gaze. “I…you had this made for me?”</p>
<p>Tobio nodded quickly. “I just wanted you to have something for you. Not an heirloom handed down because you…I mean, you’re just…” he huffed in frustration. “Shoyo I made a promise to Tadashi when I asked him to get this made.”</p>
<p>“A promise to Tadashi?”</p>
<p>“Yes.” He reached over and took the circlet only to slip it on Hinata’s head. Bokuto had known what he was doing when he made it. It was light despite the heavy front, it didn’t slip forward even with the weight. It sat perfectly on Hinata’s head. “He made me promise, that I give you this on one condition.”</p>
<p>His hands lingered, slowly moving to hold Hinata’s face. Wide brown eyes held his gaze, a silent question of ‘what condition’ being portrayed in their warm depths. Tobio tried to calm his racing heart.</p>
<p>“Shoyo, I’m…I think I…what I mean is, it wasn’t all an act for me.” He settled on that wording. “It was real.”</p>
<p>Hinata could’ve told him he knew that days ago. Hinata could’ve done a lot of things. In that moment he could <em>still</em> do a lot of things. He smiled and nodded.</p>
<p>“I know.” His voice barely above a whisper.</p>
<p>Tobio hadn’t expected that response, eyes widening. “What.”</p>
<p>Hinata’ smile grew as Tobio’s confusion made him laugh. “I know. I know it was real.”</p>
<p>“And you…went along with it?”</p>
<p>“Well <em>yeah</em>.”</p>
<p>“Wha…and you didn’t think to—”</p>
<p>Hinata leaned forward abruptly, silencing Tobio with the sudden close proximity, close enough to feel each other’s breath across their lips. “Tobio.”</p>
<p>“W-What?”</p>
<p>He couldn’t get the words out. So he decided to talk with actions instead. He closed the gap between them, pressing his lips to Tobio’s. He expected Tobio to panic. instead Tobio kissed him <em>back. </em>Noses bumped clumsily as just one kiss wasn’t enough. Soft, slow kisses that stayed chaste even with the rush of giddiness were exchanged. Hinata could feel his heart racing as Tobio’s hands cupped his face and held him still but by no means stopping him. It was so new but felt so familiar.</p>
<p>It was like coming home.</p>
<p>Tobio held his face as he pulled back. Neither of them was breathing normally as they regarded each other with wide eyes. The silence was noticeable as their breathing sounded far too loud.</p>
<p>“…are you saying you did—”</p>
<p>Hinata rolled his eyes. “Stop <em>talking</em>.” He breathed, grabbing Tobio by the shoulders and pulling him close enough to kiss him again, more sure of himself this time.</p>
<p>This time Tobio had expected it, smiling into the kiss. Slowly, Hinata found himself pushing Tobio to lie down. In a brief pause, he took in the sight of the king beneath him, flushed cheeks and wide eyes. Something stirred within him at seeing Tobio in such a different light. He seemed less intimidating, less rough around the edges. Like Hinata could tell him to do anything and he’d do it without question. The solitary runestone hung between them as he leaned down and planted one last kiss to Tobio’s lips. Tobio shivered slightly as the stone brushed against his chest.</p>
<p>“Is it always that warm?”</p>
<p>Hinata glanced at it. “Yeah, it’s always warm to the touch. Always has been.”</p>
<p>Tobio’s gaze lingered on the red stone before flickering over the scars he had been tracing his fingertips over a short while ago. He found Hinata’s hands and tugged him to lay down, their positions reversed from earlier as Hinata rested his head against Tobio’s chest, having made sure to set the circlet aside. It was as he pressed his ear to Tobio’s chest that heard how fast his heart was beating.</p>
<p>“You were nervous.” He stated.</p>
<p>“…yeah, and?” Tobio snorted.</p>
<p>A thought occurred to Hinata. “Was that your first kiss?”</p>
<p>He felt Tobio stiffen underneath him. “M-Maybe.”</p>
<p>“It was mine.”</p>
<p>“Shut up, it wasn’t.”</p>
<p>Hinata pushed himself up enough to catch Tobio’s eye. “Was I that good?” He smirked.</p>
<p>Tobio snorted again, pouting at being caught in a trap. “…shut up.”</p>
<p>Hinata grinned. “So I <em>was</em>.”</p>
<p>Tobio’s response to the remark was to yawn loudly, though it was the fakest yawn Hinata had ever heard. He ended up laughing as Tobio playfully pushed his grinning face away in favour of grabbing the blankets that were folded at the bottom of the bed. Hinata allowed him to get comfortable in bed before glancing at the candles still illuminated. He held out a hand and flicked his wrist, prompting an abrupt gust of wind to snuff the flame out and plunge them into darkness. Tobio’s hand found his and tugged him close.</p>
<p>As the buzz of the entire situation began to fade, Hinata let out a content sigh. For the first time in weeks, nothing was plaguing his mind. A weight had lifted from his shoulders. As Tobio curled up against him, Hinata found himself holding the other. He found it cute how Tobio seemed to enjoy being held, he wouldn’t have thought the king for a cuddlier way back when they first met.</p>
<p>He was drifting in and out of sleep when he felt a heavy pressure on the bed. Squinting in the gloom, he felt a furry face nudge his shoulder before he remembered Lev had been there the entire time.</p>
<p>“Did you…” He whispered as Lev hummed.</p>
<p>“I heard it all, yes.” Lev purred, resting his head on his paws. “Took you both long enough.”</p>
<p>Hinata would’ve protested had he not wanted to wake Tobio. He settled for shaking his head in defeat. Tobio muttered something in his sleep, nothing audible enough to understand. He became aware of the sound of rain hitting the roof of the manor, a gentle droning noise that lulled him to sleep.</p>
<p>For these precious few hours, nothing worried him.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Told y'all it was coming :3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0057"><h2>57. Unravelling</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>LVII</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Unravelling</strong>
</p>
<p>“You want me to <em>what</em>?” Kunimi gave Kuroo an incredulous look. “Teach them how to be servants?”</p>
<p>Kuroo nodded. “It’s part of the plan.”</p>
<p>“What fucking plan?” Kunimi was close to laughing. Kuroo had accosted him and Yaku in the hallway and asked if he could spare a moment to ‘talk about his expertise’. Kunimi had been suspicious at what exactly Kuroo was getting at until the other abruptly asked if he could teach the mages how to be servants; thus prompting their current conversation. “I somehow doubt the palace will just randomly take on new serving staff on the day of any event.”</p>
<p>“You think I’m going to do this properly and actually have them be servants?” Kuroo scoffed, giving Kunimi an equally disbelieving look. “Akira, I’m a criminal mastermind, not a noble.”</p>
<p>“I wouldn’t say <em>mastermind</em>, more like Captain Dumbass…” Yaku uttered under his breath, Kunimi chuckled.</p>
<p>“Hey now, that bard troupe idea was the best damn plan ever and you’re just jealous you didn’t get to be part of it.” Kuroo folded his arms across his chest.</p>
<p>Yaku put up his hands in surrender. “Whatever you say. So what’s your plan with the mages?”</p>
<p>Kuroo sensed Yaku was admitting defeat and smirked. “Okay so, the <em>general</em> plan is this; the elemental mages aren’t gonna be that effective against Akiteru but they can still be of use. However we need to get them inside the palace in the first place regardless and whilst you and I can at least pretend to be guards, they’re a little less armed-to-the-teeth, thus servants.” He looked between Yaku and Kunimi to make sure they were both following his train of thought. “If we can get them into the back passages of the palace, they can potentially derail any nefarious plans Akiteru has. They can maybe even find Yachi before the rest of us have a chance to clear the hallways.”</p>
<p>Kunimi loathed to admit it, but Kuroo was actually speaking sense. If anyone could walk freely around the palace without suspicion, it was serving staff. The problem was that they knew little about this palace and its inner workings. Without help from the likes of Ushijima or Aone, they’d be wandering around blind.</p>
<p>“Right. And you want to send all of them?”</p>
<p>“As many as possible, yes.” Kuroo smiled. “Obviously Hinata isn’t counted in this, he’s remaining with Tobio.”</p>
<p>“So Kenma and Nishinoya, and maybe…Shirabu?” Kunimi glanced to Yaku. “This doesn’t sound as insane as it could’ve been.”</p>
<p>Yaku shrugged. “This is your field of work, not mine. I kill people, I don’t serve them wine.”</p>
<p>Kunimi rolled his eyes, looking back to Kuroo. “And you’ve gotten them to agree to this?”</p>
<p>“More or less.”</p>
<p>“Lies.” Kunimi chuckled. “You haven’t even suggested it have you?”</p>
<p>“I’ll have you know <em>Akira </em>that we had a full meeting yesterday where I suggested it to them. Because Kenma keeps pointing out that Akiteru is this all-powerful madman and elemental magic won’t do shit against him.”</p>
<p>Kunimi nodded slowly. “So you want them to sneak in and be more like spies. And how exactly are we meant to keep track of where they are? What if shit goes wrong?”</p>
<p>Kuroo held up a single finger. “I’ll be handling that part. All you have to do right now is teach them the do’s and don’ts’ of being a palace servant.” He grinned.</p>
<p>As much as he didn’t like the idea of leaving their friends completely on their own, Kunimi agreed to give them some basic pointers, specifically stating they’d need to learn how to carry heavy trays of cups and tankards without spilling them in the event they actually had to do some serving. Kuroo clapped him on the shoulder encouragingly before deciding the conversation was over for now. Kunimi shook his head as Yaku laughed slightly. They couldn’t tell if Kuroo was losing his mind even more of if this was an actual stroke of genius on his part.</p>
<p>Kuroo was a busy person, he needed to delegate some of the preparation to the others. He had to catch up with a few people and work out where they stood on the matter at hand. It wasn’t hard to find Ennoshita, he had been sticking with Moniwa and Suga for most of his time in the manor, more so the former but now Suga was back in his guild-mom mode, the trio were together most of the day.</p>
<p>The kitchen of the manor had barely been touched by them whilst the staff had still been around. Once Tobio dismissed them, Suga was quick to take over the running. Ennoshita offered to make himself useful considering he ‘had nowhere else to be’. Suga had laughed at the remark and quickly put him to work peeling vegetables for stews. Kuroo knew going into the kitchen in the middle of the day was just asking to be put to work, so he got ahead of Suga’s lecturing and offered to help Ennoshita.</p>
<p>They sat either side of a bucket of assorted vegetables; potatoes and carrots made up most of the contents but there were a few onions and turnips in there too. Ennoshita didn’t say anything at first, focusing on the task he had been given. Kuroo kept quiet for a while, biding his time and waiting for Suga to be deep in conversation with Moniwa about what needed buying from the market.</p>
<p>“So, have you spoken to Eita?” He asked.</p>
<p>Ennoshita tossed the freshly peeled potato into a bucket before picking up a new one. “Not yet.”</p>
<p>“How come?”</p>
<p>Ennoshita met his gaze. “He’s been bed-bound as far as I knew.”</p>
<p>Kuroo shrugged, knife gliding along the skin of the potato in his hand. “I think he got a good night’s sleep and he’s okay now. I reckon he’s hanging out with Tanaka and Bokuto in the back room.”</p>
<p>Ennoshita focused on peeling vegetables for a short while, not commenting on Kuroo’s reply at first. Kuroo could see something was bugging him as the silence became more and more noticeable. As he dropped another potato into the bucket, he sighed.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry if I seemed…angry before.” Ennoshita said, avoiding looking at Kuroo. “It was weird. The entire situation.”</p>
<p>“Yeah?”</p>
<p>He shrugged. “I go from thinking everyone I knew is dead to finding out that…Eita survived and found a group of people to run with and <em>then</em> I find out that you’re alive and actually <em>in charge</em>.” He huffed. “It was hard to process okay?”</p>
<p>“And then we tell you that the guy who gave you a second chance is a lunatic.” Kuroo added. “I can’t blame you for being mad.”</p>
<p>“I’m still a little ticked off you left how you did.” He picked up a carrot and pointed at Kuroo with it like it was a dagger. “You could’ve killed me in that fire.”</p>
<p>Kuroo wasn’t going to deny that. “I was young and stupid, some here would say I’m <em>still</em> stupid.”</p>
<p>Ennoshita laughed. “I think you’ve just got a particular way of dealing with things…a way that seems ridiculous and sort of suicidal.”</p>
<p>Kuroo didn’t need to think hard to conclude that Ennoshita had put it mildly. His schemes weren’t exactly renowned for being the safest or the most logical, but they <em>worked</em>. He nodded. “Yeah, well these guys seem to think I’m doing something right.”</p>
<p>“You really are a band of lunatics aren’t you.”</p>
<p>“We try our best.” Kuroo shot him a winning smile. “And our door is open, if you want it.”</p>
<p>“Let’s get ourselves out of this mess first, then I <em>might</em> consider it. Or I might consider striking out on my own and try not to get picked up by another criminal gang…” He sighed wistfully, “knowing my luck I’ll end up getting robbed within a day.”</p>
<p>Kuroo had to laugh at that. “As I said, door’s open.”</p>
<p>Ennoshita nodded, taking the offer on board. Kuroo wasn’t going to hassle him for an answer today. There would be plenty of time to discuss the future once this was all over.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Hinata wasn’t going to make the same mistake twice. He had kept secrets from Kenma once before and it was nearly a disaster. As soon as it wasn’t obvious that he was trying to avoid dragging Tobio with him, he quietly asked Kenma if he had a moment to talk about ‘something magic-related’.</p>
<p>Kenma was immediately suspicious. Nevertheless, Kenma ushered him into an empty room and tried to keep Lev from joining them but ultimately conceded and allowed the lion to witness whatever weird conversation was about to happen. Hinata had a bundle of cloth tucked within the confines of his jacket and that just made Kenma more suspicious.</p>
<p>“What is it?”</p>
<p>Hinata looked like he was about to explode, he couldn’t stop smiling and he wasn’t able to stand still for more than a few moments. He brought out the bundle of cloth and unwrapped it to reveal a silver circlet. As Kenma caught sight of the stone, he realised what this was about. He feigned puzzlement, giving Hinata a raised eyebrow in response to being shown the impressive work of craftsmanship.</p>
<p>“Tobio gave me this last night.” Hinata smiled fondly at the circlet before he put it on his head. The gemstone winked in the light, orange burst looking more vibrant as its colour matched Hinata’s hair.</p>
<p>“Yeah?” Kenma continued his act. “Any particular reason?”</p>
<p>Hinata bit his lip, his smile growing as his cheeks flushed a rosy tint. “I…he mentioned a promise to Yamaguchi, but he didn’t say what it was. But what he <em>did </em>say was…that none of this was an act.”</p>
<p>Kenma pretended this was the revelation of the age. “What…wait does that mean…”</p>
<p>Hinata couldn’t keep his mouth shut. “I kissed him.”</p>
<p><em>That</em> was something Kenma didn’t anticipate hearing. His surprise was genuine as Hinata held his face in mild embarrassment and laughed. “You…wait <em>what</em>?”</p>
<p>Hinata laughed again before taking Kenma’s hands. “Me and Tobio, I mean it’s not like…a public thing but we’re…not acting anymore?”</p>
<p>“You and Tobio are a thing now.” Kenma reiterated. “And…you kissed him?”</p>
<p>“He kissed me back.” Hinata’s smile was infectious as Kenma found himself smiling back. It was a weird feeling, like this was relieving in a way? He felt relieved that they had finally come to their senses? Or was it that they were finally on the same page and there was no more ‘acting’ to muddy the waters? That thoughts and feelings could be aired without fear of being misunderstood?</p>
<p>“Right.” Kenma murmured, still not sure how he was supposed to reply to any of this. “And this happened last night?”</p>
<p>“Mhm!” Hinata nodded. “Lev was there.”</p>
<p>Kenma’s gaze snapped to the lion. Lev’s tail thrashed from side to side. “Yeah, it was sickeningly cute.” He remarked. “Tobio fell asleep in Hinata’s arms and <em>everything</em>.”</p>
<p>“And I’m guessing the likes of Yamaguchi don’t know about this yet?” Kenma asked.</p>
<p>Hinata shook his head. “You’re the first to know.” He was calmer now, still holding Kenma’s hands. “I wanted you to be the first to know…because I felt you deserved to be the first.”</p>
<p>That comment alone nearly made Kenma tear up. He wasn’t holding any of Hinata’s past choices against him, but it was hard to ignore that this was completely the opposite to the last time Hinata had a secret to hold. He pulled Hinata into a hug, catching Hinata off guard.</p>
<p>“I…don’t know what to say.”</p>
<p>“Do you have to have something to say?” Hinata asked as Kenma kept hugging him.</p>
<p>“I guess not.”</p>
<p>“Just,” Hinata pulled back and took Kenma by the shoulders, “I’m not gonna…leave the Brotherhood. I can be in both—”</p>
<p>Kenma laughed. “Hey, don’t sweat about that right now.” He shook his head. “And no-one is gonna blame you for splitting your time between us and him. But that’s a conversation for after all of this shit is done.”</p>
<p>“Oh yes. Yes definitely!” Hinata nodded enthusiastically before sighing slightly. “This is all just…a lot.”</p>
<p>Kenma smiled fondly at him. “I know, but I’m happy for you. And I think you’re what he needs; someone to keep him grounded.”</p>
<p>Hinata beamed, much like the sun depicted in his new circlet. Kenma found it almost too perfect. As much as he didn’t want to ruin the conversation with changing the topic to a more serious one, there was actually a matter he needed to ask Hinata about.</p>
<p>“I want you to talk to Goshiki,” He figured it was just best to come out and say it. “About the whole void and balance thing.”</p>
<p>“Now?” Hinata tilted his head.</p>
<p>“Yeah, we don’t have much else to do right now,” Kenma stated, “besides, his tattoos and your scars are very similar in how they act. He might be able to explain how to get better control of them.”</p>
<p>Hinata could understand it. He was curious too if he was being honest. “Alright.” He took off his circlet and bundled it back up in the cloth. “I’ll put this back and…meet you back here with him?”</p>
<p>Kenma nodded. Hinata didn’t want to waste any time, if Goshiki had some sort of answers for him then he wanted to hear them. He managed to get the circlet back to his room without anyone seeing him, though as he turned to leave the room he found Tobio in the doorway.</p>
<p>“Oh, hey.” He smiled. “I was just going to talk to Ken—” he was cut off by Tobio striding towards him and cupping his face. In the daylight he could appreciate Tobio’s soft smile a little more. He didn’t get a chance to finish his sentence as Tobio’s lips were on his. The kiss was slow and chaste, nothing scandalous, though the timing caught him off guard.</p>
<p>“You were going to talk to Kenma?” Tobio supplied as Hinata smiled lazily at him, he wasn’t going to get used to the warm fuzzy feeling just yet.</p>
<p>“Uh yes!” He replied. “Uhm, did you need something?”</p>
<p>Tobio shook his head. “I was just coming up here to grab something and…” he shrugged, “felt like kissing you.”</p>
<p>Hearing Tobio talk so candidly was something he was going to have to get used to. He nodded, smiling. “Ah okay, well I need to get back before Kenma gets worried.”</p>
<p>“See you later.” Tobio called as Hinata ducked out of the room. Even just the parting words left Hinata feeling a fluttering in his chest. It was all so weird and <em>good</em>. He made his way back to the room he left Kenma in and found Goshiki was there in Lev’s place. Kenma gave him a knowing smile as he noted Hinata’s bounce in his step.</p>
<p>Goshiki seemed confused but didn’t voice it. Hinata actually took notice that he wasn’t covered up like he had been last time he saw the other. Goshiki’s arms were on full show as he wore a tunic with short sleeves; inked symbols decorated pale skin stretching from his wrists all the way up to his shoulders, some of them overlapping in some sort of pattern, they got more concentrated the closer to chest they got. He sat on the edge of one of the beds waiting for Hinata to sit down.</p>
<p>“Alright,” Kenma said as he closed the door, “so we’re in a sort of limbo right now with the others waiting on Akiteru to make a move. I figured we could try and help each other out a little with sharing some information.”</p>
<p>Goshiki eyed him with slight suspicion as Hinata sat down on the next bed over. “Yeah? What kind?”</p>
<p>Kenma stood between them both, clasping his hands behind his back. “Shoyo, could you remove your shirt please?”</p>
<p>It would’ve seemed like an odd request had Kenma not explained the purpose of the conversation already. Hinata nodded, trying to shake off the self-conscious feeling as Goshiki’s looked at him in confusion. He tugged his tunic over his head and set it down on the bed beside him. The runestone bumped against his chest, comforting and warm. Goshiki’s gaze flickered over the dozen scars of varying sizes that littered Hinata’s chest.</p>
<p>“…looks like you got carved up.” He remarked, still confused.</p>
<p>“Those are the results of four runestones shattering.” Kenma supplied. “During the battle in which he summoned a dead dragon to protect his king.”</p>
<p>The mention of runestones seemed to make something click in Goshiki’s mind. “Ah, I see. So they’re…infused, is what you’re saying.”</p>
<p>“I had to pull the shards out one by one, yes.” Kenma nodded. “But there are side effects that we hadn’t seen until we met you.”</p>
<p>Hinata quickly understood where Kenma was headed and decided to use his initiative. He slowly removed the runestone from around his neck. As soon as the stone was set on the top of his crumpled tunic, he felt the dull throbbing begin again. He was expecting it this time, so the faint glowing that accompanied it didn’t catch him off guard.</p>
<p>“Ah.” Goshiki uttered, more in acknowledgement than surprise. “So that’s…okay.”</p>
<p>Kenma watched as the scars’ colour shifted, they were faint red to begin with but gradually turning more of a violet hue. Goshiki didn’t seem concerned. Hinata was trying to keep himself from panicking, breathing slowly and deeply as he clasped his hands on his knees in an effort to focus.</p>
<p>“Do you know how to control it?” Kenma asked. “We figured out that his last runestone helps channel the energy but—”</p>
<p>Goshiki nodded. “Honestly, unless you get some like these,” he gestured to his inner forearm where there were straight lines intercepting circles in a chain, “that runestone is your best bet.”</p>
<p>“You reckon?”</p>
<p>“I know.” Goshiki looked up at Kenma. “Because that’s the sole purpose of runestones isn’t it? To channel and store energy? Our bodies aren’t meant to do it on a scale that…well, <em>normal</em> mages aren’t supposed to absorb more energy than they’re born with.” He looked back at Hinata. “How exactly did you summon this dragon?”</p>
<p>That was a long story, one that Hinata didn’t mind sharing. He grabbed the runestone and put it back on, sighing in relief as the throbbing ceased and the glowing stopped. Kenma took a seat next to him as he began to loosely fill Goshiki in on the entire ‘making a pact with a dead dragon in exchange for saving a kingdom’ saga. When the topic of the void and its balance came up, Goshiki’s brows furrowed.</p>
<p>“Did you say ‘void’?” He asked.</p>
<p>“Uh, yeah,” Hinata held up a hand and snapped his fingers. A bright ball of purple light formed, wisps twisting and turning within it. “The void and its balance. I-I don’t really know what it is but the way it was explained to me was that it’s negative energy that’s balanced by positive. You can’t…have one without the other?”</p>
<p>Goshiki seemed troubled by this statement. He looked down at his tattoos and focused for a moment, sure enough after a pause the same wispy energy began to emanate off of the dark inked lines. “The void…”</p>
<p>“It’s hard to…control.” Hinata said. “Like…we’re all capable of seeing it but <em>wielding</em> it is hard for someone unless—”</p>
<p>“Unless you confront yourself.” Goshiki finished.</p>
<p>Hinata didn’t like how Goshiki was speaking. It sounded like he already knew about the struggles. “…I had to face a version of myself, yes…it was weird.” He laughed nervously.</p>
<p>“Yeah.” Goshiki nodded, mumbling as he traced a particular line down his forearm. “Yeah…”</p>
<p>Kenma watched him cautiously. He wasn’t entirely sure what Hinata was talking about but figured he could ask later. By all accounts it seemed that Hinata had made Goshiki realise something, or perhaps even <em>remember</em> something. He traced inked lines for a few moments as purple wisps continued to emanate from him.</p>
<p>“What is it?” Kenma asked.</p>
<p>Goshiki shook his head. “…just a weird flash of something when he said that.”</p>
<p>“You remember something?”</p>
<p>Goshiki squinted. “Sort of?? Maybe? I remember—” he inhaled sharply, the wisps pulsed.</p>
<p>Hinata moved first, sitting next to him and placing hands on his shoulders. There was an eerily familiar feeling of dread coming off the other. This was the void alright, and it was darker than anything he anticipated. As he touched one of the inked lines that decorated Goshiki’s shoulder he felt a sting accompanied by a voice he didn’t recognise.</p>
<p><em>“Open yourself up Tsutomu. Discover how much you’re truly capable of.</em>”</p>
<p>Goshiki hissed, wincing as the wisps intensified. “No, no no no—”</p>
<p>Kenma got up and left the room without a word, leaving Hinata to deal with this alone momentarily. He wasn’t sure what to do or say so he just started rambling.</p>
<p>“Hey, hey, I know it’s scary but you can’t let it win.” He murmured, gently shaking Goshiki. “It’ll eat you alive if you let it. You gotta—gotta focus on the light. The light Goshiki. Think of happy times.”</p>
<p>“I don’t <em>have</em> happy times to think about dumbass—”</p>
<p>“Then think about the future!” He insisted. “Think about what you’ll be able to do when we fix this. Think about how you can have a normal life again, how he won’t be able to hurt you again.”</p>
<p>“Just fucking kill me already.” Goshiki uttered, hanging his head. Hinata got the idea he wasn’t talking to him anymore. “I don’t want to be better just leave me alone!”</p>
<p><em>“Make them fear you. They deserve to fear you after doubting you.</em>”</p>
<p>Hinata inhaled sharply. The door flew open, Shirabu was first in followed by Kenma. Shirabu crouched in front of Goshiki and tried to get a better look at him. Hinata wondered why Akaashi hadn’t been sought but he wasn’t going to get an answer to that question right now.</p>
<p>“Oi, can you hear me?” Shirabu asked.</p>
<p>“Just kill me.”</p>
<p>Shirabu snorted. “Not happening.” He placed his hands on either side of Goshiki’s head and held him steady. He let out a low exhale as his fingertips began to glow. Hinata pulled away enough to give Shirabu space, watching as Goshiki hissed and whimpered in response to whatever Shirabu was doing.</p>
<p>“He’s not an empath,” Kenma murmured to Hinata, “but he’s got powers that can stabilise someone just as well.”</p>
<p>“Where’s Akaashi?”</p>
<p>Kenma shrugged. “Shirabu was the first I found.”</p>
<p>By this point Shirabu had brought Goshiki back from the brink of whatever cliff edge he had been at. He kept his focus even as Goshiki tried to pull away. “Oi, calm down.” Shirabu sighed.</p>
<p>“What the fuck happened?” Goshiki was out of it already.</p>
<p>“Lie down.” Shirabu told him, Goshiki did as he was told, allowing Shirabu to keep one hand pressed against his temple as he did so. “Alright, so,” he glanced at Kenma before focusing back on Goshiki, “to put it bluntly; your memories are coming back.”</p>
<p>“Fucking hell.”</p>
<p>“And you sort of blacked out.” Shirabu stated. “Because whatever happened, it was dark. And you’re perilously close to unhinging.”</p>
<p>“Fuck me.”</p>
<p>Shirabu looked to Kenma. “I don’t know how long I can keep him like this. Go find that Ukai dude.”</p>
<p>Kenma nodded, leaving once more. Hinata had pulled on his shirt now and was hovering awkwardly by the bed. Shirabu didn’t seem particularly interested in what brought all this on. Goshiki’s breathing normalised as he lay there with Shirabu’s comforting magic working at whatever darkness was plaguing him. The purple wisps were still present but a lot less vicious. Goshiki continued wincing and whimpering slightly as Shirabu focused on him, his free hand taking Goshiki’s.</p>
<p>“It’s okay, we’ll get you through this.”</p>
<p>Hinata wasn’t sure if Shirabu was certain about that or just saying it to try and keep Goshiki calm. The last time he witnessed a mage unhinge it had been horrible. He never wanted to see someone so distraught again. Shirabu took notice of him stood there and shot him a half-smile, an attempt to ease the situation.</p>
<p>“Did you see anything?”</p>
<p>Hinata shook his head. “I heard…a voice.”</p>
<p>“I see.” He let out a sigh. “Honestly, I’m not sure what we’re going to do. Unless Ukai has some great idea, we might just…have to let it happen.”</p>
<p>“Is he that far gone?”</p>
<p>Shirabu nodded. “He’s hanging on by a thread, I’m not—”</p>
<p>The door opened again, Ukai looked concerned as he crossed the room and immediately knelt next to the bed. Kenma gently tapped on Hinata’s shoulder and gestured for him to move away. Ukai looked Goshiki up and down as Shirabu quietly recounted what he had done. Nodding along, Ukai took Goshiki’s other hand. The tattoo on his forearm seemed to come alive. The binding rune shone brightly.</p>
<p>“What are they gonna do?” Hinata whispered.</p>
<p>Kenma shook his head. “I’m not sure…it’s above my understanding.”</p>
<p>“Why didn’t you get Akaashi?”</p>
<p>“Akaashi’s been through enough of these situations.” Kenma shook his head. “He didn’t need to be put through another one.”</p>
<p>“Another—”</p>
<p>“Both Semi and Yaku have gone through hell and Akaashi has had to be the one to pull them through.” Kenma stated. “And…as it stands, Akaashi is intending on trying to take down Akiteru himself. So I figured Ukai should handle this.”</p>
<p>He couldn’t help but feel a little guilty. Even if they had spoken about this only yesterday with the others. He wondered if there was any possible way he could actually help. What good was wielding the void if he couldn’t do something with it? They watched in silence as Ukai placed a hand over Goshiki’s forehead and muttered something to Shirabu who nodded in reply.</p>
<p>“Is there anything we can do?” Kenma asked the duo.</p>
<p>Ukai glanced up at them. “If you have some sort of sleeping draught, that might help settle him.”</p>
<p>“Consider it done.”</p>
<p>Kenma grabbed Hinata’s hand and tugged him to follow. Hinata tried to shrug off his guilt at being partly to blame for this. The reality was that Goshiki had been teetering on the edge of unhinging since Akaashi first encountered him. It was really only a matter of time before he snapped completely.</p>
<p>That didn’t make it any easier to deal with, but in a weird way it gave them something to focus on whilst they waited for Akiteru to make his move. And gods only knew how badly some of them needed a distraction.</p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0058"><h2>58. Two Schools of Combat Collide</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>LVIII</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Two Schools Of Combat Collide</strong>
</p>
<p>Yaku had decided to sit down and talk with Semi over a game of cards. It was something he figured would help them both a little after everything. Semi had welcomed the distraction, everyone else was focused on trying to work out what Akiteru was going to plan and how they should react to it. Conversations were taking place all the time around them, references to past heists and jobs were banded around and he had no idea what they were talking about.</p>
<p>So when Yaku asked if he wanted to play cards, he wasn’t going to turn him down. They holed up in front of the window in the parlour, close enough to the others to be reached if there was a question needing an answer but not in the thick of things either. The parlour was becoming the room to be if one just wanted to sit and be with their thoughts; many drifted in and out throughout the day, murmured conversations taking place but nothing heavy or remotely related to the task at hand. It meant they were left alone for the most part, occasionally they’d have someone join them for a few rounds or just take a peek at both their hands and walk away with a chuckle.</p>
<p>Yaku had no intention of talking about the tavern incident, Semi didn’t appear particularly bothered by it. Though after several rounds of cards, it felt inevitable that it would come up.</p>
<p>“How are you doing,” Semi asked, “how does your head feel?”</p>
<p>Yaku snorted, throwing down a card. “My head is fine now, even if a little shaken up.”</p>
<p>Semi nodded, considering his hand. “We’re both lucky really,” he picked a card to discard, “lucky that Kunimi got back here so quickly.”</p>
<p>There was a pause as Yaku debated whether or not to pick up the card Semi threw down. “Yeah, mind you the nightmares will stick around.”</p>
<p>“Heh, yeah.” Semi sighed. “Again, we’re lucky that Akaashi is…who he is.”</p>
<p>Yaku’s gaze flicked up. “Yep. He’s saved our asses many times.”</p>
<p>Semi chuckled slightly. “I can see how Kuroo felt drawn to him in that case.”</p>
<p>Yaku couldn’t help but smirk at the remark. “Yeah apparently Kuroo saw him in a tavern and just…” he shrugged, “struck up a conversation and talked him into joining the fledgeling Brotherhood.” He drew a new card from the deck. “And a few weeks later, Akaashi’s helpfully pointing out to Daichi that Kuroo and Bokuto were stealing a fishing boat and the four of them end up on a wild night at sea.”</p>
<p>Semi laughed, the mental images that were being conjured in his mind of this entire fiasco were too funny. Yaku shared his laughter as he waited for Semi to decide what his move was that round. They continued the game quietly for a few minutes before Semi spoke again.</p>
<p>“So they’ve always been together?”</p>
<p>It was Yaku’s turn to laugh. “Not…in the capacity they are now.” He smirked. “Kuroo was a pining idiot for about two years until our little journey to break Kiyoko’s curse prompted him to finally fess up.”</p>
<p>“Yeah?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, watching Akaashi put himself in the middle of a forbidden ritual in the name of helping an innocent person we’d never met sorta puts things into perspective…” he remarked as if it was a mundane comment on the weather. “It was pretty damn impressive of Akaashi mind.”</p>
<p>Semi nodded. “So he’s…pretty damn powerful as a mage?”</p>
<p>“Oh he’s more than a mage I’d say,” Yaku tossed another card down, “he’s part of the unofficial backbone of the guild. Daichi and Kuroo may be the leaders, but if Akaashi and Suga weren’t around, we’d have gone to the wall months ago.”</p>
<p>Semi drew a new card. “…do you reckon Akiteru knows this? Just how powerful he is?”</p>
<p>“Dunno. I guess…if Kei told him that Akaashi was the one responsible for…” He trailed off, brows furrowing at his hand. “He might have a bone to pick.”</p>
<p>Semi’s brow furrowed, not because his hand was shit but because he realised something. Kei had spoken with a certain air of malice against Akaashi when Semi first met him. But if Kei was so reluctant to carry out Akiteru’s work, then why did he ask Semi to kill him? What would that have achieved?</p>
<p>He set his hand down, Yaku gave him a curious glance. “What’s up?”</p>
<p>Semi shook his head. “Something Kei said to me…he was adamant that Akaashi had to die by my hand. That was why he took Ennoshita…or…well….” He rubbed his head. “It doesn’t make sense if he was so reluctant to do what his brother asked, why get so mad about Akaashi derailing him?”</p>
<p>Yaku set his cards down. “Huh. That doesn’t make sense.”</p>
<p>“I know right, it just…” Semi shook his head again. “And then I get the letter about Ennoshita, saying that because I didn’t kill Akaashi, they’d kill him instead.”</p>
<p>Yaku rubbed his chin in thought. “Sounds like they were doing whatever they could to provoke…the Brotherhood.”</p>
<p>“And kidnapping both of us,” Semi added, “that was a fluke, but Akiteru was there. Akiteru was waiting for us.”</p>
<p>“Does he really think we’re that much of a threat?”</p>
<p>Semi shrugged. “It…even if Kei is as remorseful as he says…he had to have told Akiteru about how the Brotherhood works, right? He was with you for a while, he knew that telling the Serpents to kidnap Suga would throw you into chaos before the battle.”</p>
<p>“He didn’t bet on Kiyoko and Tanaka summoning a fleet of pirates.” Yaku chuckled.</p>
<p>Semi smiled. “No…” his smile turned more sombre as he remembered that Tendou had fallen victim in that ill-calculation. “Question is, how arrogant will Akiteru be? Will just taking the throne be enough or will he want to wipe you—us out?”</p>
<p>Yaku collected all the cards up and started shuffling them. “It’ll be the last mistake he ever makes.”</p>
<p>“You reckon?”</p>
<p>Yaku nodded. “We have no reason to leave him alive if he really tries something like that.” He set the deck down. “No-one will miss him.”</p>
<p>“You really are ruthless, aren’t you?”</p>
<p>Yaku shrugged. “I hate bullies. But I also hate people who use their family as if they’re tools. If Kei speaks the truth, Akiteru deserves everything he’s going to get, be it by my hand or Tooru’s.”</p>
<p>That left no doubt in Semi’s mind. Akiteru was guilty in the mind of certain people, that much was true. Kei’s fate would be left up to Tobio by the sound of things. Semi couldn’t claim he cared particularly about either of them, but it was the reasoning behind these judgements that intrigued him. He could learn a lot about people by looking at their reasonings for sentencing someone to death.</p>
<p>He was aware that once it had been him on the other end of that sentence, and he thanked every deity out there that he had been given a second chance to avoid that fate.</p>
<p>“Anyway,” Yaku sighed, “this got depressing. Did you wanna—” He cut himself off as someone walked up behind Semi.</p>
<p>Looking around, Semi found Ennoshita stood there. There was a beat of silence as Yaku read the situation and excused himself, offering his seat to Ennoshita. Ennoshita took Yaku’s seat and picked up the deck of cards. Semi wasn’t entirely sure what this was about as cards were dealt between them.</p>
<p>“Kuroo told me to come talk to you.” Ennoshita uttered, scowling at his hand. “So here I am.”</p>
<p>Semi picked up his hand with a small smile. “You sound so thrilled.”</p>
<p>“Can you blame me?” He remarked, laying down the first card. “You kinda ruined what I had going for me here.”</p>
<p>“This again?”</p>
<p>“Answer me this.” Ennoshita ignored him. “Why did you go south? Why did you turn your back on the north?”</p>
<p>Semi was silent for a few moments, feigning concentration. “And what, go back there and be labelled a traitor for surviving?”</p>
<p>“You know they weren’t like that.”</p>
<p>“I survived that battle because I wasn’t fucking there but would the clan believe that?” Semi drew a card. “Suguru’s right-hand man didn’t stand with him on the battlefield? I deserted him.”</p>
<p>“So you went to <em>Kuroo</em>.”</p>
<p>“Yes.” Semi folded his hand. “I get it, you’re mad I left you to fend for yourself. Be mad at me. But don’t be mad at the others. I dragged them into it, I dragged Kuroo into it. They’re just trying to stop a bigger mess happening.”</p>
<p>Ennoshita studied his face. “Who said I’m mad at you?”</p>
<p>“Your tone, your manner of speaking, how you <em>keep bringing it up</em>.”</p>
<p>“If anything, I’m jealous that you managed to waltz into this tight-knit group and earn their trust in a matter of weeks.”</p>
<p>Semi scoffed. “Half of them still regard me with suspicion. Don’t even get me started on that lion of theirs. They’re not all as forgiving as Kuroo, but they’re willing to let me be part of them.” He picked up his cards again. “They’re practically inviting you to join them.”</p>
<p>“Pft.” Ennoshita shook his head. “I don’t belong here.”</p>
<p>Semi was quick to counter. “Who says you don’t?”</p>
<p>He glanced over his cards. “Every group of people I join ends up dead or disbanded.”</p>
<p>Semi sighed. “Well these guys are different. They’re stubborn at remaining alive and together. The number of times I’ve heard ‘the bonds of brotherhood’ banded around…” he sighed louder, “it’s corny…but it’s sort of accurate. It seems no matter what lunacy gets thrown at them, they just come out stronger and more trusting of one another.”</p>
<p>Ennoshita raised an eyebrow. “Is that so.” He debated his hand as Semi finally tossed a card down.</p>
<p>“I don’t know what else to tell you.”</p>
<p>“Then don’t talk.” Ennoshita remarked. “Why does everyone think talking is going to change my mind? Quit hassling me and just get on with whatever ridiculous plan you’re cooking up.” He was already laying his hand down, proclaiming his victory. “If you all survive, maybe I’ll consider joining.”</p>
<p>Semi shook his head as he chuckled. Ennoshita’s way of talking was always a little odd. “Is surviving a prerequisite to you deeming us worthy?”</p>
<p>“It certainly helps.” Ennoshita’s smile was a seldom-seen one. Semi remembered seeing glimpses of it occasionally but the Serpents were never really smiling unless they were making someone else miserable. Ennoshita didn’t have a bad bone in him, it was a crime against humanity that he had been forced into their ranks. Semi shook off the thoughts of the past. Lingering on the past wasn’t going to do them any favours.</p>
<p>Their lives with the Blue Serpents were over. Though the road ahead may seem uncertain to them, there was a promise in the Brotherhood that they wouldn’t have to walk it alone. And for that, Semi was thankful.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Akaashi had seen Kiyoko’s extensive training. It was hard not to notice the clanging of swords over any conversation within the back room. He had been looking over the weapons Bokuto had been sharpening when he became entranced by how swift on her feet she was. Kindaichi was her training partner that mid-afternoon, the flail cutting through the air and becoming ensnared by her sword.</p>
<p>“You heard her latest idea?” Bokuto remarked having noticed Akaashi’s attention shift.</p>
<p>“No…”</p>
<p>“She’s theorised that if she can duel blind, she’ll have a fair shot at cutting Akiteru down.”</p>
<p>Akaashi considered the logic behind it. She was right in the sense that having eye contact was <em>usually</em> a prerequisite to empathic magic working. So far he hadn’t seen anything indicating that Akiteru was different in that regard. The idea still unsettled him.</p>
<p>“Uh-oh,” Bokuto remarked, “you got your serious thinking face on.”</p>
<p>Akaashi huffed, giving him a half-smile in return for the teasing. “I mean, it’s not the craziest plan I’ve heard.” He was still unsure how affected she was by her encounter with Akiteru the first time around. If she was hiding how shaken she was and Akiteru picked up on that, it could be a disaster.</p>
<p>“But…” Bokuto prompted.</p>
<p>“But she didn’t come off lightly. She nearly ran her sword through her gut. Who’s to say he won’t do that again?”</p>
<p>Bokuto shrugged. “So are you gonna confront her about it? ‘cause she’s not gonna like being told ‘no’ on the night this all goes down.”</p>
<p>Bokuto had a point. It would be unfair for him to let her prepare this much without at least checking she was okay. He sighed and nodded, already making his way out into the walled garden. Kindaichi had yielded and flopped down on the grass in exhaustion providing a natural pause to the training. As Akaashi stepped out into the open area Kiyoko waved in greeting.</p>
<p>“I hear you’ve got an idea for how to take on Akiteru.” He stated, getting straight to the point.</p>
<p>She didn’t seem perturbed by the direct statement. “An idea yes, I’ve yet to put it into full practice.”</p>
<p>“Full practice?”</p>
<p>“I duelled Iwaizumi blind, I intend to ask Asahi tomorrow.” She tilted her head slightly. “I’m guessing Bokuto told you eh?”</p>
<p>Akaashi wryly smiled. “He did.” He glanced around the area, it was just her and Kindaichi out here, no sign of Suga or any of the others. He met her gaze again. “I need to ask you something.”</p>
<p>A quirked eyebrow. “Yeah?”</p>
<p>“What happened in the tavern?”</p>
<p>She blinked, not thrown off by his direct question. “I walked in and saw Akiteru holding Yaku as a shield.” Her grip on her katana tightened as her tone lowered. “A sharp exchange of words happened, I told him he was a coward, he met my gaze and the next thing I know I’m knelt on the floor with Tanaka shaking me out of whatever trance he put me in.”</p>
<p>By this point Kindaichi had sat up and was listening though not saying a word as Akaashi held her attention. Akaashi didn’t outwardly show if he was convinced that was the full story or not.</p>
<p>“I have a proposition.” He stated. “Duel me, test out your theory against an empath trying to read your thoughts and influence you.”</p>
<p>There was a pause. Kiyoko didn’t seem to know his intentions. Kindaichi glanced between them as the silence lingered for a few moments. With the ring of steel against leather, she unsheathed her shortsword and offered it to Akaashi.</p>
<p>“You’re on.” She wasn’t smiling. “For the record, I have nothing to hide from you.”</p>
<p>Akaashi took the blade offered. “And I don’t wish to hurt you, but if you’re going to try and go against him, you need to train against the best in both schools of combat, not just knights.”</p>
<p>Kindaichi saw that this wasn’t going to be a friendly duel. He moved out of the way quickly as they began to circle the area. Kiyoko rotated her wrist, steel winking in the light as Akaashi said nothing. Her eyes closed, no sign of a blindfold just her own will to be blinded. Akaashi had the grace to give her a few moments to listen for the all-important cues.</p>
<p>But he knew Akiteru would give her no such treatment. He halted abruptly and lunged across the space. Her reaction was quick enough to avoid getting struck cleanly, steel scraping against leather instead. Kindaichi watched on as Akaashi’s lunges and strikes came fast and hard. This was only half the battle though. As soon as he was confident she was able to hold her own against the physical assault, he was quick to move on. Purple wisps encircled his wrists as he diverted his gaze to her face. Her eyes were still closed but he could sense the slight panic, the desire to prove him wrong, to best him regardless of her lack of sight.</p>
<p><em>‘You’re very spirited</em>.’</p>
<p>He noted the hesitation in her swing. A brief flare of panic washed over her as their blades clashed and he held fast. Face to face he could afford to pause and try another tactic.</p>
<p>‘<em>Does Koushi know about your plan? Does he really understand how dangerous it is?</em>’</p>
<p>She snorted. ‘<em>He does not.</em>’</p>
<p>Akaashi stepped back. So she could hear him, that fact was concerning but not surprising. Swords scraped against one another as she backed away. He felt bad for what he was going to have to resort to. He was trying to be cruel to be kind. She said she had nothing to hide so he took that as permission to really try and get under her skin. He was actually impressed that she had the discipline to keep herself composed under such pressure.</p>
<p>This time it was her who lunged across the space first. He parried her swing with ease, purple wisps flaring up as he let his guard down enough to try a more potent way forward. He blinked. He focused. He blinked again.</p>
<p>
  <em>Silence. The ocean crashes against the shore. Beached boats litter the rocks. Broken swords and shields are numerous, just as the bodies strewn across the beach.</em>
</p>
<p>Steel clashed against his sword as she tried a fast flurry. He broke concentration. It was taxing on himself to try this but this wasn’t just an exercise for her. He needed to hone his skills too. Things got scrappier as he narrowly missed clipping her ear. Still he persisted.</p>
<p>
  <em>Bodies showed a bloody path of destruction. The village is too quiet. There is no laughter from the children. There is no clinking of tankards. Even the gulls are silent. Weeping is all that can be heard.</em>
</p>
<p>He ducked as her fist came to strike his jaw. Her hand was bleeding, the fresh cut didn’t faze her enough to stop. He grabbed her arm and twisted enough to get her to falter.</p>
<p>
  <em>The light of the forge, embers dying in the aftermath of engulfing bodies. They were carelessly dumped, not placed lovingly. Blood pooled beneath the body of a woman. A spear lodged in her side between plates of armour. Sorrow washes over him as a hand reaches out and caresses the body</em>
  <em>’s cheek. </em>
</p>
<p>A knee came up to hit him in the stomach. He let go of her arm and caught the blade directed at him. The sharp edge cut into his skin. Blood beaded from the wound but he retaliated by dropping his sword and grabbing her arm holding the blade. Once again, he twisted, almost too much. Her blade slipped from her grasp.</p>
<p>Her eyes open. He pounced.</p>
<p>
  <em>Sorrow. Helplessness. She failed to protect her only kin. She failed to protect her village. She is not fit to wear the armour of a warrior. Eyes cast to the sky; the storm clouds gather as the wind picks up. Quiet at first but growing louder as the rain begins to pour and the rumbles of thunder begin. Thunder that starts to roar. From within the clouds a dark shadow appears with wings that span the width of the sky.</em>
</p>
<p>‘<em>Stop.</em>’</p>
<p>He immediately released her. She shoved him away harshly. Kindaichi wasn’t sure if he should approach either of them as she refused to meet Akaashi’s gaze. The silence was heavy. Akaashi glanced down at his hands, blood was still beading at the cut her blade made but aside from that he was unharmed. They remained stood apart as they caught their breath and let the adrenaline run its course.</p>
<p>“…I can see why mages were banned from the battlefield.” She spoke quietly, tone bordering broken.</p>
<p>“I’ve never used my powers in battle.” He stated. “But Akiteru will use his.”</p>
<p>She snorted, balling her hands into fists. Blood trickled over closed fingers. “I guess I haven’t come to terms with what happened.”</p>
<p>“Don’t doubt yourself.” Akaashi said, even he would admit the words sounded hollow. “You’re a good warrior. But this isn’t a fight that can be won with swords.”</p>
<p>She looked up at him finally. He felt the conflicting mixture of resentment and relief within her. “And you think you’re going to be able to withstand an assault like that?”</p>
<p>“It’s not a matter of whether I <em>think</em> I can.” He picked up the blade he had dropped and offered it back to her. “I <em>have</em> to be able to. Hinata won’t do it. I can’t ask anyone else to. Besides,” he paused as she took the sword back with her uninjured hand, “I’m the one who ruined his plans in the first place, who better to ruin them again?”</p>
<p>She shook her head as she sheathed the blade. “Keiji, as powerful as you are, as much as it may seem you and only you are capable of this, don’t disregard the rest of us.”</p>
<p>“I’m not—”</p>
<p>She bent down and picked up her katana. “You didn’t break the curse over me alone, did you?”</p>
<p>He didn’t hesitate to answer. “No.”</p>
<p>“No.” She repeated. “You had help. You had the entire Brotherhood behind you, each playing their part, each putting their lives on the line.” She raised her blade to point at him, he took half a step back as the tip came close to his chest. “Tell me doesn’t this situation feel similar to that? Strip away the politics and grandeur and what do we have? A soul in distress at the hands of a mad mage.” She held the blade steady. “You may have proved that duelling blind isn’t the sole solution to this problem, but I won’t have you tell me it won’t play a part in a larger plan. I won’t stand here and let you believe you and <em>only</em> you are the solution because then you’re no better than Akiteru.”</p>
<p>Kindaichi winced at the last remark. Akaashi gave no indication the words wounded him. She didn’t say another word, lowering her katana and sheathing it with only mild discomfort due to her injured hand. Akaashi remained where he stood as she turned on her heel and made for the door. Kindaichi wasn’t sure why he remained outside with Akaashi, he felt there was something he should say but words were hard.</p>
<p>He heard Akaashi sigh slightly. The purple wisps had finally dissipated by the time Akaashi met his gaze. “I…uh…”</p>
<p>“You don’t need to say anything.” Akaashi said. “I think she said what needed to be said, right?”</p>
<p>Kindaichi swallowed. “I mean, I’m not gonna say everyone has the same view—”</p>
<p>“But she’s right.” Akaashi wiped his bloodied hand on his pant leg. “I’m losing sight of the bigger picture.”</p>
<p>“Which…is?”</p>
<p>“Saving Yachi. Confronting Akiteru is important of course, but we need a foolproof way of ensuring her safety. And I need to figure out a way to incapacitate Akiteru without leaving myself open.”</p>
<p>The latter part of his statement was a little lost on Kindaichi but he nodded anyway. He gestured to Akaashi’s injured hand. “Do you want me to sort that out?”</p>
<p>Akaashi looked at the cut that was still bleeding. “…sure.”</p>
<p>“And I’ll make sure to tell Suga you—”</p>
<p>“I’ll talk to Suga myself.” Akaashi uttered. “This isn’t exactly the first time he would’ve yelled at me overusing my powers ‘recklessly’.”</p>
<p>“Pft come on now,” Kindaichi gently bumped his elbow against Akaashi’s, “Suga won’t yell at you over this. And if he does, I’ll tell him straight how it was all agreed beforehand.”</p>
<p>Akaashi wasn’t exactly convinced but he nodded, allowing Kindaichi to herd him inside. They didn’t get further than the back room before Suga strode through the doors and froze. Bokuto looked back and forth between Akaashi and Suga, a little confused but fully expecting an explosion of some sorts.</p>
<p>“…I didn’t—” Akaashi didn’t get any further with his sentence before Suga shook his head.</p>
<p>“She told me she allowed it.” He spoke evenly, no trace of anger or resentment. “That you and her agreed on the terms beforehand. That she needed to put her theory to the test anyway and you were willing to help.”</p>
<p>Akaashi felt relieved, though he didn’t feel forgiven. Suga glanced at the blood on his hand and stepped forward. Reluctantly, Akaashi let him inspect the cut. It wasn’t deep enough to cause significant damage but the scab would be a hindrance for a few days.</p>
<p>“Did she tell you what else was said?” He asked.</p>
<p>Suga shook his head. “And I don’t need to know.” He met Akaashi’s gaze, the understanding look in his eyes was comforting after everything. “That’s between you two. I don’t want to know unless it affects how we proceed with the plans.”</p>
<p>He could get on board with that. “I’ll be sure to share what needs to be shared.”</p>
<p>“Good.” Suga smiled. “Now let’s get this cleaned up.”</p>
<p>He nodded. Truthfully, he agreed with everything Kiyoko had said. He couldn’t do this alone, even if he was physically able to. He had done so much alone already, shouldered so many burdens and memories not his own. He could already feel that he was reaching his limit. He needed to rest.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>It was dusk when there was a knock at the door. Yamamoto and Tanaka exchanged a nod before the former reached for the handle. He opened it a crack and confirmed who it was before allowing the door to open further. Ushijima and Aone exchanged a glance before stepping into the manor.</p>
<p>“Who’s in charge of the plan?” Ushijima asked Tanaka. “We have some information.”</p>
<p>“Uh…” Tanaka glanced between the doors to the separate rooms. “This way,” he gestured to the dining room. Dinner hadn’t finished long ago but already the plans and notes had found their way back onto the table. Daichi was looking over the crudely drawn floorplan of the palace when both mercenaries entered.</p>
<p>“Ah,” he smiled at them both, “you bring news?”</p>
<p>Aone held up two rolls of parchment. “Osamu drew up some floor-plans for you.”</p>
<p>Ushijima nodded. “They’re labelled.”</p>
<p>Daichi had to chuckle a little at the blunt nature but took them and started unrolling them on the dining table. Ushijima stepped forward to start explaining the little notes Osamu had made regarding guard rotations and possible blind spots. Aone stood stiffly in the room as Ushijima got into the thick of explaining things. Tanaka stood beside him, folding his arms.</p>
<p>“So, any word on what Akiteru is planning?”</p>
<p>Aone shook his head.</p>
<p>“Heard anything from Kei?”</p>
<p>Another shake of the head. Tanaka glanced at him, trying to get a measure on what this Aone guy was thinking. He was always quiet, never saying more than he needed to. It was sort of unnerving.</p>
<p>“You always let Ushijima do the talking?”</p>
<p>Aone looked at him, no emotion being portrayed. “What’s it to you?”</p>
<p>“Don’t you wanna…speak for yourself?”</p>
<p>“Who says I don’t?”</p>
<p>Tanaka gave him a coy smile. “You just—”</p>
<p>“I get things done. I get paid. I don’t get paid to talk, I get paid to solve problems for my employers.” He stated. “If they want me to talk, I talk. If they don’t, I don’t.”</p>
<p>“Uh-huh, so how do you get things done usually?”</p>
<p>“With an axe.” He stated, still looking at Tanaka. “You?”</p>
<p>“A sword.” He grinned, playfully punching Aone’s arm and regretting it immediately when he made contact with solid muscle. “Yeesh, you’re packing aren’t ya?”</p>
<p>There was a hint of a smile, so fleeting that Tanaka almost missed it. “As I said, I get things done, I get paid.”</p>
<p>Tanaka nodded, setting his hands on his hips. “Alright then. I’m glad you’re on our side.”</p>
<p>“So am I.”</p>
<p>Tanaka smiled, folding his arms again as he slowly walked over towards the dining table. Osamu’s maps were a lot neater than their own, more details were drawn on, rooms were labelled, doorways marked with different symbols depending on who was allowed through them. It looked far too complicated yet Daichi was taking it all in with ease.</p>
<p>“The twins have acquired some guard sashes for you.” Ushijima stated, catching Daichi’s attention.</p>
<p>“Sashes?” He raised an eyebrow.</p>
<p>“So you can pretend to be guards.” Ushijima nodded. “It’ll be a lot easier than trying to sneak around them.”</p>
<p>Daichi wasn’t going to turn down the idea, it would make sense to hide in plain sight after all. He somewhat doubted they’d be free to roam the palace though, guards would have rotations and patrols. Plus Akiteru no doubt knew the Brotherhood were numerous. “I’ll see what Kuroo thinks of it.”</p>
<p>Ushijima nodded. “Understandable. It was fairly easy to accomplish on their part. They’ve been busy the last few weeks, the twins, I’ve not seen Atsumu so excited to see a plan come to fruition.”</p>
<p>“And Osamu?”</p>
<p>Ushijima’s smile grew a little. “He’s been calm and collected, but I can see the fire in his eyes.” He gestured to the plans. “When he gave us these, he actually smiled at me.”</p>
<p>“Damn, that much of a straight-faced—”</p>
<p>“He lets Atsumu speak for both of them.” Ushijima shrugged. “Gods know he’s got enough fire about him for both of them.”</p>
<p>Daichi chuckled. “I can think of a few people like that.”</p>
<p>“In any case,” Ushijima cast his gaze over the plans once more, “whatever your plan is, don’t tell us. Keep it to yourselves until the last moment. The twins trust you.”</p>
<p>Daichi found that interesting. Either the twins really wanted to stay out of it as much as possible or they genuinely trusted the Brotherhood to get it all down without endangering them in the process. Truthfully Daichi only had half a plan. A lot of it hinged on how Akiteru reacted to them; how much of a keen eye he kept on Yachi, how quickly he reacted to their scheme. There were many moving parts and it rested on the shoulders of individuals to make decisions in the moment.</p>
<p>But that’s where trust came into it. Daichi trusted everyone to play their part and get it done, to look out for one another and see it through to the end.</p>
<p>“We shall take our leave now.” Ushijima stated. “We may be back tomorrow if we get more orders.”</p>
<p>“Got it, safe travels.” Daichi waved in greeting.</p>
<p>As soon as they were gone, Tanaka clicked his tongue. “So, these are…complicated as fuck.”</p>
<p>Daichi smiled. “Not really.” He pointed to a narrow passageway. “This is where most of us will enter, from here it all spreads out like the tunnels of a mine.”</p>
<p>Tanaka watched Daichi run his finger along corridors, explaining his initial thoughts as he went. He nodded along, slowly understanding the layout. The ballroom was by far the largest room, odd considering how important the throne room was. A series of hallways connected the rooms of the palace together. Considering how many guards there would be in place during an event, Tanaka couldn’t see how all of the Brotherhood could hope to infiltrate without arousing suspicion, <em>especially</em> if Akiteru was waiting for them. Even with the guard sashes the rest of the guards would be on high alert for any threats.</p>
<p>When he voiced this Daichi nodded solemnly. “Well, that’s the thing isn’t it,” he met Tanaka’s gaze, “we’re going to have to make sure that we choose wisely. Those who go in have to be confident they can succeed, no matter the cost.</p>
<p>“Sheesh.” Tanaka sighed. “It’s like dealing with that mage who turned Kiyoko all over again; mad mages and high stakes.”</p>
<p>Daichi hummed in amusement. “True, but I don’t think brute force or Kunimi hiding in a tree will save us.”</p>
<p>Tanaka pretended to be deep in thought. “But if we conjure a tree in the ballroom…”</p>
<p>Daichi laughed, which was what Tanaka was hoping for. “Alright, I think this can wait for tomorrow,” he gestured to the floor-plans, “or else we’ll be up ‘til dawn pouring over it.”</p>
<p>“Agreed.” Tanaka immediately started towards the door.</p>
<p>Daichi took the time to roll up the plans and set them aside so Lev wouldn’t decide to sleep on them before following him. Despite it still being relatively early, the parlour was quiet. Tiredness was obvious in many who were relaxing in the glow of the fire. Whilst nothing dramatic had happened for most of them, it had still been a long day. Bokuto was falling asleep where he was slumped on the floor at the end of the bench, Kunimi was focusing on one of his shurikens but his eyes were drooping a little more every few moments. Nishinoya had sprawled out on one bench and was lazily watching the fire, the other bench had been taken up by Kindaichi who was actually asleep using his outer jacket as a pillow.</p>
<p>Daichi had to chuckle slightly as he glanced around and saw Moniwa sat against the wall scribbling in a journal, Ennoshita sat next to him looking over his shoulder in vague interest at whatever he was writing. Kuroo was pacing around in a hushed conversation with Suga who was stood looking like he was ready to fall into bed any moment now.</p>
<p>“Well, seems like everyone is ready to turn in.” He remarked, startling a few of the half-asleep members.</p>
<p>“Well we would if there wasn’t some sort of…mage emergency upstairs.” Kunimi mumbled, stifling a yawn. “One of the rooms is sealed off.”</p>
<p>Daichi frowned, turning to go and find out what Kunimi was talking about and getting spooked by Kenma’s arrival. It was almost like he had sensed the question on Daichi’s lips before he beckoned the guild leader into the foyer for a more private conversation.</p>
<p>“What’s going on Kenma?”</p>
<p>Kenma inhaled sharply. “Well, Hinata accidentally prompted Goshiki to unhinge.”</p>
<p>“Come again?”</p>
<p>Kenma sighed. “Goshiki’s tattoos tend to glow a purple colour, the same colour that a mysterious purple element of Hinata’s glows when he does some really weird stuff. He says it’s the void and its balance.” He shrugged. “The point is, there was a general conversation about it before Goshiki seemed to start remembering things. Things about what Akiteru did to him.”</p>
<p>This was the first Daichi was hearing about things that Goshiki had experienced. He knew the other had a memory issue but he didn’t realise it was this serious. “So he’s...gone crazy?”</p>
<p>“More like he’s been like it the whole damn time but we’ve only just realised how bad it can be.” Kenma sighed again. “Like, Akaashi might be able to sort it out but I refuse to let him. He’s had it rough enough with Semi and Yaku, I don’t know what Akiteru’s plan is but if Akaashi’s theory is correct, he needs to stay the hell away from any of Akiteru’s handiwork. And I mean it.”</p>
<p>Daichi nodded. “So what’s happening now?”</p>
<p>“Ukai’s put Goshiki in an induced sleep. Combination of a sleeping draught I made up and some empathic powers. It’s not pretty. It’s sort of cruel because we’re forcing him to sleep through it, the nightmares will be horrific no doubt but hey—” he shrugged. “The alternative is letting him live through it and we don’t know what, well, we <em>do</em> know what his powers are capable of. It’s called the old city fire.”</p>
<p>Daichi wasn’t sure how to process all this information at once. It was a lot to take on. He knew some of it already but having it laid out so matter-of-factly to him by Kenma was a whole new level of intense.</p>
<p>“So he’s asleep.” Daichi concluded. “For now?”</p>
<p>“For now.” Kenma nodded. “Shirabu and Ukai are taking it in turns to keep watch over him. But until he was stable I couldn’t take a chance on letting anyone else in that room.” He looked Daichi in the eye. “So that’s why everyone was in the parlour. I told them to stay out. But now I guess we can shift people around and—”</p>
<p>“I’ll sleep in the parlour.” Daichi stated. “Someone can have my bed.”</p>
<p>Kenma smiled slightly. “I will too, and I think that just leaves one bed but I think Kunimi and Kindaichi share one anyway most of the time so it should work out okay...”</p>
<p>Daichi shrugged. “Sounds like a plan.”</p>
<p>Kenma nodded. “Oh, and by the way,” he smiled a little wider. “We don’t need to worry about the Hinata and Tobio situation.”</p>
<p>It was a rather abrupt change of conversation but Daichi went with it. “Yeah?”</p>
<p>Kenma’s smile was genuine and Daichi could tell there was a lot more hidden behind it. “They’re good. They’re good together.”</p>
<p>That was all Daichi needed to hear to put the pieces together in his mind. At least that was one headache he didn’t have to think about. Together he and Kenma relayed the new sleeping arrangements to those in the parlour. There was still the small matter of finding blankets for the two of them to sleep in the parlour that night but having the manor to themselves meant they could just liberate anything from any store cupboard.</p>
<p>When they had finally packed everyone else of to sleep and taken up residence in the parlour, each taking one of the benches as their beds for the night, Daichi allowed himself to think about some of this bigger plan of theirs. Kenma had barely laid his head down as Daichi decided to start another conversation.</p>
<p>“Are you planning on going into the palace with Nishinoya?”</p>
<p>“I believe that is potentially the plan, yes.” Kenma murmured. “Though I’m not sure how comfortable I am with being responsible for Yachi’s safety. I feel I’m liable to feel overwhelmed. ”</p>
<p>“Eh, I don’t.” Daichi remarked. “You’re a lot cooler in heated situations that you give yourself credit for.”</p>
<p>Kenma snorted. “You sound like Kuro.”</p>
<p>“Kuroo has a point.”</p>
<p>“Uh-huh. And what am I supposed to do if we get attacked?”</p>
<p>“You do whatever you have to.” Daichi told him as he folded his hands under his head. “Because if we don’t use all of our tricks, then it could all fall apart.” He sighed. “It won’t be the time to have a conscience. We need to be ruthless, for the good of the realm. Akiteru can’t be allowed to beat us.”</p>
<p>“So why aren’t we being more cutthroat with our planning?”</p>
<p>Daichi’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”</p>
<p>“We’re leaving a lot up to chance; what if we don’t get to Yachi in time? How do we ensure she’s safe until we get to her in the moment? Who’s going to stop Akiteru killing her hours before the ball?”</p>
<p>These were uncomfortable questions, given that Kenma was bringing them up, Daichi assumed he was thinking of something and only wanted to be prompted. “Well if you have any ideas—”</p>
<p>“I do actually.” Kenma sat up. The firelight cast a warm glow across one side of his face. “It’s called using Hinata’s portals and a slightly eccentric lion.”</p>
<p>That had Daichi’s attention. It sounded ridiculous, it sounded insane, like a suicide mission.</p>
<p>But those were always the ones that worked.</p>
<p>“Go on.”</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Goshiki was a restless sleeper. Even with the sleeping draught Kenma made that was <em>meant</em> to make it a dreamless sleep, he flinched and muttered. Shirabu yawned as he watched the other twitch somewhat violently. Ukai gave him a sad smile.</p>
<p>“It’ll be like this all night probably.”</p>
<p>Shirabu sighed. The tattoos were glowing sporadically. They had taken Goshiki’s shirt off so they could see all of the inked lines properly. It was a complicated pattern of lines and circles, nothing seemed to make much sense even to someone like Ukai. It was suspected that they didn’t mean anything beyond possibly different runestones being used and different times they were administered. Then again it could be an overly complex set of charms rigged to do who knew what at any given moment. It depended on how sadistic Akiteru had been.</p>
<p>The scars didn’t reveal much to him. They looked like burns, as if hot metal had been applied to his skin just enough to leave ugly red marks behind but not blacken his skin. Others looked like a jagged stone was pressed against him until he bled and then the runestone dust took control. He started wondering if he could start healing some of these old wounds but held back for now. Many of them intercepted with the tattoos that kept glowing, and he didn’t want to touch those if he could help it.</p>
<p>“Why would someone go to this much…effort?” He wondered aloud. “Like if Goshiki <em>wanted</em> these tattoos, or had them already, sure I could see how they’d be added to but…” he shook his head. “All of these looked like they were forced on him.”</p>
<p>Ukai glanced over the inked lines. “It does seem a lot, but clearly Akiteru wanted to make a point.” He ran his fingers over his own tattoo. “Mine took about a day to ink, thin lines and simple design.”</p>
<p>Shirabu shook his head in dismay. “These are all thick lines, so I’m guessing they took several days to—”</p>
<p>“I just hope he was knocked out.” Ukai stated grimly. “Using runestone dust stings and getting all of this done would’ve been near torture.”</p>
<p>“And the dust is what makes them magical?”</p>
<p>“That and the natural reserves in his blood.” Ukai nodded. “Though I have no idea why the fuck he’s got these burns and lesions. This just seems unnecessary.”</p>
<p>“Reckon it was to keep him in line.” Shirabu shrugged. “I have a few from when I was in the dungeon. Flash of a blade here, swipe of a mace there. Though obviously my powers limited the damage done, I still have a few scars.”</p>
<p>“You reckon you could get rid of these?”</p>
<p>“Possibly. Would take a while and I might pass out. I’d rather wait until we’re sure he’s…not unhinging.”</p>
<p>The conversation trailed off. Goshiki’s disturbed sleep would continue whilst the sleeping draught held him in its clutches. Ukai took the first watch, letting Shirabu get some rest. He occupied himself by pulling out a small journal that Moniwa had given him. It contained everything the guild knew about the elemental magic that the likes of Hinata and Nishinoya practised and the empathic magic that Akaashi was gifted with. Ukai had wanted to read up on what the southern kingdom’s understanding of magic was and how the guild specifically viewed it.</p>
<p>So far he had concluded that they knew a fair bit more than he thought. As he came to the more recently added stuff, he started reading up on what they kept referring to as ‘the void’. Moniwa’s notes repeatedly mentioned how Hinata was the only one to wield this purple element knowingly and competently. There was a lot of emphasis on how they associated it with him being an aura mage and how none of the others really seemed to have the same deep understanding. Akaashi had come close to wielding it in the same capacity though; purple wisps of magic becoming almost normal to see around his fingertips but he gave no indication he knew what it was or how it worked.</p>
<p>Hinata was certainly an interesting mage by all accounts. Ukai was starting to understand why he was being viewed so highly. No-one else had the powers he did it seemed. Which begged the question why he wasn’t going to be tackling Akiteru. True, elemental mages were susceptible to empath manipulation, but if he was capable of controlling his feelings on a higher level, then surely, he would be the best suited? Granted, Ukai wasn’t going to suggest it. As powerful as Hinata’s magic made him, he was still a person. He was still going to feel the pressure to succeed. If the Battle of the Dynasty had hinged on him summoning a dragon, Ukai didn’t want to think how an encounter with a mage like Akiteru would go.</p>
<p>As he flicked through the pages, Goshiki’s muttering got louder. He winced in his sleep, hands twitching. Ukai set the journal down and watched him more intently for a few moments as the inked lines came alive with pale yellow light. He was curious at what Goshiki as seeing, what he was remembering, but not enough to want to wake him up. Goshiki settled down again, the yellow light fading as he did so.</p>
<p>Now they had him in this state, it was going to be hard to work out how to get him out of it safely. The obvious answer was to get Akaashi involved but Kenma was adamant he was to stay out of it. So that left only Ukai and he was painfully aware he wasn’t anywhere near powerful enough to deal with this.</p>
<p>Once he was satisfied Goshiki was settled once more, he returned to reading Moniwa’s notes. He hoped that being up to date with the Brotherhood’s knowledge would help him be of more use to them. It was the least he could do after they saved him.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0059"><h2>59. A Shot At Redemption</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>LIX</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>A Shot At Redemption</strong>
</p>
<p> After the previous day’s duel with Akaashi, Kiyoko was more determined to better herself. She didn’t harbour any ill-feelings towards Akaashi for what he did. She had after all accepted the challenge and opportunity to test her theory. She never intended to hide anything from him and she respected that he had his own things to worry about. But none of that changed how she felt. She had meant it when she said he was no better than Akiteru if he continued on his current course.</p>
<p>So she wasn’t quite ready to take on Akiteru, that didn’t mean she was going to abandon her efforts. Duelling was always a skill that needed honing. Even the best of knights and warriors trained daily. So even with her hand still bandaged up, she approached Asahi and asked to duel him. He made no massive show of accepting, merely nodding at her request. He had already heard from Iwaizumi about her current goal and he remembered how ferocious she had been last time they duelled. He told Tobio about it and wasn’t surprised in the slightest when Tobio stated he’d watch. The walled garden had seen a lot of duelling in recent days, though there were a few more spectators than last time. It wasn’t just Tobio who was interested in how this duel was going to play out; Hinata had followed him outside and both Iwaizumi and Tanaka were there too.</p>
<p>He slung his battle-axe across his shoulders as he waited for Kiyoko to ready herself. She handed her second blade to Tanaka, it seemed that she was going to stick to her katana that day. He had been told to suit up as if he was fighting in a battle, as much as this was a duel, that blade was sharp and she wasn’t going to hold back. Likewise she was all suited up as if she was fighting for her life. As she held the piece of cloth in her hands, she smiled at him.</p>
<p>“Don’t hold back on my account.” She told him, covering her eyes with the cloth and securing it in place. “Just try not to chop my hands off.”</p>
<p>He chuckled. Truthfully he was nervous. He was being told to duel as normal whilst knowing his opponent was handicapped. Even so, she seemed content that this was going to be fine. And she had ‘challenged’ him. He couldn’t turn down a challenge and live it down.</p>
<p>She put her hand on the hilt of her blade still in its sheathe. For a few moments there was silence as she acquainted herself with her surroundings. With a short exhale, she drew her katana. The zing of steel against leather rang out in the confined garden. He took his axe in both hands and waited.</p>
<p>The heat of the midmorning sun had done away with any dew on the grass, taking away her cue from the duel with Iwaizumi. Nevertheless, she made a ‘come at me’ gesture and that was what Asahi had been waiting for. His footsteps were heavy on the ground and his armour was less clunky that Iwaizumi’s. She ducked as the air shifted with what she guessed was a large backswing. A gust of air followed the heavy axe head cutting through the air near her.</p>
<p>Trying to parry that sort of swing was insane even when she was able to see it. Though there was a small window of opportunity with the large swing, it left Asahi open to hits. She just had to work out how to best go about it. She heard him grunt with effort, anticipating another large swing she ducked towards it, side-stepping as she swung her katana and made contact with heavy fur padding. Feeling the hit, she backed away.</p>
<p>Watching from the sidelines, it was a showcase in how practising the basics of duelling came into its own. Hinata was wide-eyed at how fluidly she moved despite not being able to see. Asahi was holding back somewhat, which was to be expected. His hits were slow and calculated. He was swinging to hit, but he wasn’t putting his full strength behind them. More than once was she caught by the edge of the axe head, wincing at the hit before moving to block the next parry.</p>
<p>Her moves were lacking the usual finesse she usually put into them, these were moves to protect her rather than look graceful. She lost her footing a few times as she tried to pivot on dry grass. They took a few breaks as the duel continued, it wasn’t the coldest of days and their armour was heavy so overheating was a concern.</p>
<p>As they resumed after the third break, neither of them looked ready to concede defeat.</p>
<p>“How do they know when they’ve won?” He asked Iwaizumi.</p>
<p>Iwaizumi shrugged. “It’s more of a case of who calls it quits first.”</p>
<p>She lunged forward with confidence, he blocked her hit with the haft of his axe. He shoved her back and responded with a quick slash. Ducking to the left, she followed the direction of the axe. As he pulled his arm up to bring the axe down her blade flashed in the light. The sharp edge struck the leather with a dull thud but it was the force that winded Asahi.</p>
<p>Tanaka smiled to himself. She had worked out the cues and was adapting. The flow of the duel shifted as Asahi found his hits being blocked and parried. Tobio found it interesting, Hinata was still watching in awe. He wanted to know how she was so good. He wanted to learn. He wanted to be able to fight like that.</p>
<p>Asahi held his axe in front of him, anticipating the next hit. She took her time working out how she wanted to try and force him to yield. She rotated her wrist, taking the hilt of her katana in both hands despite the obvious discomfort it brought her. A tense pause hung in the air as neither of them moved. Both of them were panting, sweating, and looking to make the other surrender as quickly as possible.</p>
<p>A gust of wind masked the sound of Asahi’s footsteps. She felt the vibration a split second before he was upon her. Her blade came up and blocked hit, sword-edge sinking into the haft and sticking fast. Her gut instinct was to bring her knee up and wind him. Tearing her blade free, she side-stepped and pivoted, holding her blade firmly as she waited for a retaliation.</p>
<p>A resounding silence was all she got.</p>
<p>“Way to go Kiyoko!” Tanaka called, signalling the duel was at an end. She lifted the blindfold and saw Asahi had tossed his axe down and was staring at the sky with his hands on his hips. She sheathed her blade and approached him with a calm smile.</p>
<p>“Didn’t hurt you, did I?”</p>
<p>He laughed loudly, a sheen of sweat coated his shoulders. “Not really, though you got a mean kick.” He rubbed his stomach.</p>
<p>“So I’ve been told.” She remarked before bowing. “Thank-you for duelling with me Asahi.”</p>
<p>He nodded. “It was fun, next time maybe I’ll use a sword.”</p>
<p>She was about to make a comment about how that would be interesting when Hinata ran over, wide-eyed and grinning. “Can I duel you Kiyoko?”</p>
<p>“You…want to duel?” She repeated, a little baffled. It wasn’t like they hadn’t duelled before but that was a while ago and since then Hinata had proven to be much more effective at conjuring elements than sword fighting.</p>
<p>“Yeah!” He was beaming up at her like the kids in the village used to. “I wanna be able to duck and swoop—” he made all the unnecessary gestures as he continued, “and dive out of the way like you do!”</p>
<p>She giggled. It was endearing in a way. “That takes practice Hinata.”</p>
<p>“Yeah? Please Kiyoko, just for a short while, I promise I won’t set you on fire or anything.”</p>
<p>Asahi ruffled his hair. “You’re certainly eager all of a sudden.”</p>
<p>Hinata swatted away the large hand. “I just want to do something!”</p>
<p>Despite being tired, Kiyoko found herself agreeing. She could try to fool herself into thinking that if she could hold her own against Hinata and all his crazy tactics, maybe she wasn’t entirely hopeless against magic users. Deep down she knew Hinata wasn’t going to be trying <em>that</em> hard to hurt her. Nevertheless, she insisted that she take off some of her armour as it was weighing her down and that she wasn’t going to duel blind if magic was involved. She drew her blade once more.</p>
<p>Hinata felt abuzz with energy. He crossed his arms over his chest and willed the elements into existence. Ice covered his torso in a sturdy layer. Once the rudimentary armour had solidified, he clapped his hands together, pulling them apart to reveal a sword made up of fire. The lone runestone bumping against his neck began to heat up but that wasn’t all.</p>
<p>The dull glow of his scars could be seen peeking over his shirt collar. He took the shortsword in his hand and kept the other free. Sensing he was ready, Kiyoko readied herself to parry the hit. She hadn’t duelled a sword made of fire before, she wasn’t sure how hot it was and whether her blade would hold up. What she did know was how fire could spread. One hit would be all it took to catch. As Hinata took a run-up towards her, she side-stepped, watching him careen past her as he tried to pivot abruptly. He recovered quickly and brought his sword down on hers as she blocked it. The fire wasn’t hot enough to melt steel, but it was too close to her face for comfort.</p>
<p>She wasn’t entirely sure how it was solid. She decided that wasn’t a question she needed answering as she shoved him back and watched him overbalance. He dissipated his sword and snapped his fingers; cold air banded together to create a hatchet formed of ice.</p>
<p>This was more believable. “Oh you’re taking it seriously then.” She remarked, taking a defensive stance.</p>
<p>He grinned, clearly more egged on by her comment than offended. She could parry the hatchet easily enough and did so as he came at her with sloppy flurries. His form was way off compared to the knights she had been duelling so far. He reminded her of Kunimi’s style; fast and vicious but easy to avoid if she was focused.</p>
<p>As she brought her blade around, he caught it.</p>
<p>Not with his hatchet, but with his hand. Encased in a thin layer of stone, he had stopped her blade. She gritted her teeth, ripping her blade away and hearing the stone shatter. She forgot that he could wield more than the basic elements like last time.</p>
<p>So she didn’t hold back, if he wanted to get better at blocking, she had a masterclass awaiting him. Her blade winked in the light as it moved quickly, cutting through the air, rebounding off the thick ice only to come back for another swing. Hinata’s grin hadn’t disappeared as he found himself on the back foot; summoning any element he thought could block the hits. Fire and lightning weren’t very helpful whereas ice and rock seemed the more effective. He decided to start getting more creative with how he tried to land his own hits.</p>
<p>As she shattered another sheet of rock conjured to take the hit, he ducked and brought his hatchet up under her exposed side. The ice shattered upon hitting her, knocking her off balance. Sensing an opportunity he summoned another and lunged again.</p>
<p>Before he could strike her, his legs were taken out with a sweeping kick. The hatchet flew out of his hand and was sliced in half by her blade in its way to halting above his throat. Ice shattered as he lost concentration, shards melting into droplets. She was panting as she stood over him. He swallowed, realising how out of breath he was.</p>
<p>“I uh, guess I lose?”</p>
<p>She laughed, withdrawing her blade before extending a hand to help him up. “I’ll admit, you were challenging to counter.” She said as she sheathed her katana. “I wouldn’t want to face you in a live or die situation.”</p>
<p>He beamed, wincing slightly at the aching in his body. His fingers were all tingly and his chest felt heavy. He dissipated everything he had conjured that hadn’t already vanished, sighing heavily. He felt a hand take his and glanced up to see Tobio.</p>
<p>“That was…something.” He remarked. “I haven’t seen you fight like that.”</p>
<p>“What, like a crazy person?” Hinata chuckled. “I don’t…<em>like</em> fighting, but I figured it’s good to practice.”</p>
<p>Kiyoko nodded in agreement, already turning to collect her pieces of armour and her second blade. “If it’s any consolation, most knights and guards have to practice for at least half a day. So considering you’ve had very little training, you’re pretty good at holding your own.”</p>
<p>He beamed at the compliment. Tobio gave him a fond smile before tugging him to walk inside. Kiyoko remained outside for a few moments, Tanaka stepped up beside her with a grin of his own.</p>
<p>“Did you see that?”</p>
<p>“See what?” She asked.</p>
<p>“How Tobio was looking at him, how Tobio held his hand…everything.” Tanaka shrugged.</p>
<p>Kiyoko had seen it. She just didn’t feel the need to dwell on it. “I guess it’s more of the same.”</p>
<p>Tanaka pouted slightly. “Humour me yeah?”</p>
<p>She smiled at him. “Why don’t you <em>ask</em> them rather than speculate?”</p>
<p>“You know how they are.”</p>
<p>She shrugged, beginning her walk inside. “We have enough guessing games happening Ryuu, we don’t need another.”</p>
<p>He huffed in mild frustration as he followed her. He supposed she was right, it would be nice to have a solid answer for once. Though he wasn’t going to poke that subject right now, not when there was still planning to be done.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>The day passed slowly, with it, so did the amount of time they had to work out what to do with Goshiki. Kenma’s sleeping draught was only going to last a few more hours. Whilst he had more, he didn’t necessarily want to use it. Goshiki had remained in a restless slumber, flinching and muttering as he was kept under the effects of the draught. It was hard to watch but it was better than the unpredictable alternatives. As evening fell, Ukai requested the mages convene to discuss what to do next, all except Hinata. Hinata was conveniently busy helping Yamaguchi keep Tobio from involving himself too much in the Brotherhood’s plans. That and Kenma didn’t strictly want him involved.</p>
<p>“So there are a few options,” Ukai told those present; Shirabu was half asleep having only just woken up, Nishinoya and Inuoka felt out of their depth but wanted to know what was going on, Kenma already knew where this conversation was going as Akaashi waited for Ukai’s verdict. “The first is that we just keep him under until after you’ve taken down Akiteru. Obviously that could be a while and do more damage than good. The second,” he continued, “is that we allow him to wake up and we…deal with whatever state he’s in.”</p>
<p>“Is there a third?” Akaashi asked.</p>
<p>Ukai glanced at Kenma. There was a third, but he didn’t want to give Akaashi the idea. “There is, but we’ve already ruled it out.”</p>
<p>Akaashi shot Kenma a look. “You really don’t want me to—”</p>
<p>“You can’t.” Kenma cut in. “I won’t let you. You’ve gone through hell already Keiji. I won’t have you dive into whatever fucked up shit he’s experiencing.”</p>
<p>Akaashi exhaled through his nose, lips pressed together in a thin line. “Fine. I’d say the second option is better then.” He stated. “Keeping him under won’t help him get over it, if anything it’s probably doubling down on whatever trauma is there.”</p>
<p>“And if he’s unhinged?” Shirabu asked. “If he doesn’t remember why he’s here?”</p>
<p>“We subdue him.”</p>
<p>Ukai shook his head. “I don’t like that idea. I think it’s best we get inside his head now whilst we have some control.”</p>
<p>“Well if <em>I</em><em>’m</em> not allowed to, then who can?” Akaashi remarked.</p>
<p>Ukai had anticipated that question. He did have an answer, but none of them were going to like it. “There is a mage who you know has this kind of power.”</p>
<p>Confused glances were exchanged. Inuoka wasn’t confused. Inuoka knew exactly who Ukai was talking about. He had seen all the journals Ukai had been reading through, specifically the ones detailing the Brotherhood’s encounter with Kei once before and what he did to Tobio.</p>
<p>“Kei Tsukishima.” He uttered. “You think Kei is capable of fixing this?”</p>
<p>Ukai nodded, watching how Akaashi didn’t react outwardly to the suggestion. Kenma scowled slightly but even he could see the logic. Shirabu and Nishinoya seemed exhausted at the idea already. It wasn’t exactly a popular one, but Ukai had his reasons for bringing it up.</p>
<p>“You all say that he planted memories in Tobio’s head.” Ukai continued. “And if he really wants to prove he wants to be of help, surely this is a good a test as any?”</p>
<p>Nishinoya folded his arms across his chest. “You want us to trust that Kei will not only agree to it, but not make it worse?”</p>
<p>Ukai shrugged. “It can’t hurt to ask.”</p>
<p>“And you expect the others to agree?” Akaashi said. “That they’ll let him?”</p>
<p>“They will if you all insist.” Ukai sat back. “I’ve seen how they respect you as a group, that if you’re all united in one thing, they can’t deny that <em>you</em><em>’re</em> the experts in your fields. If you all insist that it’s what’s best for Goshiki and it also happens to give Kei a chance to prove he wants to undo what Akiteru has done,” he shrugged again, “here he can literally undo what Akiteru has done.”</p>
<p>It was sound logic, but it felt risky. Kenma didn’t like the idea of even <em>trying</em> to convince the others to let Kei in. It was a feat in itself that Kei had them no longer considering him a threat, but letting him in and letting him deal with something so delicate was something else entirely.</p>
<p>Unexpectedly, it was Inuoka who seemed to agree first, defending his stance with the same defiance that House Kageyama was renowned for. “It’s like he said, if Kei really does want to help us, he can start by helping us help Goshiki. And if he declines, we know he’s just being a selfish bastard who just wants to use us to kill his brother.”</p>
<p>“I don’t think that’s strictly how—” Shirabu started before Akaashi nodded.</p>
<p>“True. And it’s easier to spin it that way to the others.”</p>
<p>Kenma honestly was more at peace knowing Akaashi hadn’t put up a fight at not being ‘allowed’ to put himself forward to help Goshiki. He nodded in agreement, glancing to Nishinoya for the final opinion needed. Nishinoya was in two minds; letting Kei have a shot at helping was nice but they wouldn’t actually know what he was doing. The only person who would be able to tell would be Goshiki himself, and that’s if he made it out of the entire process in his <em>right</em> mind.</p>
<p>And there was the minor issue that he’d be passed out for most of it.</p>
<p>“We need a way to make sure he doesn’t make it worse.” He stated. “'cause otherwise Kei could be doing god knows what.”</p>
<p>“I think,” Kenma replied, “Lev might be able to do that.”</p>
<p>“How? He’s a lion.”</p>
<p>“A lion gifted with heightened awareness.” Kenma looked to Akaashi. “You’ve experienced it right? How Lev just…senses things?”</p>
<p>Akaashi nodded. “Yeah, he’s got a knack for sensing disturbances in the air. He might not be an empath exactly, but he’s got a way of knowing things. He mentioned being given some sort of weird power by the Kirin. I decided not to question it, like most things relating to Lev.”</p>
<p>Shirabu chuckled slightly. “I found him led next to Semi the morning after the tavern incident. I figured he was just looking for somewhere to sleep but then the next day we were all dealing with the aftermath of Akiteru’s torture.”</p>
<p>“Exactly.” Kenma said. “So he might not be able to do anything, he can certainly sense it. And if he’s here whilst Kei is…” he gestured to Goshiki, “he can keep an eye on how Goshiki is.”</p>
<p>It was a long shot, he had to admit that, but throughout the last few months of crazy mage antics Lev had always been present and always had something to say on it all. Whatever the Kirin had done to give him this power, it was unlike anything anyone could hope to explain. Plus Lev always seemed insistent that he be of help and use to them, at least as much as any talking lion could be. Kenma still had yet to run his other plan by Lev but that was going to have to wait.</p>
<p>“So…what I’m hearing is that we’re in agreement?” Inuoka delicately put. “We ask Kei if he’s willing to try and undo the fuck up his brother caused?”</p>
<p>“Sounds like it.” Akaashi nodded.</p>
<p>Shirabu cleared his throat. “That’s all great and all, but how the hell are you gonna get hold of him? We can’t just waltz up to the manor and ask him to come here.”</p>
<p>There was a pause. Shirabu raised a valid point. However, it wouldn’t be a problem for long. In a bizarre act of the stars aligning, the mage in question had arrived at the door of the manor with a letter from the Empress. Kuroo had been caught off guard but beckoned him into the parlour nonetheless. Those gathered there were more than a little startled and unnerved at Kei being invited in so willingly but Kuroo was adamant there was no threat as the letter was handed over.</p>
<p>
  <em>Brotherhood,</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>I appreciate everything you are doing. I know none of this is easy for you. Akiteru has confined me to my quarters citing that there has been a conspiracy to kill me uncovered. This is probably a lie. I assume the Miya twins have got a way to detail how the palace is laid out. The only ones permitted to see me right now are him and his family</em>
  <em>’s guards. And his brother of course. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>I don</em>
  <em>’t know what he’s up to, but I don’t have much say as I’m sure you can understand. Being able to write this letter is a feat. Kei may have done you wrong in the past, but he’s assured me he wants to help put this right. I’m inclined to trust him, for whatever that is worth.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>I know not how you should go about fixing this, nor who is involved, but I implore you to do whatever you can. I don</em>
  <em>’t care how crazy it sounds, I’ve heard the stories from Kiyoko of your daring acts of bravery and I know this is going to be a big ask. But if anyone is capable it’s you. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Akiteru must be stopped at whatever cost. I promise I will wipe any outstanding issues from our records. I will tear up whatever treaty you want. I will hand him over to Tooru and Tobio and they can do whatever they want. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Do whatever you have to do. I beg of you. The empire will be in your debt.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Yours faithfully,</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Her Imperial Majesty Yachi Hitoka.</em>
</p>
<p>Kuroo looked up at Kei who regarded him with a blank look. Whilst it was good to hear from Yachi, it didn’t explain what Akiteru was up to. Though it did give them a location, it told them where she was and that was going to be important. He gestured for Kei to follow him into the foyer before anyone could bombard him with questions.</p>
<p>“Do you know what he’s up to?” He asked.</p>
<p>Kei thought for a moment. “Best I can offer you is he’s planning a ball of sorts. He’s sent out invites to some pretty powerful people in the former kingdoms.”</p>
<p>“That’s not normal?”</p>
<p>Kei shook his head. “The former kings and queens rarely have a need to be at court. They get told what the law of the land is via letters. For them to be invited here is a big deal.”</p>
<p>“Great.” Kuroo sighed. Footsteps at the top of the stairs prompted him to look up and see Kenma stood there. He expected Kenma to freak out that Kei was here. “Ah uh, he’s not staying—”</p>
<p>“We need his help.” Kenma stated. “It’s Goshiki.”</p>
<p>Kuroo raised his eyebrows. He had been told about Goshiki’s state already and he gathered it was a sensitive issue for them. So to hear Kenma state they <em>needed</em> Kei was both odd yet also a testament to how bad the situation must be. He knew the others would probably find the entire idea abhorrent. He could deal with them himself. Kei had said he wanted to put things right. But for them to trust him and ultimately help him take Akiteru down, he needed to offer something equally valuable in return.</p>
<p>He looked back at Kei. “Well,” he remarked, “I guess this is your time to prove how much you want us to believe you want to help.”</p>
<p>Kei’s blank expression didn’t change. “I guess it is.”</p>
<p>He stepped past Kuroo and made his way upstairs. Kuroo watched them disappear from view. The others were going to demand answers from him as soon as he re-entered the parlour, he knew some of them would reject any reasoning for letting Kei handle anything so sensitive. But he also knew that Kenma wouldn’t be so careless. Kenma had evidently considered all other options and decided for whatever reason that Kei was the best suited for it. Whatever ‘it’ was.</p>
<p>Honestly, Kuroo was more thankful that is seemed Akaashi was going to be spared another heavy-hitting ordeal. He knew that was selfish but he also knew that even the most powerful and composed mages could snap if too much pressure was applied to them. After the last few days of chaos, he was starting to worry more than usual for Akaashi’s wellbeing.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0060"><h2>60. Never Let Them Take The Light Behind Your Eyes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>LX</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Never Let Them Take The Light Behind Your Eyes</strong>
</p>
<p>Kei got as far as the door to Goshiki’s room before Kenma stopped him. Neither said anything for a moment as Kenma barred his way in. There was a silent understanding between them, even as Kei didn’t meet Kenma’s gaze immediately.</p>
<p>“I understand Kuro thinks you’re worth a second chance.” Kenma stated.</p>
<p>Kei held his gaze for a moment before he nodded shortly. “Yes.”</p>
<p>“You remember anyone from the academy called Goshiki?”</p>
<p>Recognition flickered over Kei’s face as he nodded slower this time. “He was a student the same time as I was. Brash, opinionated but…quiet overall.”</p>
<p>“He was one of the few who didn’t bully you.” Kenma said. “And he paid the price for that.”</p>
<p>Kei’s gaze narrowed. “How?”</p>
<p>“Your brother thought he would make the perfect candidate for a public statement. One that destroyed the old city.”</p>
<p>There was an element of satisfaction that came with Kei’s blank expression shifting to confusion and then mild panic. It told Kenma that Kei already had a vague idea what to expect. It also gave him the idea that Kei didn’t know about the details.</p>
<p>“We’ve had to put him in a forced sleep.” Kenma went on, reaching for the door handle. “But we can’t keep him there forever, likewise no-one here is prepared to deal with whatever fucked up shit your brother has done.”</p>
<p>“Not even Akaashi?”</p>
<p>As much as he found it interesting that Kei had immediately asked about Akaashi, Kenma shook his head. “We’re not letting Akaashi deal with it, he needs to conserve his strength. Which is why I’ve decided to give <em>you</em> this chance to redeem yourself. If you’re truly sorry for everything you’ve put us through, for everything you’ve done, and you want to put it right; help us help Goshiki.”</p>
<p>He pulled the door open. Akaashi met Kei’s gaze for a split second before deciding he wasn’t going to stay in the same room as him. He said nothing as he pushed past them both. Kei had the grace to not make a comment on it, focused instead on following Kenma into the room. Inuoka and Nishinoya kept their mouths shut as Kei slowly approached the bed where Goshiki lay.</p>
<p>His expression was set in concern as he adjusted his eyeglasses. He said nothing at first, merely looking Goshiki up and down; gaze dwelling on the tattoos that covered his torso and arms. Ukai and Shirabu weren’t sure whether to say anything as the silence continued.</p>
<p>“…the bastard.” Kei breathed, running a hand through his hair as if he were at a loss. “I can’t believe he…”</p>
<p>“This surprises you?” Ukai asked.</p>
<p>“Surprises me? No. It disgusts me.” Kei uttered, brows furrowing. “I thought I was enough. That what he did to <em>me</em> was enough. This is…” he shook his head. “This is low even for him.”</p>
<p>“Can you do anything about him unhinging?” Shirabu asked, more focused on the task at hand than the whys and hows. There would be time for explanations and sob stories later. “He’s suffering here.”</p>
<p>Kei blinked a few times, sighing heavily as he ran another hand through his hair. “Maybe. But it’s not gonna be pretty.” He looked to Kenma. “And you’re not gonna like this next part.”</p>
<p>“Try me.” Kenma narrowed his gaze.</p>
<p>Kei swallowed, not exactly hurrying to continue his train of thought. “I need Hinata.”</p>
<p>The reply was quick. “Why?”</p>
<p>“I know he’s capable of things, summoning dragons to battlefields isn’t a mundane mage thing. He’s special. You know that,” he glanced around the room, “you all know that. I’m not gonna say I know exactly what he is or why he’s the way he is but I need—”</p>
<p>“You need a power source.” Nishinoya stated, trying to avoid sounding overly smug about it. “Because Akiteru’s done a number on Goshiki and you can’t be sure you and you alone are powerful enough, right?”</p>
<p>Kei paused for a moment. The implication in Nishinoya’s question was enough to slight him. “Yes. Akiteru is better than I am at what he does. And whilst I can <em>try</em> to reverse it,” he looked back at Kenma, “I can’t do it alone, as you said Akaashi is staying out of this, that only leaves Hinata.”</p>
<p>Kenma inhaled deeply. He didn’t want to put Hinata in this situation, yet he knew if he asked, Hinata would say yes in a heartbeat. Because Hinata felt guilty. Hinata felt like he was partly responsible for this. But working with Kei? He wasn’t sure if Hinata would stretch that far, and that was without Tobio finding out.</p>
<p>“I’ll see what he says.” Kenma said. “But prepare to do it alone.” He looked to Nishinoya and Inuoka. “Get him whatever he needs and someone find Lev.”</p>
<p>He turned on his heel and left the room. He hoped with every fibre of his being that Hinata wasn’t with Tobio in that moment. As he opened the door to the room he shared with Tobio, he was relieved to find Hinata alone.</p>
<p>“How’s Goshiki?” Was the first thing to leave Hinata’s lips. “Is he—”</p>
<p>Kenma shut the door. “Shoyo, this is going to sound ridiculous, and you can say no if you want to.” He paced over and took Hinata’s hands in his. Hinata gave him a slightly puzzled look but nodded for him to continue. This felt unfair of him to ask this without there being time to process it all, they didn’t have time though. “Kei Tsukishima is with Goshiki right now, he says he can try and help prevent Goshiki unhinging, however he…” he trailed off. Hinata was now looking at him with wide eyes and an expression that said he was ready to do whatever he needed to. It was the same expression that Kenma remembered from before the battle.</p>
<p>“He said he needs you, because of your abilities. I don’t know what he’s—”</p>
<p>“I’ll do it.”</p>
<p>He swallowed, squeezing Hinata’s hands. “Shoyo think carefully—”</p>
<p>Hinata shook his head. “I have.” He squeezed Kenma’s hands back. “What is the point of me being so powerful if I just summon a dragon once and then sit by and let everyone else fight these battles?”</p>
<p>Kenma blinked slowly. “You’re feeling guilty, aren’t you?”</p>
<p>“Of course I am.” He replied, no sign of him feeling insulted by the assumption. “So if Kei wants me to help, then we can both make up for our mistakes.”</p>
<p>“I think yours and his mistakes are a <em>little</em> different Shoyo.”</p>
<p>Hinata shrugged. “But we both want to help, so does that matter?”</p>
<p>Forget aura magic, Hinata’s innocent optimism was a force to be reckoned with. Kenma could see he wasn’t going to get anywhere in dissuading him. Hinata’s mind was made up. He squeezed Hinata’s hands again.</p>
<p>“You are…something.” He smiled. “I’m proud of you, you know that right?”</p>
<p>Hinata smiled back. “I’m proud of you too.”</p>
<p>Kenma rolled his eyes. “I’m still the same as I’ve always been, you’ve grown into someone worthy of a knighthood.”</p>
<p>Hinata shrugged. “I don’t think so. You’ve gone from the grumpy alchemist who never does anything for anyone beyond his friends to…a <em>slightly</em> <em>less</em> grumpy alchemist who broke a treaty for a king he barely knew and now allows one of our former bad guys attempt to help a wounded mage.” He beamed at Kenma as if it was another mundane comment.</p>
<p>“Gee thanks.” Kenma snorted. “Anyway, Kei will be waiting.”</p>
<p>Hinata nodded. As he let go of Kenma’s hands he had a stray thought. If he was going to be undertaking a crazy task that felt akin to summoning a dragon, he felt he needed more than just his solitary runestone. He paused to rummage around in a knapsack. He brought out the circlet with the pure stone inside of it, fiddling around to get the stone out of the socket. He pocketed it before following Kenma along to the room where Goshiki was being held. The others had left and were waiting outside the door. Hinata felt their concerned glances and offered a determined smile to them.</p>
<p>As much as he was confident in himself, he knew they were worried. He didn’t fault them for it. This was outside many of their comfort zones, beyond magic they were capable of or comfortable wielding. To fear the unknown and unexpected was normal. He had simply learnt to face that fear with his usual optimism and determination and had come out of each encounter with lady luck on his side.</p>
<p>Inside the room Lev was already prowling around, candles had been lit to provide extra light but they also made the room feel gloomy. A few runestones had been piled up on a table next to Goshiki’s bed. Kenma stood beside Hinata as Kei glanced up and greeted them with a nod.</p>
<p>“Do you have what you need?” Kenma asked.</p>
<p>“I do.” Kei replied. “Are you staying?”</p>
<p>Kenma glanced to Hinata before shaking his head. “I need to go and tell the others what’s happening.”</p>
<p>“Very well.”</p>
<p>Kenma placed a hand on Hinata’s shoulder. “Good luck. The others will be outside if you need them.”</p>
<p>Hinata nodded, watching him leave and the door close behind him. Alone in the room with Kei for the first time since the fiasco down south, he wasn’t sure how to feel. By all accounts he should be cautious, yet the common understanding was that Kei could be trusted now, though to what extent remained to be seen. He wanted to put it behind him and focus on the task in front of them.</p>
<p>This was about helping Goshiki, not settling old scores. For now they would work together, later they could put old wounds to bed. He stepped up to the other side of Goshiki’s bed, his gaze roved over the tattoos that were remaining dull for now. Goshiki still flinched and muttered in his sleep every so often as Kei watched with a blank expression.</p>
<p>“So I heard you needed me.” Hinata stated.</p>
<p>Kei nodded. “I figured if you could summon a dragon, a <em>dead</em> dragon, you must have some knowledge of the void element.”</p>
<p>Hinata wasn’t sure how to react to Kei immediately mentioning the void element. “And you?”</p>
<p>“I’ve heard of it. Every empath deals with it whether they know about it or not.” He shrugged. “The purple wisps of emotion, that’s what I called it at least.”</p>
<p>Hinata nodded, that was a better name in many ways to what he had come up with. They stood either side of Goshiki. He wasn’t sure what he was supposed to be doing in all of this, he just waited for Kei’s instruction.</p>
<p>“So, here’s what I’m thinking,” Kei picked up a runestone, it was dark blue in colour and didn’t appear charged in any way, “I draw upon my powers to recall whatever memories he’s being forced to relive and bring them to the surface.”</p>
<p>“Right…”</p>
<p>Kei looked up and met his gaze. “We’re going to see whatever he sees. Then we’ll bottle them up in as many stones as it takes.”</p>
<p>Hinata looked at the pile of stones. From what Goshiki had implied about his time with Akiteru, there weren’t going to be enough stones. He shook his head. “That…won’t work.”</p>
<p>Kei raised an eyebrow behind his glasses. “You got a better idea then?”</p>
<p>Hinata couldn’t be sure it would work necessarily, but this was bigger than just getting rid of the negative memories. Erasing them would erase four years of Goshiki’s life. That didn’t sit well with him. Running away from the problem wouldn’t solve it.</p>
<p>“We need to get him…to realise he isn’t to blame.” He said. “He feels he’s responsible when he’s not. Not really.” He brought a hand to his chest. “I was told to not let the void swallow me, that I had to find the balance; the good in the bad, the light in the darkness.” He appreciated Kei nodding in agreement. “So we need to get him to…see the light.”</p>
<p>Kei hummed, clearly sceptical. “What sort of light?”</p>
<p>“Good things. Good memories? A promise of a better future if he can move past this…horrible stuff.”</p>
<p>Kei nodded slower this time, taking time to think it through before replying; “If you think you can do that, I can give you a way in.”</p>
<p>Hinata considered it for a moment. The alternative was to rob Goshiki of any memory of what happened. Whilst Goshiki might prefer to forget it all, that wasn’t going to repair the damage. That wasn’t going to help him reconcile with how he is the way he is now. It was going to be a big ask, it was going to require every ounce of strength and willpower to achieve it, but Hinata was a solid believer that everyone was deserving of a chance to put things right.</p>
<p>The stone around his neck pulsed almost as if it was encouraging him.</p>
<p>“I can do it.”</p>
<p>Kei held his gaze for a few moments before nodding. “Alright. I hope you’re ready for this.”</p>
<p>He took one of Hinata’s hands and held it palm facing down over Goshiki’s upper torso where the heavily inked lines were more concentrated. He implied that Hinata should keep his hand there as he let go and set aside the stone he had picked up earlier. He took off his jacket, revealing his bare arms covered in tattoos not all dissimilar from Goshiki’s. Hinata decided not to ask if Akiteru also gave him those tattoos.</p>
<p>“Once we start, we can’t stop or else it might ruin him for good.” Kei stated. “Last chance to back out.”</p>
<p>Hinata nodded, still holding his hand over Goshiki. “I’m ready.”</p>
<p>Kei flashed a glance to Lev before focusing back on his task at hand. He inhaled sharply before clapping his hands together. His tattoos began to glow a faint purple colour as he cracked his knuckles.</p>
<p>“Summon your void when I tell you to, not beforehand.” He stated. “And whatever you do, don’t freak out.”</p>
<p>Hinata nodded again, bracing himself for whatever Kei was about to do. Kei placed a hand on Goshiki’s head and let his eyes close. The purple wisps from his tattoos seemed to jump to Goshiki’s, spreading along them like fire to oil. Goshiki flinched but remained asleep as Kei muttered something under his breath.</p>
<p>The air felt static as they stood there; the purple glow getting brighter. Hinata kept his gaze on Goshiki’s wincing expression as Kei remained still. Around them, the room felt like it was being covered in a thick fog. Lev paced closer, slowly crawling onto the bed so he was close enough to see what was happening. Hinata started feeling woozy as the fog got denser.</p>
<p>“Focus.” Kei uttered. “It’s about to get messy.”</p>
<p>As he said this, the fog shifted. Hinata was aware of shadows within it. Every hair on his arm stood on end as there was <em>movement</em> in the fog. Kei seemed unfazed by it. He tried to ignore the feeling of being watched. He kept his hand hovering where Kei had left it, wondering when he was going to be needed. Kei’s free hand took his. Everything around him changed abruptly as he was forced to see things through his mind’s eye.</p>
<p>He felt a surge of energy as the fog lifted and he found them looking down at a room as if sat in the rafters. It was mostly stone flooring and stone walls, indicating it was either underground or well-fortified for one reason or another. Braziers illuminated the room causing shadows to dance across the walls.</p>
<p><em>‘Don’t freak out. We’re in his memories. Don’t say a word</em>.’</p>
<p>From where they were, Hinata could see a crudely made cot in the centre of the room. Leather straps kept a younger version of Goshiki held down. He was awake, and he was not there willingly. A sense of dread rose up in Hinata as a taller blond male paced around the cot. A table was beside the cot, upon it was a tray of brightly coloured stones, some of them crushed up, dust collected in piles beside sharp knives and glass bottles.</p>
<p>
  <em>‘That’s my brother, in case you were wondering.’</em>
</p>
<p>Akiteru was holding something in his hands, it looked like a knife made of jagged stone. It was aglow with red energy similar to how Hinata’s fire element was represented in most rituals. He was trying to work out what was happening. Goshiki was cursing at Akiteru, demanding he be released, that he’s not interested in whatever Akiteru wanted to ‘test’.</p>
<p>Akiteru didn’t seem to care. He brandished the knife and cut away at the thin shirt Goshiki had been wearing. Unblemished skin was revealed. And that was when Hinata realised what was about to happen.</p>
<p>
  <em>‘Did Kenma ever tell you how crushed runestone dust is used to make tattoos?’</em>
</p>
<p>He felt sick already. Goshiki was screaming profanities now. Akiteru set a hand on his head but that just made Goshiki more hysterical. Hinata wanted to close his eyes. He didn’t want to watch.</p>
<p>
  <em>‘Look away if you want. I’m not forcing you to watch.’</em>
</p>
<p>So he did. He buried his face in the crook of his elbow. That didn’t stop the screaming reaching his ears. His hand felt like it was being held in a forge as the static feeling in the air intensified. He felt woozy like he was going to pass out as the ordeal felt like it lasted far longer than it probably did.</p>
<p>
  <em>‘He’s done.’</em>
</p>
<p>Daring to believe Kei, he glanced up and saw Akiteru walking away, the knife still aglow. Goshiki was sobbing, his chest carved up with angry red lines that loosely looked like some of the tattoos he had in the present day. Bright flashes of elemental light burst out sporadically as he fought against the restraints. Eventually, he seemed to pass out.</p>
<p>They were plunged into darkness. He expected another horrific scene to reveal itself but instead there was something more akin to a conversation happening.</p>
<p>
  <em>‘We’re inside his mind. I don’t know what’s about to happen.’</em>
</p>
<p>That wasn’t a good sign. There was another strong sense of dread rising up in him now. He went from feeling sick to feeling like he was trapped. A lot of conflicting thoughts were running through his mind as they waited in the darkness.</p>
<p>“Tsutomu.” Akiteru’s voice was smooth, calm. Hinata felt a flare of panic.</p>
<p>“What?” Goshiki replied.</p>
<p>“It’s time.”</p>
<p>“I told you I don’t want to—”</p>
<p>A flash of light preceded a cry of pain. Then thoughts that weren’t his own started running through his mind.</p>
<p>
  <em>I don</em>
  <em>’t want to do it. I don’t want to kill people. He’s fucking mad. He’s insane. This isn’t going to help anyone. I’m not a killer! I’m not a murderer!</em>
</p>
<p>“You’ll do as you’re told.” Akiteru stated.</p>
<p>Another flash of light. Hinata felt his chest sting in response. He clenched his hand.</p>
<p>
  <em>I don</em>
  <em>’t…I don’t want to…</em>
</p>
<p>“Okay Akiteru.” Goshiki said, tone flat. “I’ll do it.”</p>
<p>“There’s a good boy.” Akiteru’s pleased voice was the last thing Hinata heard as the darkness shifted.</p>
<p>For a brief moment, Hinata came back to himself and saw the room of the manor, Kei’s tattoos were glowing as bright as a forge; he was wincing as he kept a hand on Goshiki’s head and the other holding Hinata’s.</p>
<p>
  <em>‘Here it comes.’</em>
</p>
<p>Hinata inhaled sharply as his mind’s eye was taken over again and he was taken to another place. The tavern rose from the darkness, unscathed and populated with revellers. They were not physically there as themselves. They were merely passengers on this trip, seeing things through Goshiki’s eyes. A cart was parked outside of the tavern; contents covered by a cut of leather to keep it safe and dry. The fading light of day made it hard to discern what was happening.</p>
<p>He stepped towards the cart, hand going into his pocket. A red runestone was brought out, a carving that Hinata didn’t recognised glowed a vicious orange. It was tossed carelessly into the cart before he took off running. It was nauseating as he dived into an alleyway and peeked around the corner to watch whatever was about to happen.</p>
<p>Outside the illusion, the runestone around Hinata’s neck began to heat up.</p>
<p>The cart exploded. He ducked for cover for a few moments as the screams erupted. As he peeked around the corner he saw the tavern ablaze, orange and red fire leapt up the wooden beams and caught the roof. Wood hissed and popped. People panicked feeling in every direction, pouring from the tavern, some of them with clothes on fire.</p>
<p>Seeing the fire quickly burning out of control, his breathing quickened. Looking down at his hands, they were trembling. Flames were sparking into existence like stones were bring struck against one another.</p>
<p>
  <em>Wait</em>
  <em>…wait no…no no no…</em>
</p>
<p>He looked up, then back at his hands, then at the tavern once more. The smoke was billowing from the building, the guards were nowhere to be found. Panic was rising within him.</p>
<p>
  <em>I</em>
  <em>…did this?</em>
</p>
<p>Hinata had to grit his teeth to keep himself from saying anything as they were forced to watch the descent into madness. The hand still being held by Kei was trembling at the heat and energy surging through him. Tears were in his eyes as he watched Goshiki’s past self scratching at the inked lines on his forearms. They were aglow with bright red light as the fire caught on his fingertips.</p>
<p>
  <em>No no</em>
  <em>…no this can’t be…what the fuck—</em>
</p>
<p>Pain erupted in his chest. Black inked lines shifted to an almost painfully bright blue as he screamed. It was indescribable for Hinata. Even summoning Hēishān hadn’t felt this painful. As blue flames erupted from his fingers, Hinata was overwhelmed with sorrow, with guilt, anger and fear. The concoction of emotions was too much. He didn’t know how to process any of it in such a short span of time.</p>
<p><em>‘Hold it together.’ </em>Kei’s voice sounded strained.</p>
<p>Even as the buildings around Goshiki started to burn with the bright blue flames, Hinata couldn’t yank his hand away. The surge of emotions pulled Goshiki this way and that, stumbling through the district as the blue flames caught on whatever he came into contact with. Buildings weren’t the only things to be set on fire in the panic. The screams were the worst part about it. Hinata felt sick all over again as his vision blurred with tears.</p>
<p>The scene vanished in an instant. Kei still had hold of his hand. The darkness didn’t yield, only more of the same voice.</p>
<p>
  <em>I didn</em>
  <em>’t want to do it. I didn’t want to. He made me. He made me do it. All those people dead because of me. All that death and destruction. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>God I don</em>
  <em>’t deserve to live.</em>
</p>
<p>Kei’s voice came through louder in Hinata’s mind. ‘<em>Summon your void. Do whatever you need to do. It</em><em>’s now or never.’</em></p>
<p>He wasn’t sure how he was meant to combat anything he had just seen. He wasn’t sure what to say or do. He had expected it to be bad but this was worse than anything he had seen, and that was including the trauma of the battlefield. He was still trying to process all the emotions he had been forced through as Goshiki’s thoughts continued.</p>
<p>
  <em>I wish I had died. I wish I had died in that damn basement. They wouldn</em>
  <em>’t be dead if I had died. I should’ve let him kill me.</em>
</p>
<p>Hinata shook his head. No this wasn’t the way. No-one deserved to feel this way, especially not after what he went through at the hands of another. This was wrong. Goshiki was wrong. He inhaled sharply before willing his own void to burst forth from his fingertips. There was a static sensation in his fingertips as the wisps made contact with Goshiki’s tattoos.</p>
<p>He spoke aloud, willing his thoughts to pass through the connection they had through Kei.</p>
<p>“You’re wrong. You deserve to live.”</p>
<p>There was no response.</p>
<p>“Goshiki. You didn’t want to do that. You didn’t want to kill people. Stop saying you’re responsible when you’re not.”</p>
<p>
  <em>I killed them. It was me. It was MY hand that threw that stone, it was MY magic that set the district ablaze. It was ME who lost control of himself.</em>
</p>
<p>“You were being controlled. You know that. You know he was the one responsible.” The runestone at his neck was hot to the touch as it bumped against his chest. “We all know he did that to you, we know you wanted no part in it. We saw it!”</p>
<p>
  <em>Doesn</em>
  <em>’t change that I did it. Doesn’t bring those people back. Why should I be alive and they all be dead? I should’ve died that night. </em>
</p>
<p>It was a question Hinata had heard asked before. Apologies didn’t bring the dead back. Remorse didn’t rebuild the town that was destroyed. He had broken the rules of nature once before to change things, but Goshiki wasn’t gifted with such magic. This was a problem that everyone faced, that even he faced now. The past was the past, they couldn’t go back and stop Akiteru getting to him, but they could try to overcome the damage he wrought.</p>
<p>“You need to be alive so you can live the life you were meant to live.” He pleaded to the darkness. “You’re more than what he forced upon you. You’re more than a tool in his game.”</p>
<p>
  <em>Easy for you to say. You don</em>
  <em>’t have a clue what it’s like to carry this burden.</em>
</p>
<p>Hinata gritted his teeth. He did. He knew how heavy burdens could feel on his shoulders. Conjuring Hēishān had been the easiest part of the entire thing. He couldn’t dwell on it whilst still connected to Kei.</p>
<p>“You think I don’t. But I do. And I know how guilt can eat at you.” He spoke softer, his free hand straying to his pocket. “It can devour you whole, make you question everything. The void will swallow you whole if you let it.”</p>
<p>He paused.</p>
<p>“Don’t let it swallow you Goshiki. You need to fight it. You need to fight these feelings.”</p>
<p>Within the darkness there came a faint purple hue. The thick rolling fog was coming back. From within it he could see shadows, or rather one shadow. He felt like he had been transported back to when he met himself. When he first conquered his void in the mage quarters of Hokubujōsai, the surreal feeling of blurred boundaries between fake and reality.</p>
<p>
  <em>I can</em>
  <em>’t. There’s no point. I can’t undo what I did.</em>
</p>
<p>Flashes of lightning came from within the fog, violent rumbles of thunder shook him to his core. Hinata stood rooted to the spot in his mind’s eye as Goshiki’s form became clearer. He wasn’t sure if Goshiki could see him <em>and</em> Kei or just him. His fingers tingled as he dropped his hand to rest flush against Goshiki’s chest and willed his magic to pour from his fingertips into the inked lines. His hand burned like he was pressing it against hot iron but he refused to yield.</p>
<p>“No, you can’t. But you can be better. Others have done similar crimes and battled their void.” His other hand closed around the pure stone in his pocket. It pulsed with heat, a promising feeling of hope, the hope he remembered feeling as he emerged from that volcano. “They’ve battled it. They’ve beaten it. They’re striving to do better. It’s not an easy road, but it’s possible.”</p>
<p>
  <em>I can</em>
  <em>’t…</em>
</p>
<p>“You just need to focus on the light. The light within the darkness.” Hinata slowly brought the stone out of his pocket. He slipped it into Goshiki’s hand as he lay there. Within their alternate world, a small white orb appeared; a lighter hue of purple surrounded it. “Take hold of the light, focus on what the future can hold. Focus on the future that <em>you</em> want. Only you can make that first step Tsutomu.”</p>
<p>Goshiki considered the glowing orb with a curious gaze. His eyes were wide as he took Hinata’s statement at face value.</p>
<p>
  <em>But, I</em>
  <em>’m scared…I’m alone…</em>
</p>
<p>Hinata shook his head. He forced Goshiki’s fingers to close around the pure stone. “You’re not going to be alone anymore. You have us. The Brotherhood is here for you. We persevere in the shadows to the light beyond the darkness. We will help you as long as you need us to.”</p>
<p>Goshiki’s hand reached out and took the orb in his hand. The rolling fog began to dissipate, the lightning easing and thunder fading. Goshiki cradled the white orb in his hands. Tears spilt from his eyes as the white orb glowed brighter than any other element thus far.</p>
<p>
  <em>Please don</em>
  <em>’t leave me…I don’t want to be alone in this anymore.</em>
</p>
<p>“You won’t be alone. We’ll be here when you wake up. I promise.”</p>
<p>He nodded. Slowly the scene faded from his mind. Hinata felt a weight lift off his chest.</p>
<p>
  <em>‘Open your eyes.’</em>
</p>
<p>He did. Kei met his gaze with a calm expression. The surge of energy eased and his fingers were left feeling numb from it all. Looking down, Hinata saw Goshiki still holding the pure stone, its white light pulsed slightly. The room felt empty, or at least less heavy than before. The glow of the tattoos had faded, Goshiki’s pained expression along with it. His breathing was normal for the first time in hours.</p>
<p>Hinata slumped to his knees, Kei took a few steps back until he hit the wall and then slumped to the floor. Neither said anything. Lev watched Goshiki’s chest rising and falling steadily with each breath. The silence in the room felt deafening to Hinata after everything he had heard and felt. If that was what Akaashi went through every time he performed his miracle works, no wonder he was often passed out for days afterwards. He had a newfound appreciation for empath mages.</p>
<p>Hinata summoned some strength within him to stand. Kei was holding his head in his hands. With Goshiki appearing stable, Hinata slowly made his way over to Kei. His tattoos were faintly pulsing purple.</p>
<p>“Hey.” He whispered. “Are you okay?”</p>
<p>Kei’s breathing was ragged, he took his eyeglasses off and rubbed his eyes. “God my brother is a bastard.”</p>
<p>Hinata weakly smiled. “I mean…I guess.”</p>
<p>Kei shook his head. “Whatever,” he sniffed loudly, replacing his eyeglasses. “You should tell the others that Goshiki is fine.”</p>
<p>“Is he fine?”</p>
<p>Kei nodded. “What you did…you gave him hope.” He bumped his head against the wall. “He’s not totally fixed, no, but…he’ll hang on for now.” Kei closed his eyes, “And that’s all you need, you need him to hang on.”</p>
<p>Hope was a funny thing. Hinata knew that better than most. “It wouldn’t have worked without you guiding me though. I would’ve gotten lost to it myself.”</p>
<p>Kei shrugged. “If you say so.”</p>
<p>“I know so.” Hinata smiled at him even if he wasn’t looking at him. “So we did it together.”</p>
<p>Kei shrugged again, sighing heavily. Hinata left him be, exhaustion obvious in his expression. He stood up and returned to Goshiki’s side. He took hold of Goshiki’s free hand and gave it a squeeze. He was still under the effects of the sleeping draught, but Hinata did promise him after all.</p>
<p>Lev jumped off the bed and clawed at the door. After a few small yowls, the door opened. Shirabu poked his head in and got beckoned further in by Hinata. Rather than letting everyone in, Shirabu closed the door behind him. He approached the bed and took in the scene of Hinata’s exhausted expression, Kei was still in the corner but he was awake.</p>
<p>“…is he?” Shirabu dared to ask.</p>
<p> Hinata felt the faintest squeeze to his hand, tiredness and relief came in equal measures for him. He was near bursting into tears.</p>
<p>“He’s…going to need us.” Hinata eventually replied. “But I promised him I’d be here when he woke up.”</p>
<p>Shirabu nodded. “Shall I keep the others out?”</p>
<p>Hinata glanced over his shoulder at Kei before meeting Shirabu’s gaze. “Maybe get some food brought up for Kei…but I’m okay with the others being here.”</p>
<p>Shirabu wasn’t sure letting all of them in was a smart idea. He decided to compromise and insist only Kenma be allowed in. As soon as Kenma walked into the room and saw Hinata by Goshiki’s side, he felt a surge of pride and relief all rolled into one. Shirabu had turned his attention to Kei, insisting on checking on his exhausted state. So Kenma slowly approached Goshiki’s bed and smiled at Hinata. He noticed the pure stone held in Goshiki’s other hand and raised an eyebrow.</p>
<p>“Do I want to know how you did it?”</p>
<p>Hinata shrugged. “I just…told him what he needed to hear.” He squeezed Goshiki’s hand again. “That there’s a light beyond the darkness…that the Brotherhood will be here for him…that he won’t be alone.”</p>
<p>“And the pure stone?</p>
<p>Hinata smiled. “He needs it more than I do.”</p>
<p>Kenma nodded, kneeling next to the bed. He could save the rest of the questions for later. Right now he was more than happy to just sit and revel in this small victory of theirs. They just had to wait for Goshiki to wake up now. He glanced over at Kei, his tattoos were fading in light now as Shirabu gently turned his palms over to treat the minor friction burns.</p>
<p>This didn’t excuse everything he had done already, but it was an important first step. Kenma could confidently tell the others that Kei was on their side for now, and if Goshiki’s state was anything to go by; he might be crucial in the fight yet to come.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0061"><h2>61. Spirits in the Sky</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>LXI</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Spirit In The Sky</strong>
</p>
<p>Kuroo was right in one thing; the others wanted answers. They deserved answers. He had already told them that he intended to give Kei a second chance, but to allow him into the manor and then go to see Goshiki in his current state? Yeah that was a little bit of a leap in faith. He was somewhat surprised that none of them immediately jumped down his throat over it, even the likes of Tooru were patient as he had a hushed conversation with Akaashi in the foyer before returning to the parlour.</p>
<p>“Alright, I know you’re all probably confused as to why I just let him waltz in here.” He started. “And honestly, I wasn’t entirely planning to but Kenma insisted.” He looked to Akaashi for backup.</p>
<p>Akaashi shrugged slightly. “We came to the conclusion a while ago that only an empath mage could truly help Goshiki. Whilst I could’ve attempted…we deemed it too risky.”</p>
<p>“So you’re letting Kei do it?” Tanaka wrinkled his nose. “Why?”</p>
<p>“If he wants redemption so badly, this is the perfect time.” Akaashi replied without a hint of emotion. “Look, if Kenma thought the risks outweighed the rewards, he wouldn’t have allowed Kei up there. I trust Kenma’s judgement on this matter, so I’m imploring that you all trust him too. He’s never led us astray before.”</p>
<p>There were nods of, albeit reluctant, understanding and agreement. Kuroo let out a sigh of relief that Akaashi had managed to put it all to eloquently. It took a weight off his shoulders as the group returned to their idle chitchat. He still had the letter to process; that Yachi wanted them to do whatever it took to stop Akiteru.</p>
<p>“So in regard to the letter Kei delivered about Yachi,” he spoke in a more closed conversation with Tooru and Tobio, “she’s being confined in the west wing. So my best guess is that Akiteru will pull some sort of ‘the empress is ill’ card on the eve of whatever event he’s planning. Also, he’s inviting a load of former kings of the kingdoms they’ve acquired over time.”</p>
<p>Tobio frowned. “Right. Former kings.”</p>
<p>“Kei implies that they’re only invited to the imperial palace for important events. Like, we’re talking empire-wide important.”</p>
<p>“Like the changing of a ruler.” Tooru remarked. “He wants to sweeten their tea before he deposes the empress so he has their support.”</p>
<p>Kuroo snorted at the analogy. “I guess you’re familiar with this behaviour.”</p>
<p>Tooru nodded. “It’s a lot less…obvious. My nobles are more prone to just stating what they want and getting on with it.”</p>
<p>Tobio gave a wry smile. “See, not having nobles is so much better.”</p>
<p>Tooru returned the smile. “If you say so, but at least I can delegate.”</p>
<p>Kuroo sighed. “Alright quit it.” He looked between them. “The point here is that if he’s holding such an extravagant ball, you both need to get your shit together.”</p>
<p>Tooru looked genuinely offended at the accusation that he didn’t have everything in order, Tobio less so. Kuroo wasn’t about to start stating that he had a plan as of yet, but he wanted to keep them both from sitting back and letting everyone else do all the work. With Kei still upstairs, there was a wider understanding that it was off limits for now, relegating everyone to the parlour for now.</p>
<p>Tobio wasn’t in a hurry to return to idly chatting as he glanced around the room and found that Hinata wasn’t with them like he had thought. His confusion was clear as Kenma entered the room.</p>
<p>“Ah, Hinata? Uh well.” He wasn’t sure how to tell Tobio this in anything less than blunt terms. “He’s with Kei. Together they’re working to try and help Goshiki.”</p>
<p>Tobio’s eyes widened a little, but he didn’t seem that surprised. Kenma raised an eyebrow as instead of a frown, Tobio began to smile slightly.</p>
<p>“You don’t seem upset about this.”</p>
<p>Tobio shrugged. “What can I say, dumbass likes to help people.”</p>
<p>Kenma returned the smile, turning to return upstairs and wait for it to be over. “That he does, that he does.”</p>
<p>Whilst things were still uncertain upstairs, Kenma felt a little more at ease knowing that Tobio wasn’t about to march up there and involve himself. Maybe it was a sign that he was realising not everything could be solved by willpower and royal titles alone. Sometimes the best he could do is step back and wait to lend assistance. Sometimes his best option was to be there for the others in the aftermath.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Shirabu had deemed Kei okay enough to not need immediate treatment. He was also stubborn, insisting he wasn’t injured in any way, though he did accept the offer of food. He remained in the room as Hinata waited by Goshiki’s bed side, watching in silence as Kenma slowly checked each of Goshiki’s tattoos for fresh scarring. Burns and scars littered pale skin but most were several months old at least. The pale stone continued to pulse as Goshiki slept, his fingers loosely closed around it.</p>
<p>Hinata had remained silent, continuing to hold Goshiki’s other hand. His chest hurt where his scars were, the runestone had scalded his skin a few times during the ritual. He remained quiet, vigilant in his watch. In the eerie quiet, Kei had moved to sit at the end of one of the beds, his gaze loosely focused on the pure stone.</p>
<p>“How did you do it?” Kei asked, breaking the silence.</p>
<p>Hinata met his gaze. “What?”</p>
<p>“Convinced him…that there’s more to life than regret?”</p>
<p>Hinata shrugged. “It’s a long story I guess, but I mean,” he squeezed Goshiki’s hand as he looked back to his sleeping form, “if we all wallowed in our regrets, we’d never better ourselves. Things would remain broken and lost.”</p>
<p>Kenma nodded in agreement. Kei merely hummed in thought at first. “And the stone?”</p>
<p>Hinata laughed nervously. “I uh, got given it by someone. She said it has a power unmatched by any other stone…I figured it would be what we needed.”</p>
<p>The stone required a cost, but he wasn’t going to dwell on that for now. There was a chance that the cost was him not having it anymore, that Goshiki would need it on him constantly to benefit its calming effect. There was also a chance that the cost as similar to that of when he went back in time; living with knowing what horrors lurked in the shadows.</p>
<p>“When he wakes up, I guess we’ll know if it worked.” Kenma said, looking down at the stone. “And whether this stone is as powerful as you imply it to be.”</p>
<p>Hinata smiled. “I mean, it helped me summon Hēishān, so it’s got something to it.”</p>
<p>Kei wryly smiled. “Hēishān.”</p>
<p>“The dragon.” Hinata clarified. “The dragon I summoned to save Tobio.” It occurred to Hinata that Kei didn’t know the <em>full</em> story. He smiled to himself. “You know, throw yourself into a volcano, talk to a dead dragon, convince him that you’re House Kageyama’s new protector…standard mage stuff.”</p>
<p>“…I’m going to pretend I believe you.” Kei remarked.</p>
<p>Hinata spluttered, giving him a startled look as Kenma laughed. Honestly, that was the most sane response anyone had given to Hinata’s recollection of lunacy. Like it or not, it was true. Kei didn’t seem overly bothered by it, more focused on their future fight, not past ones. Shirabu returned with some stew for him which ended any further conversation.</p>
<p>Goshiki continued to sleep through it all, though a lot more peacefully now than before.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>He hadn’t intended to fall asleep, but exhaustion had crept up on him. Hinata awoke to a bright light in the room. Except he wasn’t in the room he fell asleep in. He was alone. Darkness was around him with the exception of this white light. It began to morph into a more recognisable form of a stag, a stag with large wings of a dragon and moss hanging from antlers.</p>
<p>
  <em>‘Shoyo, Protector of House Kageyama.’</em>
</p>
<p>He nodded as the white light didn’t dim, the silhouette of the kirin stood still in the darkness. She radiated light but didn’t illuminate their surroundings. Darkness stretched out in every direction.</p>
<p>“Is something wrong?”</p>
<p>She shook her head. The moss hanging from her antlers swinging slightly. <em>‘Quite the opposite. You have done what should’ve been impossible.’</em></p>
<p>He swallowed. “Okay…so what’s…why are you here?”</p>
<p>From the darkness he heard birds. Wings flapped as he stood rooted to the spot. Though he couldn’t see them, he could feel them swooping low just above his head. He wasn’t sure if this was a bad omen or a good one.</p>
<p>
  <em>‘You are stood on a precipice once more. Before you lies another trial, but it is not just your trial to face.’</em>
</p>
<p>The birds began to glow faintly as they circled. Some were larger than others, he could make out an owl clearer with its wide head and white glowing eyes, a bright red hue surrounded it, illuminating its silvery feathers. Crows swooped lower, he could hear their caws and feel their wings beat against the air around him, flashes of vibrant orange, bright blue and deep red accompanying them.</p>
<p>
  <em>‘You will play your part, just as you did in the Battle of the Dynasty, but it may not be the most treacherous. There are others around you who will need you, and not just the one you swore to protect.’</em>
</p>
<p>The birds continued to swoop around them, the crows almost following the owl as it glided gracefully. He wasn’t sure what to make of it all, what each represented was obvious, but what did <em>he</em> have to do?</p>
<p>“…so I need to help the others?”</p>
<p>She was silent for a moment. The swirling vortex of birds dispersed into the darkness. From behind her a giant eagle emerged. Its white light rivalled hers in brightness but there was a purple hue to it, wisps were slowly wrapping around it like a snake choking its prey.</p>
<p>
  <em>‘There is a saying, one from the tribes long ago,’</em>
</p>
<p>From behind him, the owl screeched. He felt a gust of air as several crows streaked past him towards the eagle soaring above them. He watched with wide eyes as they tore at the purple wisps. The wisps did not fade without a fight, lashing out at the crows in anger. Still they persisted.</p>
<p>
  <em>‘That when crows flock together, they may even kill a mighty eagle. Though in this case,’</em>
</p>
<p>The owl screeched again, flying past Hinata’s head with the rest of the flock and joining the others in their efforts to rid the eagle of the purple wisps. The caws and screeches filled the air as if both were communicating. As if they were working together.</p>
<p>
  <em>‘In this case, perhaps instead of killing her, they might save her.’</em>
</p>
<p>The purple wisps fell away, as did the crows. The eagle soared higher, joined by the large owl. He stared in awe as her white light brightened. Another screech, different this time as fire erupted around him and a larger bird rose from the flames; the phoenix and her red feathers brought more colour to the darkness as she rose to meet the other two. He waited, already anticipating the arrival of another.</p>
<p>A deafening roar signalled his hunch being proven right. The dragon of House Kageyama burst forth, a radiant orange hue surrounding its dark scales as its serpent like body moved with grace through the shadows. Above them the aerial display seemed complete; the white eagle in the centre, around her the silver owl, red phoenix and orange dragon circled and flocking around them were the dozens of crows in various hues of red, blue, and orange.</p>
<p>He was filled with a sense of hope, yet he still didn’t know what was being asked of him. “So what do I need to do?”</p>
<p>
  <em>‘You know who is responsible for threatening the peace. You know who must be stopped. You know who must be the one who face him.’</em>
</p>
<p>Hinata knew it wasn’t him. He knew it was Akaashi. Akaashi had always been the one to match him in skill in the magic he could not perform by himself. Ever since the ritual to save Kiyoko, Akaashi had been a more powerful mage than they realised. By all accounts, he was just as deserving of the title of aura mage as Hinata was. The fact he didn’t wield elements was the only thing stopping him being called that.</p>
<p>“Akaashi.”</p>
<p>
  <em>‘Indeed. But just as Kei could not save Goshiki by himself, Akaashi will need your help too. In truth, this is not a task achievable by one person; you must all work together. You must flock like crows.’</em>
</p>
<p>He gazed up at the aerial display, at so many creatures coexisting in harmony. This was what the realm should look like, no battles or wars, no death or destruction. Just everyone living beside one another, working together to keep the balance of peace.</p>
<p>“Flock like crows.” He repeated, looking back to the kirin. “Do I have to kill him?”</p>
<p>She tilted her head slightly. ‘<em>Do you think he deserves to die for his crimes? This is the question that will be asked of many, of Tobio Kageyama, of Tooru Oikawa, of you. Who decides who should live and who should die? And more importantly, can the man who passes that judgement swing the sword?</em><em>’</em></p>
<p>He glanced up again. The different hues of colours were bleeding into one another. It was like a rainbow, a mixture of all creeds and families. There was a warmth inside him.</p>
<p>
  <em>‘If you are ever in any doubt, remember you are not alone, though you walk a lonely path there are others beside you. They will help you find the light in the darkness.’ </em>
</p>
<p>“Yeah…and I have to help them in return.”</p>
<p>
  <em>‘That is the way of friendship, of brotherhood and family. That is your way. That is their way. You are one in the same.’</em>
</p>
<p>The crows above cawed almost in agreement. Hinata smiled. To come out on top here, to win this battle they faced, they needed to stick together. They needed to remain true to themselves. They needed to embrace the spirit of the crows and flock together. They had done it once before, they could do it again.</p>
<p>“I get it.” He smiled at her. “Stick together, have each other’s backs and make sure Akaashi succeeds.”</p>
<p>
  <em>‘You have come far in your journey Shoyo. Succeed here and peace will fall upon the realm for the first time in generations. That is not to say it will always be that way, but your legacy will be one for future generations to look upon with pride, with awe and admiration. Proof that one person can make a difference.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>You will inspire many, your story will live long in the hearts of man. All you have to do is succeed.</em>
  <em>’</em>
</p>
<p>“I can do that.” He grinned. “I’m the protector of House Kageyama after all.”</p>
<p>
  <em>‘That you are. Good luck Shoyo. The spirits will be watching.’</em>
</p>
<p>She began to fade from view. Above him the celestial birds started to drift apart until only the dragon of House Kageyama remained. Hēishān’s form was the last to fade with a whisper on the wind.</p>
<p>
  <em>‘Let the Magic Flow.’</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>“Oi, wake up.” Shirabu’s voice pierced the darkness. Hinata shot up, blinking wildly as the dimness of the candles didn’t provide much light.</p>
<p>“I’m awake.”</p>
<p>There was a snort next to him, he glanced over and saw Goshiki sat up, awake, and not in any visible pain. Hinata realised now that he had been asleep for a while, but that was quickly forgotten as he saw the pure stone still in Goshiki’s hand.</p>
<p>“You’re awake.” He stated.</p>
<p>Goshiki nodded. “I am.” He seemed different, more at peace, less wound up about everything. “You were asleep and drooling.”</p>
<p>Hinata pouted, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “I mean, it was pretty exhausting.”</p>
<p>There was a small chuckle from Goshiki. It sounded almost odd. Hinata found himself smiling at it. Shirabu certainly seemed more relaxed as he sighed with a smile.</p>
<p>“In any case, it’s late Hinata, Tobio is probably wondering where the hell you are.”</p>
<p>Hinata blinked. How long had he been asleep? He scrambled to his feet, not really thinking about the other mages in the room giving him amused expressions.</p>
<p>“Crap.” He rubbed the back of his head, looking back to Goshiki and pointing to the pure stone. “Uh, you keep that for now.”</p>
<p>Goshiki looked down at the glowing gem. “Sure?”</p>
<p>Hinata nodded, quickly leaving the room before he could get caught up in conversation. The hallway was dark, a few candles illuminated it but it was clear that most had retired for the night. He tried to keep his noise down as he entered Tobio’s room. It was dark, the candle already out. He felt a little guilty for leaving Tobio alone.</p>
<p>“You awake?” He murmured to the darkness in faint hope.</p>
<p>There was a small grunt, a half-asleep Tobio noise. He smiled to himself, stripping off his shirt as he paced over to the bed. Tobio grunted again as he climbed into bed and burrowed under the covers.</p>
<p>“Was wonderin’ where you were…” he mumbled.</p>
<p>“I’m here now.” Hinata breathed. “I’m sorry.”</p>
<p>Tobio snorted, flinging an arm over Hinata’s waist and pulling him closer. Close enough to bump noses. “Stop apologising for being a good person.”</p>
<p>“I…uh…okay.” He stammered, feeling lips pressing against his. He allowed Tobio to kiss him, melting into his touch in the darkness. This was fine. He smiled into the kiss as Tobio pulled back and pressed his forehead to Hinata’s.</p>
<p>“I love you…you and your big heart and stupid determination to help everyone…” Tobio mumbled.</p>
<p>Hinata’s chest ached. That sounded like such a Tobio confession. He couldn’t help but smile into another kiss. “I…love you too. Even though you’re really stubborn and sort of cold sometimes.”</p>
<p>Tobio snorted. “Good job I have you to warm me up.”</p>
<p>Hinata felt his face flush red. “G-Go to sleep Tobio.”</p>
<p>“Yeah yeah…” Tobio tightened his grip on Hinata’s waist before he relaxed. Hinata reached up and gently ran a hand through his hair, trailing his hand down the arm wrapped around his waist. Tobio’s way with words wasn’t always the most eloquent but he didn’t mind. Tobio spoke bluntly but it didn’t mean he wasn’t sincere.</p>
<p>“Big heart and stupid determination…” he murmured aloud. He supposed there were worse things to be known for.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0062"><h2>62. An Aura of Positivity</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>LXII</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>An Aura Of Positivity</strong>
</p>
<p>As a new day dawned on the manor, the heaviness that had hung in the air seemed to lift like a fog being swept away by brisk winds. Though precious few knew what had happened, the rest were by no means oblivious to it. That didn’t mean they could afford to waste time basking in it. If anything, the small victory was the boost many needed in such a hopeless situation. The letter from Yachi was set on the dining table alongside the floor-plans from Osamu. A plan was pulling together slowly.</p>
<p>There was yet to be an official writ, but time was still passing. Their date with fate was creeping closer. Daichi and Kuroo poured over the inked lines, their conversation never-ending. Others drifted in and out, many ideas had been turned down already but now they felt like they were getting somewhere. Daichi’s conversation with Kenma a few nights previously had thrown up one of the more outlandish ideas.</p>
<p>“You want to put Lev through the portal.” Kuroo repeated.</p>
<p>“Kenma suggested it, but yes.” Daichi nodded, pointing to the room that they had deduced Yachi was being held in. “If we can get Kei to deliver the second portal and activate it, Lev will be able to slip through and offer her some protection until the others get to her.”</p>
<p>Kuroo smiled. “I like it.”</p>
<p>“Thought you might.” Daichi returned the smile. “So then Kenma, Noya and Shirabu make their way through the palace as servants. With the passage being offered by the Miya family we can get Yachi out—”</p>
<p>“Out?”</p>
<p>Daichi paused, looking at Kuroo with confusion. “Yeah, out. Away from danger.”</p>
<p>Kuroo rubbed his chin. “Well,” he looked at the floorplans, “shouldn’t that be her choice?”</p>
<p>“Her choice? Kuroo we don’t even know if she’ll be in her right mind.”</p>
<p>“And I’m sure between Kenma and Shirabu, they can make that call.” Kuroo set his hands on his hips. “I’m not…I just think that if we take her out of the palace, it’ll open up a lot of other issues. We could be seen as kidnapping her, regardless of what we do to Akiteru.”</p>
<p>“True. But we can’t just leave her there.”</p>
<p>Kuroo shrugged. “As I said, Kenma and the others could probably make a call. It depends on what she says as well.”</p>
<p>Sensing that this was the final choice on the matter, Daichi moved onto other aspects of the plan. For the most part it was going to be a game of cat and mouse with Akiteru. The royal parties were going to be in the ballroom for the entirety of the ball, there was no sense dragging them into it, their role was to keep themselves out of trouble. It was the Brotherhood who were going to be working to put this to an end. With the twins assuring them safe passage into the bowels of the palace, it was now a case of who to send and what their orders were.</p>
<p>“Just going for his throat isn’t going to work.” Kuroo stated. “We need to lure him away from the public and get him isolated.”</p>
<p>“Hopefully, Kei will be able to aid in that aspect.” Daichi replied. “Aside from that, the next question is…well, less of a question and more of a final clarification.” He met Kuroo’s gaze. “Akaashi.”</p>
<p>“What about him?”</p>
<p>Daichi gave him a more pointed look. “Is he really going to hold his own against Akiteru? He’s the one who said it’s too dangerous for the others to do it.”</p>
<p>Kuroo sighed. Truthfully, he didn’t like the idea at all, but the alternative was Hinata and it was a matter of who would be less dangerous if unhinged. Akaashi also seemed adamant to prove a point; that he was capable of holding his own and using Akiteru’s own magic against him. Was it necessarily a smart plan? No. Did they have many alternatives? No. Was he going to argue with Akaashi on it? Not a chance.</p>
<p>“I trust him.” Kuroo said eventually. “We trusted him with the reverse-transmutation ritual, Yamaguchi trusted him with Tobio, he held his own on the battlefield—”</p>
<p>“I know he’s well-accomplished.” Daichi cut in. “But this is different to those times, this is another empath mage. This is an actively hostile mage who can and will do everything to break him, to unhinge him, to <em>kill</em> him.” He let a pause hang in the air. “I’m not saying he’s <em>not</em> capable, I’m just saying that this won’t be something he’ll just walk away from without some sort of baggage.”</p>
<p>Kuroo knew all this already. He was painfully aware of the risks but Akaashi was stubborn, he also knew he was the only one capable and prepared to shoulder the burden.</p>
<p>“And that’s why I’ll be there in the aftermath.” Kuroo replied. “Dai, if you’re that against it, then feel free to come up with another plan, feel free to try and talk him out of it. But from where I’m standing it’s the best option we’ve got. What’s the alternative? Slit Akiteru’s throat? He’s not gonna come quietly or willingly.”</p>
<p>Daichi was slightly put out. Kuroo was right, they had precious few options, fewer still would actually <em>work</em>.</p>
<p>“Do you know he’s actually intending to <em>do</em>?”</p>
<p>“Not really. He’s probably not sure himself.” Kuroo looked back to the plans. “But if I recall correctly, we weren’t entirely sure what he was going to do back in Kaiganzoimura.”</p>
<p>“I get it,” Daichi said, reaching out and placing a hand on his shoulder, “you trust him to get it done. I do too. But we owe it to him to think it through and make the rest of the plans work around him. Cause if <em>I</em> recall correctly, it was a team effort.”</p>
<p>Kuroo allowed himself to smile slightly in return. “Yeah. A team effort.”</p>
<p>“So we’re gonna make sure that every person we send into this is able to play their part to help him succeed, to help us <em>all</em> succeed.”</p>
<p>“If it’s any consolation,” Akaashi’s voice interrupted from the doorway. Their gazes snapped up to watch him enter with a small smile. “I’m not intending to do this alone.”</p>
<p>“Yeah?” Kuroo remarked. “And who gets the honour to help?”</p>
<p>“I’m still deciding,” he shrugged, “but it can only be one person. Anyone who’s in that room with us may end up becoming collateral damage. I can’t in good conscience allow others to get hurt needlessly.”</p>
<p>Daichi nodded in agreement. “So, you need Akiteru isolated.”</p>
<p>“Ideally, yes.”</p>
<p>Looking back at the plans there were a variety of rooms that could be used. The issue was getting Akiteru alone. If he was hosting the entire ball, they’d need someone pretty gutsy to drag him away. Gutsy, or personal.</p>
<p>“I’m guessing that asking Kei to mislead his brother would be far too easy.” Kuroo snorted.</p>
<p>“So easy it might work.” Akaashi pointed to the throne room. “If we can get him to the throne room, it’ll be easy to corner him. The corridors leading off are exclusively for serving staff, we can easily bar them before he gets there.”</p>
<p>Daichi followed the train of thought; get Kei to lead Akiteru to the throne room, corner him, make sure there aren’t any guards summoned. The throne room’s location was far enough away from the grand ballroom for a standoff to take place without alerting the rest of the palace. Whoever accompanied Akaashi would have two hallways they could ambush Akiteru from but likewise they could find themselves getting ambushed by guards.</p>
<p>It was still gutsy.</p>
<p>Several things could go wrong, but it was still one of the safer options.</p>
<p>“So convince Kei to play dumb.” Kuroo summarised. “Should be easy if he’s committed.”</p>
<p>“If.” Akaashi uttered, brow furrowing as he noticed a collection of place-markers clustered together. “What’s this?”</p>
<p>Kuroo and Daichi shared a grin. “Well,” Kuroo tried to suppress his laugh, “Kenma came up with a rather…amusing use for Lev.”</p>
<p>“Right.”</p>
<p>“We’re gonna throw Lev through a portal to Yachi.”</p>
<p>Akaashi blinked slowly. “Of course we are.”</p>
<p>“You…don’t hate it?”</p>
<p>Akaashi looked between them. “I’m not arguing with Kenma. If he reckons it’s a good idea then I’m inclined to stick with it. Besides, Lev’s always complaining about not being allowed to help. So…” he shrugged. “Let the lion help.”</p>
<p>They shared a laugh, Daichi was more than a little relieved that Akaashi seemed calm considering the enormity of the task ahead of him. They continued to pour over other aspects of the wider plan; how soon into the ball they’d sneak into the palace, who was going to be paired up with who, what the escape plan was if things went to shit and so on.</p>
<p>One thing was certain, they needed to know if Kei was prepared to be an active part of this or not. Whilst it was an important part of the plan, they could give it a few more hours for him to wake up properly.</p>
<p>He had fallen asleep in the same room as Goshiki, the others hadn’t kicked up a fuss over it considering the late hour they were all up until. Though that didn’t mean they had hung around once they woke up. Only Shirabu stuck around to keep an eye on Goshiki, the rest already moving on with their preparations for the upcoming challenge. Kei found himself waking up and realising that he would have to come up with a reason to give Akiteru for why he didn’t return to the manor last night. That was put out of his mind as he sat up and came face to face with Lev.</p>
<p>“Fucking—” he startled, much to Shirabu’s amusement.</p>
<p>“Morning to you too.” He remarked from beside Goshiki’s bed. Lev tilted his head slightly before deciding his job was done. As the lion made a quick exit from the room through the ajar door, Kei let out a huff.</p>
<p>“Does he always do that?”</p>
<p>Shirabu shook his head. “Nah, you’re just suspicious as fuck.”</p>
<p>Kei pouted. “Right.”</p>
<p>“Can you blame them?” Shirabu remarked, pacing over to him. “You’re still questionable at best in their books.”</p>
<p>Kei shrugged. “And you? Do you see me as a bad guy?”</p>
<p>Shirabu didn’t really have an answer. He hadn’t been directly affected by <em>Kei</em><em>’s</em> actions. Sure, Tooru was double-crossed, sure Tobio got the short end of the stick. But given how much bigger the picture was now compared to a year ago, Kei’s actions seemed rather trivial. Didn’t mean he was a <em>good</em> person, but Shirabu wasn’t going to hold a grudge just because everyone else was.</p>
<p>“I see you as someone who got dealt a shit hand by the gods.” He uttered, mindful that Goshiki was asleep still and that anyone could be outside the door. “I don’t particularly <em>like</em> you, but I don’t hate you either.” He glanced back to Goshiki. “What you did last night was an example of how you can do good things,” he met Kei’s gaze again, “build on that and the others will come around. If you want to be trusted that is.”</p>
<p>There was a noncommittal shrug from Kei. Shirabu didn’t see the point in continuing a conversation on morals, he had shit to do. Goshiki had slept through the night, a blessing in itself, he hadn’t shown any sign of regressing yet. The pure stone was still in his grasp, gentle golden glow pulsing despite the time passed. Shirabu didn’t want to know what the deal with the stone was, it felt like it was far beyond his usual capacity for eccentricity. It had come from Hinata and it seemed to be doing <em>something vaguely positive</em> so he was prepared to just let it be.</p>
<p>“You’re welcome to leave,” Shirabu stated as he returned to Goshiki’s side, “don’t feel like you have to stay here. I’m sure the others are very curious about what you have to say for yourself.”</p>
<p>“I bet…”</p>
<p>“And I’d be inclined to just get it all out in the open.” Shirabu shrugged. “If time is really of the essence, just tell them whatever they wanna hear and get on with figuring out how to stop your brother.”</p>
<p>Kei didn’t argue that fact. Shirabu figured he knew all this already. It was hard to imagine he didn’t anticipate this to be a problem. Though confronting such issues was easier said than done. Even if there was an understanding that they shared a goal, the wounds of the past were still fresh.</p>
<p>“I guess I’ll start with Tobio.” He sighed, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. “Any idea where he’ll be?”</p>
<p>“Either his room or the parlour.”</p>
<p>“Thanks.”</p>
<p>Shirabu nodded, watching as Kei pulled on his light leather jacket and left the room. He allowed himself to smile slightly. He meant what he said, he didn’t see Kei has a bad person, just someone who had a rough time. Though now he was more than capable of making his own choices, he was able to write his own story. It was up to him to put things right now.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Tobio found Kei’s request to talk to him interesting to say the least. It wasn’t unexpected, more curious that he wanted to talk so soon. Lacking many other options, Tobio called his staff to Yamaguchi’s room. It was the largest room available to them with an element of privacy. Hinata was curious at what had prompted Kei to want to talk so soon after last night, yet he wasn’t intending to get caught up in the conversation itself.</p>
<p>This was very much a House Kageyama ordeal, and whilst he was technically part of House Kageyama, he hadn’t been there during Kei’s time. He hadn’t properly seen how Kei took Tobio apart day by day. He just saw the end result. Whilst Hinata seemed relaxed about this conversation, Yamaguchi and Asahi certainly weren’t. Asahi was straight-faced, arms folded across his chest. Yamaguchi refused to be seated even as Tobio offered him a space on the bed. Inuoka leaned against a wall, hands exposed and idly conjuring balls of ice more out of habit than out of threat.</p>
<p>Tobio took Hinata’s hand as they sat on the edge of the bed waiting for Kei to start explaining whatever he needed to.</p>
<p>“So.” Tobio said, keeping a calm expression. “I assume you have something to say for yourself.”</p>
<p>Kei, to his credit, didn’t seem in an arrogant mindset that day. Hinata chewed his lip as Kei shoved his hands in the pockets of his pants. He kept his gaze darting around the room, trying not to look anyone in the eye.</p>
<p>“I’m assuming just saying ‘sorry’ won’t cut it?”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi snorted, Asahi had no visible reaction. Tobio blinked slowly. “It would be a start.”</p>
<p>Kei nodded, gaze directed at the floor. “I’m sorry. For everything I did. I’m sorry.” He bowed slightly, Tobio raised an eyebrow.</p>
<p>It wasn’t that he didn’t believe Kei. He just wasn’t sure how he was supposed to feel. This had been a long road, they weren’t at the end yet. There were still answers needed, Akiteru’s hands were more bloodied than Kei’s, and that was who killed his parents. Kei had simply rubbed salt in the wound.</p>
<p>“Why?” Tobio said. “Why did you do it?”</p>
<p>The reply was quick. “Because I was told to.”</p>
<p>Another snort from Yamaguchi, Tobio acknowledged his displeasure at the answer. He felt weirdly calm considering everything. “Do you regret it?”</p>
<p>The question seemed to throw Kei off. He glanced up before averting his gaze quickly. “Regret…what exactly.”</p>
<p>“Fucking with me.” Tobio uttered, squeezing Hinata’s hand. “Toying with my memories, making shit up, making me relive it all.”</p>
<p>“I regret the pain caused by it.”</p>
<p>“Not good enough.” Tobio replied quickly. There was a beat of silence as he considered his next question. “Did you get a kick out of it?”</p>
<p>“What?”</p>
<p>“I <em>said</em>, did you get a kick out of it? Using your powers like that.” Tobio tilted his head slightly. “You don’t regret <em>doing</em> it, so you must’ve enjoyed some aspect of it.”</p>
<p>Hinata wasn’t sure where this line of questioning was going to get them but he remained quiet. Kei seemed uncomfortable at how specific Tobio was being, how much he was trying to pull back the layers of reasoning to his actions. Yamaguchi looked ready to jump in and give Kei a piece of his mind at the next opportunity but he was holding his tongue for now.</p>
<p>“You know about my…time at the academy.”</p>
<p>“You were bullied.” Tobio stated, tone edging toward aggressive. “Something about your powers being insignificant in the eyes of some. Are you telling me that you were on a power trip when you tortured me? When you showed my mother being gutted? When you showed my family being torn apart by the forces of our allies? The forces that <em>your brother</em> turned against us?” He paused for a moment, trembling slightly. “You did all that because some brats told you that you weren’t good enough, is that your defence?”</p>
<p>The harsh words being used made even Asahi wince slightly. Yamaguchi didn’t give Kei a chance to reply before he voiced his thoughts.</p>
<p>“Pride is a funny thing,” he remarked, looking between Tobio and Kei, “obviously that’s worth more to him than anything else.”</p>
<p>Kei inhaled sharply. “No.” He said. “Pride isn’t what I value—”</p>
<p>“Don’t try to take the high ground now.” Yamaguchi snapped. “You and I have had this conversation before, remember? You were always trying to push him to do whatever he could to protect his pride, to protect his family’s honour, yet <em>you</em> were taking him apart the entire time.” He took a step towards Kei, pointing at him in an accusatory fashion. “<em>You</em> tried to get him to start a fucking war over it. <em>You</em> were the one who was pushing the agenda that he needed to regain some pride.”</p>
<p>“And you slapped me for it if I recall correctly.”</p>
<p>“Damn fucking right I did!” Yamaguchi stepped closer again, now within reach. “And I’ll do it again if I have to—”</p>
<p>“Tadashi.” Tobio spoke up, attempting to defusing the situation. “Please.”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi regarded Kei with a glare before adhering to Tobio’s wish. He stepped back. Tobio gave a few moments for the silence to settle again, for tempers to cool. He looked to Hinata pensively for a moment before looking back to Kei.</p>
<p>“So what made you want to stop your brother now? Why now and not back then?” He asked.</p>
<p>Kei didn’t reply immediately, hands still shoved in his pockets. “In short,” he murmured, “before I left Hinode I still saw him as…my brother. Before I properly found out what he had been doing, and <em>how</em> he had done it…he was almost admirable.” He said. “All he told me was that he had <em>seen</em> all the things happen. He told me others were responsible for it all, that he hadn’t raised a sword. But he also told me that there was an opportunity, an opportunity for me to prove those brats wrong.”</p>
<p>Tobio listened without letting any reaction show. It was almost unnerving how he didn’t seem ready to snap and draw swords over it. “Go on.”</p>
<p>Kei swallowed. “The moment I stepped into the northern territories, I realised it was…different.” He shook his head. “The further south I travelled, the more people I spoke to, the quicker I realised Akiteru had been less than truthful.”</p>
<p>“That’s one way of putting it.” Inuoka uttered under his breath.</p>
<p>“I knew House Oikawa had invaded your home, I didn’t know that Akiteru had pulled so many of the strings.” He stated. “I knew aspects of it but I didn’t realise his full involvement until I returned here. Sure, pieces had fitted together in the time I spent in your court and Tooru’s but even <em>I</em> didn’t figure it out until he greeted me at home. Until he gleefully told me how he had done it all; how he started with Hayato and manipulated his way through to a position of power.” He shook his head. “You can choose not to believe me, but that’s my stance and I’m sticking to it.”</p>
<p>“That didn’t answer my question.” Tobio stated. “Why do you want your brother gone?”</p>
<p>Kei scowled. “He’s fucking insane.”</p>
<p>Tobio didn’t yield. “I know that, but what do <em>you</em> gain from it?”</p>
<p>“Peace of mind that he’s not gonna wreck anyone else’s life? That he’s not gonna torture anyone else? That I can maybe go to bed at night and not be fearful that I’ll wake up to find out he’s committed another war crime?”</p>
<p>Tobio didn’t miss a beat. “You don’t want the throne then, or anything to do with nobility?”</p>
<p>“No I fucking don’t.” Kei snapped, hands leaving his pockets. “I fucking hate this noble bullshit,” he threw his hands in the air in disgust. “Ever since we were told we were going to be responsible for ‘upholding the family legacy’ he’s been insufferable. If I had my way, we’d forfeit it and I’d go live in a cabin in the mountains.”</p>
<p>Tobio wryly smiled. “Really? You hate it that much?”</p>
<p>“Do you <em>see</em> how much shit he’s dragged me through in the name of it?” Kei’s tone was more emotional than usual, it was interesting and amusing in equal measures. “The day we got handed this ‘title’ was the day I lost my brother to their sick game of politics.”</p>
<p>Hinata was starting to see the pattern here. Between what he had overheard in passing and what he had been told; Kei resented how noble status changed everything he knew. Couple it with finding out him and Akiteru were mages and it was a fierce storm. He wasn’t sure if he felt sorry for Kei or if he merely understood the complex emotions that probably surged through him on a daily basis.</p>
<p>Being told you’re special, that you’re one of a kind and you have to uphold a creed you never signed up for was something Hinata knew a little bit about. He had been given a choice though, Kei by all accounts had not.</p>
<p>“I believe you.” Hinata spoke up. “And…I’m sorry for what happened.”</p>
<p>Kei didn’t seem to know how to react to the latter remark. It was almost like this was the first time someone tried to empathise with him. Tobio and Yamaguchi both looked to Hinata with an element of confusion, the former seemed less bothered by his declaration. Yamaguchi didn’t seem convinced though.</p>
<p>“So what are you going to do afterwards?” Yamaguchi asked. “Once we’ve sorted out this mess, what are you going to do?”</p>
<p>“…I don’t know.” Kei shrugged slightly. “I just want him—”</p>
<p>“If you want to make it up to us,” Yamaguchi wasn’t in the mood to listen to him repeating himself, “then I’m sure we can find some dumb labour for you to do. It won’t be pretty and it certainly won’t be anything noble.”</p>
<p>Hinata waited for Tobio to interrupt but he merely nodded in agreement. Kei considered the proposition, hands returning to his pockets. “I uh…I haven’t spoken to Tooru yet—”</p>
<p>“You won’t need to.” Tobio stated. “We already agreed that House Kageyama deals with you. He gets to decide your brother’s fate.”</p>
<p>“…Tooru gets to decide?”</p>
<p>“My family is dead.” Tobio uttered. “And whilst killing him would grant me some degree of satisfaction…it’s not in my blood.” He squeezed Hinata’s hand again. “And Tooru seems to have a score to settle, after all it was his father who was lied to, betrayed and ultimately murdered. We were collateral damage.”</p>
<p>Kei raised his gaze to meet Tobio’s for the first time. Tobio didn’t feel any magical energy being emitted, Kei merely regarded him with silent eyes. “So you’ll have me return with you?”</p>
<p>“If you want to escape nobility so badly and don’t mind basically being a peasant, sure.” Tobio shrugged. “You can repay the debt you owe to our kingdom with labour. You can appreciate the simple things in life.”</p>
<p>Kei swallowed, glancing to Yamaguchi and Inuoka. “And you won’t…”</p>
<p>Inuoka snorted. “I ain’t gonna be a jerk to you, no. But that doesn’t mean we forgive you.”</p>
<p>“Seconded.” Yamaguchi folded his arms across his chest. “But if you take Tobio up on his offer, we won’t be seeing much of each other anyway.”</p>
<p>“I…” Kei exhaled heavily. “Okay. Yes. I’ll…repay the debt.”</p>
<p>Tobio nodded. “Good to hear. We can sort out finer details after all this is over.”</p>
<p>“Of course.”</p>
<p>There was a pause, Tobio quirked an eyebrow before he realised what Kei was waiting for. “You’re dismissed.”</p>
<p>Kei nodded quickly and saw himself out. Yamaguchi waited for footsteps to fade before sighing heavily. Inuoka snapped his fingers to dissipate his ice. Asahi relaxed his posture with a heavy sigh.</p>
<p>“So, I guess that’s that.” Inuoka remarked.</p>
<p>Tobio nodded slowly, expression set in a pensive frown. Yamaguchi shrugged. “I guess I’ll have to find one of the farmer’s guilds to take him under their wing—”</p>
<p>“That won’t be necessary.” Tobio spoke up, breaking his thoughts. “He can be put to work in Hokubujōsai.”</p>
<p>“What?” Inuoka and Yamaguchi said simultaneously, the latter continuing. “In the fortress? Are you sure?”</p>
<p>“Of course.” Tobio seemed unperturbed by the idea. “He wants to repay his debt to us, he can serve me directly.”</p>
<p>Asahi sighed again. “We can sort out the details later. Don’t we have bigger issues to think about?”</p>
<p>“Agreed.” Tobio nodded, standing up and tugging on Hinata’s hand. “I want to know how far Daichi and Kuroo have gotten with their plans.”</p>
<p>Regardless of whether they wanted to drop the conversation or not, Tobio was already on his way to leaving. As the duo left, Asahi chuckled slightly.</p>
<p>“He’s almost like an entirely different person to when he last saw Kei.”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi allowed himself to smile in agreement. “It’s nice isn’t it, how he can stand up for himself without being snappy.”</p>
<p>“The Hinata effect.” Inuoka remarked. “Guy just has this aura of positivity.”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi and Asahi didn’t find that hard to believe. An aura of positivity was sorely needed after everything they had been through.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0063"><h2>63. The Planning Continues</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>LXIII</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>The Planning Continues</strong>
</p>
<p>The pure stone pulsed in his hands as Goshiki turned it over. Kenma had brought him some breakfast and remained by his side now as he dwelled on what had happened. He hadn’t been surprised that he regressed the way he did. He hadn’t tried to fight it. Until now he had no reason to.</p>
<p>“What even <em>is</em> this?” He asked, holding up the smooth stone.</p>
<p>Kenma smiled. “They say a star fell from the heavens and broke into a hundred pieces. They call the fragments ‘pure stones’, and somehow Shoyo came across one.”</p>
<p>Goshiki snorted. “Right. So it’s part of a star.”</p>
<p>“Supposedly.” Kenma shrugged. “All I’ve worked out is that it’s a…blank runestone of sorts. Shoyo used it in the Battle of Dynasty to summon the dragon.”</p>
<p>“The dragon.” Goshiki repeated, turning the stone over again. “So it’s powerful.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, and he’s entrusted it to you for now.” Kenma honestly didn't know <em>why</em> Hinata had given it to Goshiki but he could speculate that his logic was something akin to; if it can summon a dragon, it can ease an unhinged mage. “So don’t lose it.”</p>
<p>“Geez no pressure.” Goshiki remarked, a slight smirk gracing his face as he closed his fingers around the stone. It was warm to the touch as it pulsed. It didn’t really do anything <em>but</em> pulse. He wasn’t sure what it was meant to do, but he equally didn’t want to find out what would find out if he let go of it.</p>
<p>“My advice, just trust Shoyo.” Kenma smiled. “He’s a once in an age mage, favoured by the spirits of House Kageyama and magical creatures alike, but that’s not what makes him worthy of trust in my eyes.” He glanced at the stone, “Abilities and magic aside, it’s Shoyo’s pure heart that enabled him to make the choices that needed to be made. Hēishān didn’t come forth from the depths of a volcano just because Shoyo can wield several elements. He came forth because Shoyo wanted to save lives, because Shoyo hates seeing those around him suffer and he was prepared to do anything to protect us.”</p>
<p>Goshiki took a few moments to process what Kenma had said. It was a heavy topic to be talking about but he knew little about the Brotherhood’s struggles. He knew little about the south at all. Hearing that Hinata was more powerful and important than he let on was amusing in a way. Many mages would love to parade their powers and accomplishments around, yet Hinata seemed almost going out of his way to downplay it.</p>
<p>“Did he really throw himself into a volcano?”</p>
<p>“Yup.” Kenma’s smile grew. “And there’s plenty of equally crazy stories where that came from.”</p>
<p>“Well I ain’t going anywhere…so humour me?”</p>
<p>Kenma considered saying no, that Goshiki should rest, but he also knew how Goshiki was liable to be as unruly as Yaku if he was bed-bound all day with nothing to do. “Alright, should I start at the beginning when Shoyo first stumbled into our old base and nearly got stabbed by Kunimi?”</p>
<p>Goshiki laughed, compared to the maniacal and sassy cackles Kenma had previously heard from him, it was almost pure by comparison. “Oh god, please do. Sounds like a saga and a half.”</p>
<p>“A saga...yeah that’s one way of putting it.” Kenma chuckled.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Having been dismissed from talking to Tobio, Kei found himself face to face with Iwaizumi. He wasn’t exactly overjoyed at this fact, but he didn’t really see a way to avoid it for much longer.</p>
<p>“I guess Tooru wants to talk to me.” He sighed.</p>
<p>Iwaizumi shook his head. “He doesn’t, but I do.”</p>
<p>That surprised Kei a little, Iwaizumi didn’t offer any further hints for what this was about; merely nodding for him to follow. Iwaizumi led him downstairs and out to the garden. It wasn’t empty, the clashing of steel rang out as swords collided. Kiyoko and Tanaka were duelling under Bokuto’s watch, none of them gave them more than a brief glance as Iwaizumi halted to watch for a few moments.</p>
<p>Before Kei could get too absorbed in the duelling, Iwaizumi spoke. “Tooru doesn’t really give a shit about what you did.”</p>
<p>Kei was silent for a moment. “He doesn’t?”</p>
<p>“He wants your brother in chains, then he’s going to execute him.” Iwaizumi stated, folding his arms. “You annoyed him, but all you did was lie to him, which yeah he’s pissed about but not enough to kill you.”</p>
<p>“Great?”</p>
<p>Iwaizumi shrugged. “That’s why he’s decided Tobio can deal with you. To him you’re nothing.”</p>
<p>“Honestly, that’s more than I could hope for.”</p>
<p>He got a slightly puzzled look from Iwaizumi but the knight was quick to drop it. “He does have one thing to offer you though.”</p>
<p>“Yeah?”</p>
<p>Iwaizumi sighed slightly, turning to fully face Kei. “Family ties mean a lot in our kingdom. As much as I get the impression you give zero fucks about your family name, our nobles and people will make the connection. Once Tooru exposes your brother for the traitor and murderer he is, your name will be tainted. If you ever step foot in Tanishiti again you won’t get a warm welcome.”</p>
<p>Kei wondered where this was going. “And what’s his majesty’s offer?”</p>
<p>“Publicly denounce your brother’s actions. Tooru will state you were instrumental in bringing him to justice and it’ll alleviate some of the bad blood the people will have for you.”</p>
<p>Kei chuckled slightly, puzzling Iwaizumi again. “I mean, that’s if Tobio lets me out of his kingdom…”</p>
<p>“He will.”</p>
<p>Kei shrugged. “I’ll think about it. Honestly I don’t have intentions of returning to Tanishiti,” he coyly smiled, “no offence.”</p>
<p>There was a snort in reply. “Believe me, none taken. I’d almost prefer you not to.”</p>
<p>“So why extend this offer?”</p>
<p>“Because Tooru doesn’t just want to cut you loose and wash his hands of all of it.” Iwaizumi gave him a stern look. “He wants to be better than that. He wants to make a point that everyone deserves a chance to explain themselves. To admit they made a mistake.”</p>
<p>“Uh-huh.” Kei shoved his hands in his pockets. “I’ll think about it. We have to catch my brother first y’know.”</p>
<p>“Oh I know, speaking of which,” Iwaizumi glanced to the manor, “I think Daichi and Kuroo want to know to what extent you’re willing to help with their crazy plan.”</p>
<p>“Oh boy, I can’t wait.” Kei remarked, getting a slight chuckle from Iwaizumi. “They’re lunatics.”</p>
<p>“That they are, but they’re the best at what they do.”</p>
<p>“What, breeding chaos wherever they go?”</p>
<p>“You’re just salty they figured out what you were doing and put a stop to it.” Iwaizumi scoffed, deciding the conversation was over and leaving Kei in interest of joining Bokuto in watching the duel.</p>
<p>Kei decided not to take offence at the remark. He figured everyone was thinking similar things anyway. This was a hard transition, but despite the frosty reception he was already feeling more welcome here than in his own home. Finding Daichi and Kuroo was easy considering the dining table was the only place big enough to hold the extensive floor-plans on one table. He froze in the doorway, his gaze finding Akaashi’s far too quickly.</p>
<p>The conversation that had been taking place was cut off abruptly as Kuroo and Daichi took notice of Akaashi’s blank stare. As they realised Kei was in the doorway, they understood. Akaashi had been trying to work out how he was going to deal with working alongside Kei. Saying he trusted the other’s judgement was one thing, actually confronting Kei was another entirely. They still hadn’t strictly spoken about the whole ‘Kei ordering Semi to kill him’ thing.</p>
<p>“Are you coming in or what?” He asked Kei.</p>
<p>Kei nodded, stepping into the room and casting his eyes over the parchment spread across the table. “Iwaizumi said you were looking for me.”</p>
<p>Daichi nodded, deciding to get to the point quickly before the conversation could be derailed. “Basically how much are you willing to be involved in this?”</p>
<p>“How much do you need me to be?”</p>
<p>“Would you be able to lure your brother to the throne room?”</p>
<p>Kei thought it over for a few moments, Akaashi watching his brows furrow slightly. “I could.” He met Akaashi’s gaze. “I assume that’s where you’ll be waiting for him?”</p>
<p>Akaashi nodded. “Me and one other.”</p>
<p>“Who?”</p>
<p>“Haven’t decided yet. Does it matter?” Akaashi’s gaze was unyielding.</p>
<p>Kei shook his head. “They need to be on their guard—”</p>
<p>“I get it. It’s dangerous.” Akaashi bluntly replied. “Tell me something <em>useful</em>.”</p>
<p>Kuroo raised his eyebrows. This was already more tense than he’d like. Kei didn’t seem put out though, he shrugged. “Akiteru knows how to use elemental magic, not quite like Hinata, but he can summon fire easily enough.”</p>
<p>That <em>was</em> useful to know. “Anything else?”</p>
<p>“He’s got tattoos like me and Goshiki, but a lot less experimental. I don’t really know what they do, he’s not used them properly in my presence. All I <em>do</em> know is that he didn’t have them when I left but he did when I returned.”</p>
<p>“So fire and latent tattoo magic.” Akaashi summarised, breaking eye contact and looking down at the plans again. “I see.”</p>
<p>Kei didn’t say anything, sensing that Akaashi had what answers he wanted. He looked to Daichi and Kuroo expectantly. “Anything else?”</p>
<p>Daichi rubbed his chin. “I don’t…think so?”</p>
<p>“Good.” Kei glanced around the trio. “I need to return to the manor before Akiteru gets suspicious.”</p>
<p>As Kei turned to leave, Akaashi spoke up. “May I have a word with you alone?”</p>
<p>Kei glanced to Kuroo and Daichi who shrugged. “Uh, sure.”</p>
<p>Walking past him, Akaashi gestured for him to follow him into the hallway. The doors to the dining room were left open as Akaashi turned on his heel and met Kei’s gaze. There was a beat of silence. Akaashi studied Kei’s neutral expression, unsure what he wanted to hear in response to his question.</p>
<p>“So your ordered Semi to kill me.” He stated. “I gather it was something to do with the fact I stopped you achieving your goal with Tobio?”</p>
<p>Kei took half a step back, corner of his mouth twitching almost like he wanted to smile. “Sort of.”</p>
<p>“Was that another order from your brother, or do you still want me dead?”</p>
<p>Another pause. Akaashi wasn’t sure if he wanted to hear it was a command of Kei’s or not. If he still harboured hatred for him, then working with Kei was going to be a pain in the ass for sure.</p>
<p>“I’m not going to pretend that I care.” Akaashi stated. “Your reasoning for doing everything you did means nothing to me. You still did them. So answer me this time; do you still want me dead?”</p>
<p>Kei pushed his glass up the bridge of his nose slightly. “For what it’s worth, it annoyed me a great deal that you so <em>effortlessly</em> undid my hard work. Enough to kill you though? Not quite.”</p>
<p>“So Akiteru ordered—”</p>
<p>“He told me, in more or less these terms; ‘clean up the loose ends or I will’.” He raised an eyebrow. “And when Eita arrived, I saw it as an opportunity to do that.”</p>
<p>“Loose end?”</p>
<p>“Truthfully he knows of your reputation,” he gestured to the manor, “we heard a lot about the lead up to that battle of yours; the pirate guild, House Kyoutani, how you all stood beside two kings as your own force…” He trailed off. “You may like hiding in the shadows but a light is being shone on you up here. He sees you all as a threat, even if he won’t admit it aloud to me.”</p>
<p>“So you tried to kill me because—”</p>
<p>“I didn’t want my lunatic of a brother deciding to do something crazy.” Kei sighed. “But well, we all know how that’s gone. He’s no doubt livid with me and I doubt he’ll come quietly.” His tone lowered. “In short, don’t be rash about facing him. I can’t protect you.”</p>
<p>“I don’t want <em>your</em> protection anyway.” Akaashi uttered.</p>
<p>Brushing off the hostile response, he continued. “To answer your question from before; no I don’t want you dead. If anything you and that freak aura mage up there are the only ones who stand a chance at beating him.”</p>
<p>Akaashi snorted. “Noted.” He walked past Kei on his way back into the dining room, passing Kuroo who had been coming to check he didn’t need to referee a disagreement.</p>
<p>“I uh,” Kuroo rubbed the back of his neck as he stepped beside Kei, “that looked like it was getting heated.”</p>
<p>Kei shrugged. “I did try to get Eita to kill him, so I don’t blame any of you for viewing me like a traitor. This isn’t a problem that can be fixed in one night.”</p>
<p>“True,” Kuroo set his hand on the door handle, “but hey, we’re all working towards the same goal here. And even if they don’t say it out loud, everyone here appreciates the risk you’re taking.”</p>
<p>Kei mirrored Kuroo’s smile for a brief moment. “Can I ask for a favour?”</p>
<p>“Yeah?”</p>
<p>“Tell Eita that I’m sorry for getting him dragged into that mess at the tavern. I didn’t intend for it to escalate how it did.”</p>
<p>Kuroo nodded. “Will do.” He pulled the door open and watched as Kei left. He was barely left with his thoughts for a few moments before Tobio came up to him with Hinata in tow. “Something wrong?” He asked.</p>
<p>Tobio shook his head. “No, just curious how the preparations were going.”</p>
<p>“We have a plan, it’s a bit holey at the moment but—”</p>
<p>“I’d like to hear it.”</p>
<p>“Of course. Daichi and Akaashi are probably the ones to ask rather than me.” Kuroo nodded them through to the dining room. He didn’t say anything aloud about the hand-holding, but that didn’t mean he didn’t notice it.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>The day passed quickly after Kei left. There was an element of urgency in the air. Bokuto was working all through the afternoon to make sure weapons were honed to their sharpest, taking breaks to watch Kiyoko and Tanaka practice their duelling. There was a buzz of activity in the dining room where the bulk of the planning was taking place, the essence that they were close to having a complete plan was reaching fever pitch. Those not directly involved in planning or preparing were keeping the manor clean and preparing food for the evening.</p>
<p>Both Tooru and Tobio had been checking the current plans throughout the day, even if they had their own agenda. They had been making their own plans for what was going to happen at the ball. Both knew that this wasn’t just going to be a case of getting rid of Akiteru and putting Yachi back in power.</p>
<p>The treaties were still an issue. And whilst Yachi promised to rip them up, there was going to be an outcry in the nobility over it. They wanted to set the records straight once and for all.</p>
<p>“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Iwaizumi asked them both as they sat in the parlour. Tooru had just finished telling him, Tobio and the rest of their combined royal staff what his plan was. “Like, I’m all for exposing Akiteru but going <em>that</em> far?”</p>
<p>Tooru looked to Tobio. “I think the empire’s people need to know how one of their own tried to tear apart the south for his own selfish gain.” He remarked. “After all, Kei said the past kings and queens of the former kingdoms will be there, surely they’ll be able to relate?”</p>
<p>Tobio had to side with Iwaizumi on this one. They were pulling off a gutsy stunt as it was, inciting a rebellion wasn’t going to help in the slightest.</p>
<p>“I dunno. I think this is more suited for a meeting rather than gossip during a ball.” He replied.</p>
<p>Tooru pouted. “Come on Tobio, the Brotherhood are going to literally ‘arrest’ a noble of high standing. The Brotherhood that are quickly becoming associated with you and your kingdom.” He pressed his fingertips together. “I get it, you don’t want to cause a civil war but—”</p>
<p>“Exactly!” Tobio huffed.</p>
<p>Yamaguchi cleared his throat, summoning everyone’s attention. “May I suggest, rather than talk about what happened in the <em>south</em>, we talk about what happened <em>here</em>?” He looked to Tobio. “Didn’t the twins ask us to look into the fire for a reason? And doesn’t it seem to be rather weirdly common knowledge that Akiteru and Kei are empath mages within nobility?”</p>
<p>“You’re saying expose Akiteru for that, with little to no evidence? We can’t take Goshiki with us.”</p>
<p>“No,” Yamaguchi conceded, “but we can sow the seeds of doubt. And doubt is just as powerful as solid evidence. If Atsumu and Osamu can lend their voices to the fray as well, we may not need Goshiki to make any public statement at all.”</p>
<p>“They’ve been told right?” Tobio asked. “Like I don’t need them getting on my back about not keeping them in the loop.”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi nodded. “I’m pretty sure Kuroo told them. Not sure how they took it, but if they’re helping us I imagine they’re at least going along with it for now.”</p>
<p>“So to clarify,” Iwaizumi glanced between Tooru and Tobio. “Your plan is to go around the ball just planting rumours and loose speculation?”</p>
<p>“I’m a slut for gossip after all.” Tooru smiled a little too sweetly considering the statement. Tobio snorted as Iwaizumi sighed heavily  </p>
<p>“Unless the twins have any better ideas, yes.” Tobio replied.</p>
<p>Iwaizumi seemed satisfied that there was an actual plan and <em>not</em> just spreading rumours for the fun of it. Now if everyone actually <em>kept</em> to the plan, he’d be less nervous about it all.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>When Inuoka was told of the plan to throw Lev through a portal, he had to laugh. This was already an insane plan; infiltrating the palace and putting an end to Akiteru’s scheme, now they were going to entrust the empress’ safety to a talking lion? The Brotherhood had really lost their minds. He paced back and forth in the small storeroom that Kenma had dragged him to for this conversation, why such secrecy needed to be exercised was beyond him.</p>
<p>“He’s the only one other than Hinata who can manipulate portals.” Kenma shrugged.</p>
<p>“And you wanna send him to the empress?!” Inuoka gestured to the door. “She’s met the lion like…twice? And neither of those times he’s spoken.”</p>
<p>Kenma could understand Inuoka’s confusion. Then again he should be expecting them to come up with crazy ideas by now. “The idea of sending him ahead of us is so that if Akiteru gets wind of the plan or if there’s aspects we don’t know about, Lev can buy us some extra time.”</p>
<p>“How?”</p>
<p>Kenma shrugged. “That’s a question for Lev. Look, all you need to do is draw up two portals, one for here and one for Kei to smuggle into the palace. You don’t have to do anything beyond that.”</p>
<p>Inuoka huffed. He could respect Kenma acknowledging that he didn’t want to be dragged deeper into this than necessary. “Fine, but it’ll take time. Takes an afternoon to draw <em>one</em>, let alone two.”</p>
<p>“Better get started then.” Kenma smiled. “I can get you the supplies you need.”</p>
<p>“Gee thanks.” Inuoka returned the smile, albeit slightly sarcastically.</p>
<p>Kenma was the first to leave the storeroom, mentally ticking off another thing on his to-do list. From what he had been told of Kuroo’s overall plan so far, there was going to be three aspects they needed to account for; the mages rescuing Yachi, the two royal parties keeping the ball from plunging into chaos and then the Brotherhood dealing with Akiteru. There were several moving parts to it, and a lot of trust was being put in everyone to do whatever they needed to in order to succeed.</p>
<p>Which meant resorting to some old tricks to gain an edge. Whilst the three groups could be separated from each other for most of the event, that didn’t mean they had to be in the dark. And something Hinata had said in passing had given him an idea.</p>
<p>He sought out Bokuto in the back room, in the few days he had been focusing on it, he had gone through every individual’s armour and done any necessary maintenance. He even took it upon himself to see to both royal parties in light of there not being anyone else with his expertise. He had to get creative with the lack of a full workshop, but he was rather proud of himself. He had just finished sharpening the last of Yaku’s extensive collection of daggers when Kenma walked in.</p>
<p>“How’s it going?” Bokuto asked with a grin, setting down the dagger on the table that had been dragged in from the parlour.</p>
<p>“Alright, all things considered.” Kenma shrugged. “Question, what did you end up doing with that giant purple stone Tobio gave you?”</p>
<p>Bokuto chuckled. “I got around to splitting it up but no further than that.” He tilted his head to the side. “Why?”</p>
<p>“Humour me for a moment, but would you be able to make up ear cuffs with small pieces of the stone embedded in it?”</p>
<p>Bokuto blinked before frowning in thought. He folded his arms across his chest, a hand coming up to rub his chin. “I mean, that’s pretty fiddly work. And if I’m working with silver it’ll require a forge - which I have access to but it’ll take time.” He glanced around the weapons and armour laid out before looking back to Kenma with a curious smile. “I could? What are you planning?”</p>
<p>Kenma smiled. “Remember the runestones I have that can store conversation and be used in place of messenger crows?”</p>
<p>“I do…”</p>
<p>“And the runestone Tobio picked up is purple, therefore lends itself to the same element that powers the portals that Hinata and Lev can manipulate and the same element that Akaashi and Kei default to with their empath magic.”</p>
<p>Bokuto nodded along. “So you want something that’ll pass that element between people, people that aren’t necessarily mages?”</p>
<p>“Sort of, I think it might be able to work in a similar way to my original runestones. It’s just a theory but—”</p>
<p>“Say no more Kenma, I like a challenge.” Bokuto grinned. “I’ll head to the smithy, maybe even take Tanaka, he’s pretty good with tools and shit.” He nodded, speaking more to himself as he started looking around the room.</p>
<p>Kenma smiled, he was eager to see if this worked. If what Hinata said was true and that everyone has a piece of the void in them, theoretically that meant anyone could use the cuff to share thoughts. It was definitely an outlandish idea and it would be hard to convince the more cautious of the group to even try it, but if it gave them that edge over Akiteru, he was prepared to try it.</p>
<p>He just needed to decide who would be best suited to use such a thing, but that could wait until he knew if it worked at all. Now he had to hope that Bokuto could get them finished before the event was announced, which given Bokuto’s enthusiasm, he didn’t doubt for a moment.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0064"><h2>64. A Dose Of Truth</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>LXIV</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>A Dose Of Truth</strong>
</p>
<p>“It’s been too long.” Kuroo stated, rubbing his face as he stared down at the floor-plans. “He should’ve made his move by now.”</p>
<p>“Not necessarily.” Iwaizumi replied, setting his hands on his hips. “He could be trying to force our hand. He has no reason to act quickly.”</p>
<p>“I don’t like it.” Kuroo shook his head. “It’s been days since we rescued Semi and the others from his little hostage stunt.”</p>
<p>“It’s been six days.” Iwaizumi clarified. “That’s nothing.”</p>
<p>They were alone in the dining room, the early hour of the morning meant most were still asleep. As relaxed as Kuroo wanted to seem, the more days that passed without any notable action from Akiteru, the more he felt like they were taking a risk in believing Kei and Goshiki’s assessment of his character.</p>
<p>“What if he’s—”</p>
<p>Iwaizumi reached out and put a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t start that shit.” He firmly stated. “Everything we know about Akiteru points to this being the plan he’ll go with. Even Kei seems to acknowledge that Akiteru will want to make a big deal out of this. If you start doubting your plan now, he’ll catch us unprepared.” He squeezed Kuroo’s shoulder. “These are standard tactics; it’s a case of who’s going to blink first.”</p>
<p>Kuroo nodded. The longer they held out, the better prepared they could be. The others were spending all their time training, preparing both physically and mentally for the task ahead of them and what will be asked of them. Now was not the time to change the plan.</p>
<p>“So why do you think this is taking so long?”</p>
<p>Iwaizumi shrugged, letting his hand fall from Kuroo’s shoulder. “Well, Kei mentioned that he had sent out invites to former leaders? I expect there’s a solid date in mind. Balls take at least a week to plan and prepare the palace for so assuming he sent those invites the day after the tavern incident…”</p>
<p>“Tomorrow at the earliest?” Kuroo filled in the blank.</p>
<p>“The palace has been closed off for the last few days.” Iwaizumi said, frowning in thought. “So it’s possible it could be any day now.”</p>
<p>“Peachy.” Kuroo sighed, stepping away from the table. Whilst they had the plan mostly agreed on, they still had to ensure they looked the part. Walking around the imperial palace in their full armour was going to draw suspicion. He had thought about asking the twins to assist in some way beyond guard uniforms. “Say, you live in a palace, how do you think a group of people could move around armed to the teeth without being suspicious?”</p>
<p>Iwaizumi chuckled slightly, also stepping back from the table as he began to walk around the room in thought. “Aside from acting as guards, which Atsumu thinks is the best way forward given the guard sashes he’s promised…I don’t think it would be possible.”</p>
<p>“So we have to pretend to be guards…”</p>
<p>“Well, I say that but it depends on how strictly guarded the rest of the palace is. The ballroom will definitely be under heavy scrutiny, in a normal situation you might be able to sneak around the checkpoints.”</p>
<p>“In a normal situation.”</p>
<p>Iwaizumi gave him a pointed look. “You and I both know Akiteru is probably going to try and make this as hard as possible for you.”</p>
<p>“Unless he <em>wants</em> us there.” Kuroo smirked. “Goshiki said he’s liable to be holding a grudge against us for how we stopped his plans in the south. I’m inclined to believe that given that he tried to get Keiji killed. What if this is a really convoluted way to get us right where he wants us?”</p>
<p>Iwaizumi gave him a curious look. “Then you’re walking into a trap. And whilst think your reputation of getting out of sticky situations is well-founded, this would be a lose-lose situation.”</p>
<p>“How so?”</p>
<p>“You publicly oppose him, you get branded as rebel forces. You kill him, you’re going to be arrested for assassinating a noble.”</p>
<p>“That’s only if we get caught.” Kuroo winked.</p>
<p>“As much as I’d love to believe that you can pull that off, a dead body in the throne room won’t go amiss.” Iwaizumi remarked.</p>
<p>“That’s why if he doesn’t come quietly, it’s going to be an <em>execution</em>.”</p>
<p>“I don’t follow.”</p>
<p>Kuroo smirked. “Tooru and Tobio convince the guests that he’s a traitor, the mages get Yachi out of whatever imprisonment he’s put her in and return her to her rightful place as empress; put those two things together and effectively we get a bounty to fulfil.” He shrugged. “Sure I don’t want to kill him, I want you and Tooru to take him home and burn him at the stake - or whatever you do down there -, but if he gives us no option, if he gives <em>Keiji</em> no option, we will kill him.”</p>
<p>Iwaizumi considered Kuroo’s plan. It required a lot of precise timing. It leaned heavily on the political chatter having an impact, it also asked a lot of the mages to get Yachi to the ballroom <em>and</em> her being in her right mind. Most of all; it required the Brotherhood to stay their blades long enough to not incite an all-out battle in the palace hallways but defend themselves from Akiteru and his guards.</p>
<p>It was gutsy. He certainly didn’t envy them. Yet he could see it working.</p>
<p>“Uh-huh.” He paused in his pacing. “Sounds like you’ve been thinking about this in-depth.”</p>
<p>Kuroo decided to accept that as a compliment. “That sounds like you approve of it.”</p>
<p>“I didn’t say that,” Iwaizumi wryly smiled. “But I’ve heard of worse plans. I just assume you trust everyone to pull off their part of the wider plan.”</p>
<p>“Oh I do.” Kuroo smiled. “Because we’ve been through this enough times already, only this time,” he glanced at the floorplans, “this time we have more tricks up our sleeve than Akiteru realises.”</p>
<p>“Tricks?”</p>
<p>“He doesn’t know Hinata’s an aura mage.”</p>
<p>“And how does that help?”</p>
<p>“Even <em>I</em> don’t know the true extent of Hinata’s powers.” Kuroo said, placing a hand on his chest. “Very few of us have any idea. And even if they haven’t said it; I’m certain Kenma has already begun to factor him into it all.”</p>
<p>“But Hinata is—”</p>
<p>“Staying with Tobio, yes.” Kuroo was appreciating how Iwaizumi seemed confused at where he was going with this. “But that doesn’t mean he won’t be able to tip the scales in our favour.”</p>
<p>Iwaizumi decided he was probably better off not knowing how exactly Kuroo imagined Hinata would be able to pull anything remarkable off. Hinata was an unknown variable in many ways, far too unpredictable being the main one. Iwaizumi was glad Hinata was on their side.</p>
<p>“I’ll trust you on that one.” Iwaizumi remarked with a smile. “All I’m going to focus on is protecting Tooru. You do whatever it is you think is best at this point.”</p>
<p>Kuroo gave him an overly dramatic sweeping bow. “Thank you for your blessing Sir Iwaizumi.”</p>
<p>“Knock it off, I get enough sass from Tooru.”</p>
<p>“You love it really.” Kuroo righted his posture.</p>
<p>Iwaizumi didn’t deign to respond to such a remark, snorting as he turned to leave. Kuroo watched him go with a smile. As much as he made a joke out of it, he was honestly appreciative of Iwaizumi’s willingness to entrust him with the task. He was feeling less like a vigilante and more like an official arm of the royal guard. He wasn’t sure how to feel about that, but he figured for now it wasn’t so bad.</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Hinata hadn’t strictly told anyone about the strange dream that the Kirin showed him. He wanted time to mull it over before he told anyone and had it picked apart for him. It helped that several other things were taking up everyone’s attention so he didn’t find himself struggling to make conversation very often. Between the plan for infiltrating the palace and the commissioned ear cuffs, neither Akaashi nor Kenma had stopped working.</p>
<p>Hinata found it helpful in many ways. He could think over the implications of the dream; the visuals of the different aspects represented in the birds. The empire being represented by a pure white eagle being strangled by purple wisps; he figured it was a literal representation of Yachi being strangled by Akiteru’s influence. The Brotherhood being depicted in their numbers and tenacity by a flock of crows being led by an owl; the silent hunter in the shadows of the night.</p>
<p>It was pretty obvious what the Kirin had been saying even before she said it; they had to work together again just like the Battle of the Dynasty. But this wasn’t about their survival, this was about saving another who can’t save herself.</p>
<p>It was the other part of the dream that was sort of puzzling him. The fact he had to help Akaashi. He wasn’t sure how he was going to manage that during a ball when he was meant to be protecting Tobio and trying not to draw attention to himself. Though as he sat in the parlour and Kenma told him about the ear cuffs and the idea of the purple stone helping share thoughts across wearers, he began to formulate half of a plan.</p>
<p>“I can’t wear one.” He stated.</p>
<p>Kenma hadn’t been surprised at this. “Of course, I understand.”</p>
<p>Hinata sighed in relief. Though Kenma was probably thinking of just how much of the void Hinata was capable of wielding being a danger to others, Hinata was thinking of how easy it would be for someone to accidentally see that he hadn’t been truthful about the supposed vision Hēishān gave him.</p>
<p>“But I can probably tap into it?” He offered. “Like, if someone like Inuoka wore it…” He wasn’t sure if what he was saying was true but he wanted to try and be supportive of this idea.</p>
<p>“I was thinking that would work.” Kenma smiled. “Once Bokuto brings some back, we can do some testing.”</p>
<p>He smiled in return. “Yeah!”</p>
<p>If it worked, there was a possibility that he could get in contact with the others on a whim. Just like he and Akaashi had managed but with less concentration required. Though it didn’t really answer his original question of how he was meant to help Akaashi, it was a step in the right direction.</p>
<p>As he thought on it for a few moments, he wondered if it was worth asking Akaashi what his plan was. How did he intend to take on Akiteru alone? Was he going to engage in a battle of hallucinations? Was he going to throw every traumatic event back at Akiteru like some sort of rain of arrows? Would it be both? Kenma noticed his thoughtful expression and gave him a raised eyebrow.</p>
<p>“Do you know if Akaashi is busy?”</p>
<p>Kenma shrugged. “I think he mentioned that he was going to get some fresh air, so check the garden first?”</p>
<p>“Alright, catch you later.” Hinata smiled as he stood up and made for the garden. It was quiet that day, the duelling had been called off for the day so they could rest up and focus on other things so the only ones outside were those wanting some fresh air and to feel the sun on their faces.</p>
<p>He saw a few of the others sprawled out on the dry grass; Kindaichi was already deep in telling Suga and Kiyoko a story that seemed to involve a time when Tooru was thrown off his horse. It seemed the former palace staff of House Oikawa had numerous stories to embarrass their king with. As much as he was curious what else Kindaichi had to say, he was more focused on Akaashi sat a little further away by himself. He appeared to be meditating.</p>
<p>Quietly, Hinata approached and sat next to him. He waited a few moments, appreciating the warmth of the sun and the gentle breeze. Akaashi hummed softly before breaking the silence.</p>
<p>“You good?”</p>
<p>“Yeah.” Hinata replied. “How about you?”</p>
<p>Akaashi opened his eyes. “As good as I could be, all things considered.”</p>
<p>Hinata wasn’t about to ask about that. He figured it was best he didn’t know. “I had a weird dream the other night.”</p>
<p>“Yeah?” Akaashi turned his head to look at Hinata. “Weird how?”</p>
<p>Hinata shrugged. “The Kirin was telling me things, like how Hēishān used to.”</p>
<p>The ominous feeling that rose in Akaashi wasn’t likely to dissipate as Hinata elaborated. “Go on?”</p>
<p>“It’s nothing…bad?” Hinata tried to alleviate the foreboding feeling he had prompted. “She just basically said that…I need to help you defeat Akiteru.”</p>
<p>“You.”</p>
<p>“Yes.” Hinata blinked. “I know it’s…it sounds weird and I can’t be in two places at once but if she said so then I’m not gonna argue? ‘cause like, she wouldn’t lie. Hēishān never did.”</p>
<p>Akaashi mulled it over. They had maintained that Hinata couldn’t possibly interact with Akiteru and it not end badly. Kei’s remark from earlier was still on his mind though. They hadn’t really entertained the idea of Hinata helping from afar. He didn’t even know <em>how</em> Hinata could help from afar.</p>
<p>“How do you reckon you could help?” He asked. “What can you do? And I mean that in a genuine ‘how could your powers aid from afar’ sort of way.”</p>
<p>“I don’t know, but I mean, Kenma has Bokuto making some cool ear cuffs with the purple stone in it. Purple like the void. So maybe there’s a way for us to tap into that and…or maybe we can use a portal system? Like how Lev is gonna be thrown into the palace—”</p>
<p>Akaashi let Hinata ramble on further about seemingly random ideas of how their powers could match up. He couldn’t see how Hinata could be with Tobio in the ballroom <em>and</em> get to him in the throne room. The portals were a potential idea, but they didn’t know enough about portal magic to trust it in a fight or die situation.</p>
<p>“Do you think they’d work?”</p>
<p>Akaashi blinked out of his own thoughts and back into the conversation. “It’s certainly plausible. Though…I’m not sure I’ll wear one.”</p>
<p>“Why not?”</p>
<p>He shook his head. “With what I’ll be facing, no-one else is going to be able to deal with the potential horrors I’ll be subjected to.” He sighed. “No-one needs to see what I’m going to be inflicting on him.”</p>
<p>“You’re going to inflict the trauma you’ve witnessed.” Hinata stated. “You think overloading him will work?”</p>
<p>Akaashi was a little concerned how quickly Hinata had connected the dots but he nodded. “I think it’ll be a way of making him understand what he’s inflicted on others, the pain he caused Tobio, the trauma he dug up in the others…”</p>
<p>Hinata reached out and put a hand on his arm. “But that’ll make <em>you</em> relive it.”</p>
<p>“Yeah.” He nodded again. “But that’s the price I’m willing to pay.”</p>
<p>“That’s my line.” Hinata uttered, pouting slightly before focusing back on the topic. “But, is there really no other way?”</p>
<p>Akaashi shrugged. “None that I can see working as quickly and effectively. We’re trying to subdue him in the quickest amount of time and in such a way that he can still be held accountable.”</p>
<p>Hinata huffed, letting his hand fall away from Akaashi’s arm. He didn’t know much about how two empath mages would battle one another. He had always associated Akaashi’s ‘fighting style’ with his sword, not with his magic. True he had read and deduced things from the treaty; mainly how an empath could send their enemies running away screaming but it always seemed like a tall tale, not one that could actually happen.</p>
<p>“Do you think you can do it?” His voice was quiet as he looked at Akaashi. “Do you think you’re…able to?”</p>
<p>Akaashi let out a heavy sigh. “Honestly Hinata? I don’t know.” He met Hinata’s gaze, not bothering to hide the uneasiness in him. “I know it’s going to be ugly, that I’m not coming out of this unscathed. But at the same time if I don’t do it, who will? You’re right in your stance to stay with Tobio, I can’t ask you to abandon your duty. I can’t ask you to go through what I <em>know</em> will be a messy fight where nothing is off-limits.”</p>
<p>Hinata expected to feel guilty, he actually felt almost relieved that Akaashi wasn’t deluded in what he was facing. It was easy to get caught up in the rush of heading into a fight. The magnitude of what they were facing was starting to dawn on them as the days passed. Akaashi hadn’t breathed a word of what Kei told him, that Kei himself reckoned Akiteru was going to be tough to beat.</p>
<p>All he could do now was hope for the best.</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>It had been a little longer than Kiyoko intended, but she hadn’t forgotten entirely. When Kenma had gotten Kei’s journal open at the expense of Suga’s hunting knife, she had remembered the gift she had bought that was still wrapped up in a bolt of cloth amongst her knapsacks and clothes. She had wanted to give it to him at the right time, but between the politics, the daring prison breakouts and the tavern incident, peace and quiet were in short supply.</p>
<p>Somehow they had made time for one another, well, really Suga made time by throwing caution to the wind and coaxing her to do the same. They hadn’t strictly <em>told</em> the others about any of it, but there had been enough kisses pressed to cheeks and fingers linking together for the more observant of the guild to notice. If anyone wanted to make a big deal over it, they hadn’t done so yet.</p>
<p>Really there hadn’t been time to make big deals over anything. It had been one thing after another since they encountered Akiteru in the tavern. A whirlwind of chaos that felt nauseating just hearing about. She was worried about what was to come. Her duel with Akaashi had reminded her how futile her skills were against an empath mage, at least in a one-on-one situation.</p>
<p>As the daylight began to fade at the end of another day filled with planning and preparation, she remained outside in the cool breeze. The manor felt crowded more than ever now with Goshiki apparently taking up permanent residence with them. She found herself longing for the fortress of Kēpu yōsai, the stone walls that made her feel safe from the ocean swell barely a stone’s throw away.</p>
<p>Hinode was a strange city to her. The tall walls that were always manned with guards <em>should</em> make her feel safe, in reality they unnerved her. As much as they were made to feel welcome by the twins, heralded as saviours in this battle against madness, the deck was stacked against them and not in the same sense that it was in the Battle of the Dynasty. This deck was more dangerous than a sword that could be parried, it was made up of lies, deceit and hearsay. She didn’t know much about how the empire functioned but knowing know both House Oikawa and House Kageyama functioned gave her an idea of how twisted their words could get.</p>
<p>They had to be cautious. Catching Akiteru was only half of this battle. Yachi alone wouldn’t be able to answer every question lobbied her way. The nobles would want answers that only the brotherhood could answer. It was clear to her now that their days of lurking in the shadows were coming to an end.</p>
<p>She was jolted from her thoughts by a hand on her shoulder. She heard a gentle chuckle as she jumped slightly, turning to see Suga giving her a soft smile.</p>
<p>“Didn’t want to spook you but I guess I failed there.” He remarked.</p>
<p>“Just a little.” She replied, feeling his hand slowly skim down her back before it rested at her waist. “The others eating?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, Ennoshita and Yamaguchi are handling dinner tonight, I got a night off.” He shrugged before giving her a more pointed look. “You okay?”</p>
<p>She could easily shrug off the question but they were always telling the others not to bottle things up unnecessarily. “Just thinking about what’s going to happen, what could happen…”</p>
<p>“Ah, the overthinking.” He coaxed her to lean against him. “I’d say not to worry but we both know there’s a lot to worry about.”</p>
<p>“Keiji seems so resigned to his role in all this. Like he’s not proud to be the one dealing with Akiteru but he knows there’s no-one else.”</p>
<p>“He’s always been like that though; resigned to what his powers mean for him.” He rubbed her back in a comforting manner. “I think he’s still in a love-hate relationship with them.”</p>
<p>“Not surprised.” She murmured. “But he shouldn’t have to shoulder that burden alone.”</p>
<p>Suga smiled. Even with how the duel had gone down, she was still adamant that she could help. Even if she didn’t say it aloud, he knew she hadn’t changed her stance. He didn’t say anything in response, letting the silence rest. Distantly they could hear the murmur of conversation through an open window</p>
<p>“If it’s any consolation,” he said after a while, “I don’t think Keiji is intending to be totally alone. Yeah, he might be intending to take on Akiteru by himself, but he never said he’d be alone when he did it.”</p>
<p>She pulled back from his hold and gave him a puzzled look. “But I gather he thinks it would be dangerous to be in the same room as—”</p>
<p>Suga shrugged, taking her hand. “Since when has the potential for danger stopped any of us from protecting one another?” He gave her a coy smile.</p>
<p>She shrugged in response. “True…but—”</p>
<p>He shook his head. “I’m not going to say you have to do anything. But what I will say is that Keiji and Tetsurou are very similar in the sense that when they focus on something for too long, they forget that the rest of us are here and willing to help.” He squeezed her hand. “So even if Keiji is adamant he has to be alone, don’t take that as an order.”</p>
<p>She nodded. The conversation had taken the same turn that most did; focusing on the threat bearing down on them. She felt stifled by it all. She wanted to think about something else. As his hand squeezed hers again, she decided that now was a good a time as any.</p>
<p>“Wait here,” she told him, “I…have something for you.”</p>
<p>He watched her dart back into the manor with a raised eyebrow. He wasn’t going to try and guess what she was talking about. He merely waited where he was told, gazing up at the sky streaked with purple clouds and the first few stars beginning to dot the darkness between them. His thoughts didn’t run too much between her leaving and returning with a bundle of cloth in her hands. Her cheeks were flushed pink as she held the bundle with both hands.</p>
<p>“…I uh, I actually got this on the first day we were here.” She forced a confident smile. “Akira somehow managed to keep a secret I guess.”</p>
<p>Now his interest was piqued as she continued to hold the bundle. “Yeah?”</p>
<p>Her smile grew as she giggled. “Yeah, uh, just, here.” She held it out for him. “It was meant to be a gift for your nameday but with everything that’s happened…”</p>
<p>He took the bundle and unwrapped it, draping the corners of the cloth over his arm as he peeled back each layer. The jagged blade winked in the dying daylight as he took hold of the hilt and looked at it in more detail.</p>
<p>“Kenma felt bad about breaking your last knife, I just told him not to worry too much because well, I had this so—”</p>
<p>Suga chuckled, running the pad of his thumb over the intricate carvings of birds in flight. “It’s great.” He looked up and met her gaze. “I love it,” he paused to quickly wrap it up again in the cloth before reaching out to cup her face, “thank you.”</p>
<p>She leaned into his touch, the nerves that had twisted her stomach in knots fading as he stepped close enough to press his lips to her forehead.</p>
<p>“I’m glad I finally got a chance to give it to you.” She sighed. “With everything that’s been going on, there never seemed to be a moment to breathe.”</p>
<p>“I hear that,” he sighed, “but hey, when this is all over - because it <em>will</em> be over at some point - we can take all the time we need.” He kissed her forehead again. “Maybe, if you want, I can always take you to visit my home, you can see if for yourself…meet my parents.”</p>
<p>She giggled breathlessly. “Maybe. We need to make it through this first, and then make sure everyone gets back to Kēpu yōsai in one piece…”</p>
<p>“True, but after that, we can take a break, I promise.”</p>
<p>“You don’t need to promise.” She playfully slapped his chest, resting her hand against his shirt.</p>
<p>“Maybe I just wanted to hold myself accountable.” He coyly smiled in return. “So you can remind me that I promised rest and relaxation when I inevitably try to get everyone up at the crack of dawn on the first day back home.”</p>
<p>“Oh I don’t think I’ll need to remind you.” She remarked with a laugh. “I think the threat of death from any number of methods will be enough.”</p>
<p>“You make our friends sound like bloodthirsty tyrants.” He rolled his eyes. “Which okay maybe <em>some</em> of them can be.”</p>
<p>“Who said I was talking about them?” She raised an eyebrow before playfully pushing him away with another laugh. He shared the laugh with her. They spent a few more moments enjoying the peace and quiet of the outside before deciding to venture inside.</p>
<p>For now, things were calm.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0065"><h2>65. Released From Duty</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>LXV</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Released From Duty</strong>
</p>
<p>Making ear cuffs was a fiddly process. It was certainly a lot different from making swords and armour. Bokuto didn’t let it faze him though. The one bonus was that they didn’t need nearly as many materials and once he got the process figured out; he could get the dainty strips of silver to shape perfectly. Tanaka and Nishinoya were on hand to help, though they were mainly keeping the forge lit and keeping out of his way.</p>
<p>As simple as the cuffs seemed, it was the second part of their creation that was going to be more of an ask. As the first two pairs finally cooled enough to handle, Nishinoya was quick to scrutinise how exactly they were meant to attach a shard of the purple runestone. Bokuto had thought about it to the extent that putting practicality over appearance was the way to go if time was of the essence.</p>
<p>“So, we can set the shards in their own seats like studs, as if they were earrings.” He explained, holding one of the cuffs between his finger and thumb, “then attach that stud to the cuff with a chain. It’ll look fancy enough to not be an offence to any fashion rules but subtle enough to not draw attention if people masquerading as guards are wearing them.”</p>
<p>Nishinoya hummed in thought. Tanaka was carrying on the process of melting down bits of silver to carry on making more of them. They didn’t really know how many they needed, the indication Kenma had given was that he wanted as many of them wearing them as possible.</p>
<p>Assuming his theory was correct, which they all assumed it was because it was <em>Kenma </em>who came up with it.</p>
<p>“Unless you got a better idea?” Bokuto offered as Nishinoya picked up a different cuff.</p>
<p>“I’m just wondering if a single shard will be enough?” He rolled the cuff between his fingertips. “As much as I get Hinata and Akaashi are good at wielding this element…the rest of us aren’t.”</p>
<p>Bokuto shrugged. “So, you think we need bigger shards?”</p>
<p>Nishinoya didn’t want to say yes immediately. “Perhaps? I think the idea about a set of rings could still be an option?”</p>
<p>“We certainly can make it happen.” Bokuto set the cuff down. “Two ear cuffs and a ring per person?”</p>
<p>“We got enough of the stone for that?”</p>
<p>Bokuto moved to the workbench where he had been chipping shards of the runestone off to start thinking about how to put them into the cuff design. The majority of the stone was intact still. Even if Bokuto made some truly elaborate rings, there would still be enough left to craft a centrepiece for a tiara or crown. He was honestly shocked Tobio just came across such a thing in the marketplace.</p>
<p>“I’d say so.” He turned the runestone over as he looked over the imperfections. It wasn’t like a diamond or other precious gem in the sense that it needed to be whittled down to only the ‘best’ quality cut. The vibrant hues of violet and indigo were constant throughout the structure. No matter how he cut it, it would look impressive.</p>
<p>“So, ear cuffs and rings.” Nishinoya hummed.</p>
<p>“I can get two cuffs ready and you can run them back to Kenma to test his theory out.” Bokuto picked up two shards and sat down at the workbench. “Gotta admit, if it does work, Kenma’s a genius.”</p>
<p>Nishinoya chuckled. He hadn’t thought much into the overall reason behind this endeavour. He knew he had agreed to do whatever he could in the upcoming showdown, that he wasn’t going to sit on the sidelines. Truthfully, he wanted to stand with Akaashi against Akiteru but he was fully aware how much of a bad idea that was. As much faith as he had in his powers, he knew he couldn’t hold a candle to what Akiteru was capable of.</p>
<p>“Yeah, I mean,” Nishinoya watched on as Bokuto began fiddling with the tiny shards he already had cut out, “it’s almost scary in some ways just how much he knows.”</p>
<p>“Hah.” Bokuto glanced over, a glint in his eye, “I always used to say, the most dangerous one in the guild isn’t necessarily the one with the sharpest blade.”</p>
<p>“I hear <em>that</em>.” Tanaka piped up, getting a laugh out of all of them.</p>
<p>They fell into a comfortable silence as Bokuto focused on the intricate task of slotting the shards into dainty holes that would be attached to the cuff later. Nishinoya always found it interesting to watch Bokuto work on smaller projects as opposed to the swords and armour pieces he was used to. There was a sparkle in his eyes as he saw his creations coming together. It didn’t take long for a set to be finished; dainty chains secured the shards to the cuff in a basic but pretty manner. Bokuto huffed as he relaxed his tense shoulders and gestured for Nishinoya to take them.</p>
<p>“Run these back to Kenma and see if they work before I continue making the rest.” He said. “In the meantime I’ll think about these rings you suggested.”</p>
<p>Nishinoya took care with the cuffs, almost scared they’d break if he put them in his pocket. “Sure, I’ll make sure you hear word quickly.” He smiled before waving in parting to both of them before bolting out the door.</p>
<p>The midday sun shone down, it felt warmer that day than most. He sort of missed the warmer climate of the south, the mountainous region of the empire felt far too cool for the height of the dry season. He quickly made his way back through the city, avoiding the crowded market and central circle. He did note there seemed to be more guards than usual in the city streets, bright purple sashes and armour embroidered with eagle symbolism were more obvious than normal. To him it seemed that the increase in security lined up with their theory of a ball or otherwise extravagant event occurring was true.</p>
<p>The manor was quiet but busy. Conversations were happening but they were relaxed, calm, collected. No-one was raising voices in frustration, despair, or anything of the like. Everyone appeared to be more or less content even given the circumstances. In a way, it unnerved him.</p>
<p>He found Kenma with Inuoka in the tiny spare room at the end of the upper floor hallway. Parchment was laid out on the floor, the corners being held down by books and boxes. Candles illuminated the tight space but he could see the pots of ink and charcoal laid out in preparation for whatever sorcery was about to happen.</p>
<p>“Hey.” He greeted as he closed the door behind him. “I got the first two ear cuffs.” He held out his hand for Kenma to see the tiny silver trinkets. “Bokuto wants to know if they work before he makes up like twelve more.”</p>
<p>Kenma nodded, glancing to Inuoka who was on his knees preparing to begin drawing something. “Alright.” he took one of the ear cuffs and slipped it on the outer shell of his ear and gestured for Nishinoya to do the same with the other.</p>
<p>The metal was warm, though that was no doubt down to Nishinoya having held it the entire time he had been walking across the city. As soon as he let go, the tiny purple shard dangled down. He saw Kenma’s do the same, purple glimmering in the candlelight. At first, he didn’t feel anything peculiar happen, not that he expected to suddenly be an empath mage.</p>
<p>Kenma rubbed his chin in thought before realising something. He held his hands out in front of him wordlessly before nodding to Nishinoya. A little puzzled, Nishinoya followed his lead.</p>
<p>“Summon your sparks.” Kenma stated. “Trust me.”</p>
<p>Nishinoya did trust Kenma, but the tight confines of the room weren’t the most secure of places to be doing wild magic. “Uh okay.”</p>
<p>He clicked his fingers, flashes of bright blue light burst into existence with muted rumbles. The sparks took hold and arced between his fingers easily enough, shadows danced around the room as he remained stood still. He watched and waited for Kenma to do something.</p>
<p>Kenma’s gaze focused on the lightning before he inhaled sharply. A slow, gentle pulsing sensation started in the back of Nishinoya’s head. Not quite like a throbbing pain, more like someone was pressing their fingertips to the base of his skull. He furrowed his eyebrows as Kenma smiled slightly. They didn’t say a word between them, but a low hum could be heard like a fly buzzing around but more guttural.</p>
<p>Before Nishinoya could question what was going on, Kenma clicked his fingers. A less tamed bolt of lightning arced between his fingers. That in itself wouldn’t be surprising if Nishinoya knew Kenma didn’t readily wield the element. The pulsing in the back of his head was more noticeable as Kenma flexed his fingers and manipulated the bolts crackling into existence. With another snap of his fingers, they were gone.</p>
<p>“…so do they work?” Nishinoya hazarded the question.</p>
<p>Kenma wrinkled his nose. “Sort of. Not quite what I imagined they’d do.”</p>
<p>“I mean,” Nishinoya took off the ear cuff, “did you expect us to share thoughts?”</p>
<p>Kenma shrugged. “I wasn’t sure what they’d actually do. I hoped they’d amplify <em>something</em>. It seems they can share elements easily enough. Though how is beyond me…”</p>
<p>Inuoka stepped up beside them both, looking at the trinket in Nishinoya’s hand. “May I?” He took the ear cuff offered to him and slipped it on without hesitation. He mirrored what Nishinoya had done previously but with his own element of choice. Swirling snowflakes appeared with a noticeable chill. Kenma held out his hand and closed his eyes this time.</p>
<p>Nishinoya watched as Kenma’s expression remained neutral. Inuoka raised an eyebrow as he flexed his fingers and willed the vortex to shift, snowflakes solidifying into small balls of ice. A few moments passed before Kenma snapped his fingers again. This time bursting from his palm came several jagged icicles. He winced at the harsh stabbing sensation caused but didn’t open his eyes.</p>
<p>Inuoka chuckled slightly. “Yeah, hurts like hell doesn’t it?”</p>
<p>Kenma’s eyes flew open. “You heard that?”</p>
<p>Inuoka looked confused. “Well…yes?”</p>
<p>Kenma looked between the icicles and Inuoka. “So…” he closed his eyes again. Nishinoya looked back and forth as Inuoka’s confusion didn’t melt away.</p>
<p>“No I didn’t know—wait when did that happen?” Inuoka’s serenity was shattered as Kenma burst out laughing. Nishinoya nervously laughed along as elements were dissipated.</p>
<p>“About four days ago.” Kenma replied.</p>
<p>“What happened four days ago?” Nishinoya asked.</p>
<p>Kenma sighed slightly. “Tobio and Shoyo uh, finally confessed.” He shrugged. “The point is,” he took off the ear cuff, “these do allow thoughts to be shared…somewhat.”</p>
<p>Nishinoya tried to overlook the casual information dropped about the others. Sure everyone was expecting it, but to hear it had happened and Kenma knew about it was something else entirely. Inuoka seemed confused and almost amused about it.</p>
<p>“So what’s the key to getting them to share thoughts?” Inuoka asked as he too removed the ear cuff and gave it to Kenma.</p>
<p>“I’m not sure. Maybe they need an empath mage to charge them…hm.” Kenma rubbed his chin in thought again. “I’ll take them to Ukai and see if he knows anything that could be of help.” He looked up to Nishinoya. “Thank you for your help. If you’re going back to Bokuto, let him know to finish making the rest. Even if they don’t work as I intended, they’ll be of use somehow I’m sure.”</p>
<p>Nishinoya nodded. As he left, Kenma let out an amused hum, already sensing Inuoka’s question before it left his lips.</p>
<p>“So he gave Shoyo the circlet?”</p>
<p>“Yep, and apparently Shoyo kissed him.” Kenma shrugged. “And Tobio kissed him back.”</p>
<p>Inuoka spluttered. “He <em>what</em>.”</p>
<p>Kenma laughed. “I know, pretty outlandish.”</p>
<p>Inuoka huffed, but there was a smile on his face. “I knew something seemed different about Tobio. He’s been weirdly calm the last few days even with all this Kei nonsense.”</p>
<p>“Yeah?”</p>
<p>Inuoka nodded, pacing back over to the parchment laid out for the portal circle to be drawn. “I thought he was maybe just super focused on getting this all sorted out, but the way he kept his nerve when Kei spoke to him privately…the glances he gave Hinata whenever he seemed unsure of what to say or do next…”</p>
<p>“Seems like a new person?”</p>
<p>Inuoka laughed. “No...actually.” He gave Kenma a softer smile. “If anything, he seems like the old Tobio I remember from when we were younger. The one Tadashi talks about growing up with. Calm but nervous, eager to better himself. It’s a nice sort of regression if you get my meaning.”</p>
<p>Kenma understood. He didn’t know this ‘old Tobio’ but the way House Kageyama’s staff and Tooru spoke about him said all it needed to. “In any case,” he glanced at the cuffs in his hand, “I’ll go and find Ukai and see what he thinks.”</p>
<p>“And I’ll be here,” Inuoka picked up a piece of charcoal, “preparing this portal for our furry friend to leap through…”</p>
<p>Kenma chuckled. “I appreciate your help, Sou.”</p>
<p>“More like I’m the only one who can draw these from memory.” Inuoka remarked.</p>
<p>“…something like that.”</p>
<p>They shared a laugh as Kenma turned and left him to it.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>It had been a few days since they properly spoke about any of it. Hinata hadn’t felt the need to talk about it. They fell asleep together and he often woke up to Tobio burying his face in the crook of his shoulder. Throughout the day they often split up and went about their business. There wasn’t a formal agreement or anything, they just fell into the routine easily enough.</p>
<p>But now there seemed to be a finite amount of time ticking down until they confronted Akiteru finally, the plans being put into motion had been spoken about, talked through, and picked apart all over again. It felt more intense than the Battle of the Dynasty. He supposed it was because there were less of them being thrown into the line of fire here but there was more riding on their success. He had been thinking about how blunt Akaashi had been when he asked how the other intended to deal with Akiteru. Had the Kirin not explicitly stated that Akaashi was the one who had to tackle this, Hinata would’ve been tempted to put himself in harm’s way.</p>
<p>But it was the same conversation with the Kirin that also made him pause for thought. He was supposed to help Akaashi in this ‘trial’ but he still wasn’t sure how. Beyond the idea of ear cuffs, he had little idea how he could be in two places at once. So far he hadn’t told Tobio about any of this. Deep down he knew that Tobio probably already guessed there was more at play here than he was willing to admit.</p>
<p>“You’re doing that thing again.” Tobio remarked, poking his cheek as they sat alone in their room.</p>
<p>Privacy was something that was in short supply in the manor, so any moment that could be spent behind a closed-door was one relished. Tobio had been making a habit of spending some time in his room recording recent events in his journal anyway so Hinata had started joining him. It never really took more than an hour but it was an hour spent in peace and quiet usually.</p>
<p>“Doing what?”</p>
<p>Tobio snorted, looking back at his drying words on the parchment. “Scrunching your nose up in thought.”</p>
<p>Hinata pouted. “So?”</p>
<p>“So what are you thinking about so hard?”</p>
<p>Hinata huffed, flopping back on the bed and staring at the ceiling. He had long stopped trying to brush off his thoughts and just spoke candidly with Tobio. If he didn’t want to burden the others in the Brotherhood about it, splurging his thoughts to Tobio was the next best thing. “Akaashi doing everything by himself.”</p>
<p>“Yeah?”</p>
<p>“Doesn’t feel right.”</p>
<p>Tobio snorted again. “Aren’t you the one who threw himself into a volcano?” He coyly smiled as Hinata abruptly turned his head to pout at him. “Tell me I’m wrong.”</p>
<p>“Shut up.” Hinata grumbled, not meaning it. Tobio chuckled as he closed the journal and set it aside along with the quill and inkpot. “Besides, I don’t…that was my sort of destiny. Akaashi is doing something that he <em>could</em> rely on others to help him with but—”</p>
<p>Tobio reached out and took his hand, gently tugging him to sit up and then further coaxing him to shuffle close enough to be held. Hinata allowed himself to be manhandled, becoming pliant in Tobio’s hold. He pressed his ear against Tobio’s chest as he lay in the other’s embrace and let out a heavy sigh.</p>
<p>“He asked me if I could take on Akiteru.”</p>
<p>“He did?” Tobio sounded neither surprised nor puzzled by this.</p>
<p>“Yeah…” Hinata splayed his hand on Tobio’s chest, feeling and hearing his steady heartbeat. “I told him I…I need to protect you. That it’s my duty to make sure you’re safe first and foremost.”</p>
<p>Tobio hummed, fingers drawing circles on his shoulder as he lay there. “And what did he say?”</p>
<p>“He said…that was a reasonable response.” Hinata murmured. “He apologised for being pushy about it.”</p>
<p>“Mhm.”</p>
<p>“And yesterday I asked him if he thought he’d be able to do it by himself, take down Akiteru. And he said he doesn’t know.”</p>
<p>Tobio nodded, fingers still moving in slow, soothing motions. “Well, we are facing an unknown.”</p>
<p>Hinata shook his head, squishing his face against Tobio’s chest. “But we’re not.”</p>
<p>“How so?”</p>
<p>Hinata sat up, gently pushing himself away from Tobio but remaining within reach. “We’ve faced a crazy mage before, granted he was an aura mage, but Akaashi was the one who…he reversed the curse on Kiyoko.” He looked at Tobio with almost pleading eyes, trying to get him to understand. “But he wasn’t alone when he did that. He had us, all of us, the Brotherhood, he had all our abilities…”</p>
<p>Tobio had heard about this ritual, mainly from Hinata himself but he had asked some of the others about it in passing. Inuoka had heard a great deal more from Nishinoya and Kenma. All Tobio could really conclude was that Akaashi had pulled off some feat of empath magic to pull it all together.</p>
<p>“So now you’re thinking that he’s forgetting that. That you all helped once before and now he’s refusing to let anyone else be in the same room?”</p>
<p>Hinata sighed, hanging his hand. “I get it, Akiteru is dangerous. But…the Brotherhood is stronger together. Even I…even I needed help back in the battle. I needed Kenma and Noya and Inuoka…I needed all of them to buy time for me to summon Hēishān—”</p>
<p>Hands came up to cup his face. He stopped babbling as Tobio coaxed him to raise his gaze to meet his. A neutral expression on his face, deep blue eyes regarded him fondly but there was the usual hardness in his gaze.</p>
<p>“It sounds to me like you feel he’s straying from your creed.”</p>
<p>Hinata inhaled sharply. “Not…not like that.” He swallowed. “More like he’s prepared to do whatever it takes to protect us.”</p>
<p>“You think Akiteru will kill him.”</p>
<p>“I think he knows the odds are stacked against him.” Hinata covered Tobio’s hands with his own. “But he won’t allow anyone else to get hurt.”</p>
<p>Tobio nodded allowing Hinata to take hold of his hands and pull them from his face. He could see in Hinata’s faraway expression that he was conflicted on all of this. To uphold his duty to House Kageyama meant he had to allow his friend, his brother, to face their foe alone. At least that’s what it looked like on the surface.</p>
<p>“Shoyo,” he murmured, linking their fingers together, “all I’ll say is this,” he waited for Hinata to nod to show he was listening, “you made an oath to Hēishān to protect House Kageyama, to protect me.”</p>
<p>“I did.”</p>
<p>Tobio paused for a moment. “In the event that things start going to hell, that Akaashi needs you<em>, </em>I release you from that duty.”</p>
<p>“What?”</p>
<p>Tobio huffed. “Shoyo, I have a royal guard <em>and</em> a court mage sworn to protect me.” He smiled. “As much as I appreciate the promise you made to Hēishān, you can’t turn your back on your family. I don’t care what else is happening, if Akaashi needs you, go to him, understand?”</p>
<p>Hinata swallowed, squeezing Tobio’s hands. “I…uh…” he ducked his head but quickly found a hand tilting his chin up to meet Tobio’s gaze.</p>
<p>“Please.” Tobio’s voice was softer. “I don’t want to make you choose. Likewise I don’t want you to feel you have to put me before them…” he trailed off for a moment. “Kunimi said something to me whilst you were in the dungeon, it’s stuck with me.”</p>
<p>“What did he say?”</p>
<p>Another smile, more sheepish than the last. “He uh, said in no uncertain terms, that you were part of the Brotherhood before you even met me. And he’s right.” He let his hand fall from Hinata’s face. “And like you’ve told me many times, the Brotherhood is stronger together.”</p>
<p>A lot could be said about far Tobio had come in the year Hinata had known him. From jaded, scorned and distrusting anyone who tried to get close to him to the more mature and understanding person sat in front of him. Tobio was by no means perfect and he still let his emotions get the better of him, but he had begun to learn valuable lessons. Lessons in the bonds of family and trusting in each other even when the logic seemed far-fetched.</p>
<p>Knowing that Tobio had gone spare in his absence meant that this latest statement, this <em>plead,</em> from him to honour his commitment to his found family hit that much deeper.</p>
<p>If the need arose, he was allowed to forsake his duty. He could protect his friend with a clear conscience.</p>
<p>A sigh left him. Relief washing over him. “Thank you.”</p>
<p>Tobio could easily say there was nothing to thank him for, that it was a reasonable thing for anyone to do. But there was always this veil of authority, that Tobio needed to grant him permission. Emotionally speaking, they were on the same page, equals, lovers. Outside their bubble however there was this expectation that he adhered to Tobio’s wishes.</p>
<p>“It’s okay,” Tobio murmured, “just come back to me in one piece yeah?”</p>
<p>Hinata let out a breathless laugh. “I will.” He scooted closer. “I promise.”</p>
<p>Before Tobio could reply, Hinata’s lips were pressed against his. He smiled into the kiss, tilting his face slightly and parting his lips a little more. It was a slow, sweet exchange, neither sought to deepen it as Hinata gently bumped his nose against Tobio’s and giggled.</p>
<p>“So, with all that sorted,” Tobio murmured, carding a hand through Hinata’s hair, “are you feeling calmer?”</p>
<p>Hinata nodded. “Yeah…yeah.”</p>
<p>“Good.”</p>
<p>“Feeling kinda sleepy…”</p>
<p>Tobio snorted. “Well, take a nap whilst I finish updating the journal. I’ll wake you up to go and find food when I’m done.”</p>
<p>Hinata stole a quick kiss before flopping down on the bed next to Tobio with a laugh. He watched for a short while as Tobio opened the journal again found his quill and inkpot before continuing writing. The quiet scratching of quill tip against parchment was enough to lull him into a slumber.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0066"><h2>66. Spilling The Tea</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>LXVI</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Spilling The Tea</strong>
</p>
<p>Kenma watched as Ukai and Goshiki both scrutinised the ear cuffs. He had been blunt with his explanation; that Akaashi intended to tackle Akiteru alone and this was an attempt to try and keep the rest of the Brotherhood in contact with one another despite the distance. It sounded ridiculous to most, but to the mages of the empire it sounded a lot more plausible than one would expect.</p>
<p>“I mean,” Goshiki wrinkled his nose in thought as he cradled the trinket in his palm and poked at the small shard, “it could work, but you’d need more than this to get full conversations to pass through at a large distance.”</p>
<p>Ukai nodded in agreement. “And you’d need at least one competent mage driving it. You said it transferred elements with some concentration?”</p>
<p>“It did. I don’t have capabilities to summon ice, yet when I wore one and Inuoka wore the other, it became possible.”</p>
<p>Ukai hummed in thought as he turned over the cuff and took an interest in how it was crafted. “We were doing studies into how to use runestones, how they allowed magic to seep into their structures and could be used as power sources. Though that research was in its infancy here.”</p>
<p>Goshiki snorted. “If by that you mean there was just a lot of theorising and not much experimentation…”</p>
<p>Kenma glanced between them. “In any case, if we used a larger stone as a focus, do you think it would work?”</p>
<p>Ukai sighed, offering the ear cuff back to him. “You’d still need a powerful mage to power it. Like, their entire focus would have to be on keeping it stable and making sure no-one in the chain gets overwhelmed.”</p>
<p>“And the more you have in that chain,” Goshiki added, “the more stress they’d be under. That’s just my guess at least. I don’t know much about empathic magic but it’s a good a guess as any.”</p>
<p>“So I’m guessing neither of you would be…” he had to put the suggestion out there even if he knew the answer already.</p>
<p>Goshiki raised an eyebrow at the idea but shook his head. “I would, believe me nothing would bring me more joy than being part of this crazy—” he cut himself off with a shake of the head. “No. I can’t. I’m barely…Ukai here says I’m still unstable.”</p>
<p>“That’s ‘cause you <em>are</em>.” Ukai gently put before turning his attention to Kenma. “I’ve already said, my powers have been chipped away and worn down by my time away. I’m not going to be able to keep everything from boiling over.”</p>
<p>Kenma nodded, accepting the other cuff back from Goshiki. He noticed the pure stone wasn’t in his grasp. When he brought it up, Goshiki shrugged.</p>
<p>“I feel fine. It’s sat on the table.” He gestured to the end table by the bed he had claimed. “Hinata hasn’t come looking for it.”</p>
<p>Kenma noticed it was no longer colourless. What had once resembled a diamond with a slight milky tint was now clouded over with faint purple hues. At a glance it wasn’t that different, but it no longer looked as pure as it once had. Something about that fact unnerved him.</p>
<p>“I’ll get it back to him.” He smiled, picking it up on his way to leaving. Goshiki and Ukai nodded in parting.</p>
<p>Only when he was outside the room did he look closer at the gem that had given Hinata the edge he needed in the Battle of the Dynasty. It was smooth, a gem that had been cut and polished to perfection. It felt warm like most runestones did as he rubbed the pad of his thumb over it. Within the cloudy depths, small wisps of bright purple moved like ink in water. He didn’t feel any abnormal energy coming from it but he wasn’t strictly equipped to do so.</p>
<p>In his other hand he held the two ear cuffs. He looked back and forth between the pure stone and the ear cuffs.</p>
<p>“A mage to keep the chain secure.” He murmured aloud. Going down the list of mages in the manor, there were only two not strictly involved in the current plan to overthrow Akiteru. One of them was going to be by Tobio’s side as he had been this entire time. The other, whilst technically Tooru’s court mage, hadn’t been presented as such and could easily slip under everyone’s noses.</p>
<p>He sought out Shirabu, finding him easily in the parlour exchanging casual chitchat with Semi. All conversation halted as he approached, Semi actually tensed up like a startled cat but tried to brush it off quickly. Kenma didn’t particularly care about whatever conversation had been taking place as he showed Shirabu the ear cuffs and loosely explained the current plan.</p>
<p>“And so, Ukai and Goshiki reckon to make it work, we need a mage to ‘keep the chain stable’.” He finished. “I can’t do it, neither can Nishinoya.”</p>
<p>Shirabu looked at the trinket in his palm and then up at Kenma. “And you think I can? Did you miss the part where I said I’m not an empath mage?”</p>
<p>“I know.” Kenma showed him the pure stone. “You don’t need to be.”</p>
<p>“I don’t want anything to do with anything Hinata’s done—”</p>
<p>“He’s not done anything to it.” Kenma tossed it into Shirabu’s hand. “I’m not sure why it’s suddenly clouded over but what I <em>do</em> know is that stone is powerful enough to grant power when needed.”</p>
<p>“Slow the fuck down.” Shirabu sighed, looking between the two items in his hands. “You’re asking me to use this stone,” he held it up, “and wear one of these cuffs and do <em>what</em> exactly?”</p>
<p>“Make sure no-one else wearing one of these cuffs gets overwhelmed.”</p>
<p>Semi raised his eyebrows as he watched Shirabu frown in thought. “I uh, I know I’m not a mage, but that sounds like far from a simple task.”</p>
<p>Kenma didn’t react, merely waiting for Shirabu to say something. He looked back between the two items again, shaking his head slightly in thought.</p>
<p>“I know I’ve done some weird shit,” Shirabu sighed, “spoken to dead kings and queens, got Tooru his family sword back, helped deal with Akiteru’s handiwork,” he glanced at Semi momentarily, “…but this feels…too much.”</p>
<p>“Think about it at least.” Kenma extended a hand to take back both the stone and the ear cuff.</p>
<p>Shirabu handed them both back with a short nod, watching as Kenma turned and left as quickly as he had arrived. He sensed Semi’s gaze on him and begrudgingly met it. He expected some sort of jokey remark about the ‘speaking to dead kings’ but instead found a curious expression.</p>
<p>“Why didn’t you ask more questions about it?”</p>
<p>Shirabu shrugged. “When you’ve known the Brotherhood as long as I have, you stop asking questions and just roll with whatever weird scheme they’ve thought up. Asking questions rarely gets you a logical answer.”</p>
<p>“Except you’ve declined to help?”</p>
<p>He huffed. “Because I got out of here alive once before. I escaped their clutches once and I’ll be damned if I get dragged back there.”</p>
<p>Semi said nothing at first, glancing around and confirming they were alone before sitting forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Hey, look at me.”</p>
<p>Shirabu met his gaze. “What, you gonna tell me that you’re gonna protect me?” He snorted, grimacing slightly. “Because I helped you and you feel like it’s a debt that needs paying?”</p>
<p>Semi’s brows furrowed. “No.”</p>
<p>There was a pause. “Then what?”</p>
<p>“I’m going to tell you that you’re here for a reason, right?” Semi lowered his voice. “You told Tooru you had family business, you lied to your king, you came all the way up here of your own volition for <em>a reason</em>. What’s that reason?”</p>
<p>“Don’t talk like you know me.” Shirabu uttered.</p>
<p>Semi smirked slightly. “Just because I’m making you rethink your priorities…”</p>
<p>Shirabu scowled at him. “Fine. I came up here because I told Hinata that getting involved in that battle was a bad idea. That the empire would tear him apart if they got their hands on him. He’s damn lucky that he’s got lunatics like Kunimi ready to pull him out of the fire—”</p>
<p>“You came up here to help.” Semi stated, keeping his tone calm. “And now they’re asking for your help again. Are you really going to turn them down?”</p>
<p>Shirabu snorted again. He couldn’t believe this former Serpent was giving him a lecture on helping others. And irritatingly, Semi had a point. He had come all the way up the place that haunted his nightmares and gave him nothing but bad feelings because he knew they’d need his help. He knew they’d need his connection to the twins. They’d need his abilities and mind to help put an end to all this nonsense once and for all. He was far from thinking he was some chosen one or anything ridiculous like that, but he knew he had his talents. He could do things they couldn’t.</p>
<p>“…what Kenma is asking of me isn’t exactly known magic.” He changed topics quickly. “I don’t even know if I’m capable of such things.”</p>
<p>Semi quirked an eyebrow. “So what’s stopping you from finding out?”</p>
<p>“You really don’t know anything about mages, do you?”</p>
<p>“Not any more than you told me the other night.” Semi shrugged. “And from what I’ve gathered by watching and listening to the others, mages are rather versatile. Spend enough time on anything and you seem to be able to pick up whatever ability you want.”</p>
<p>“Hah, if only.” Shirabu scoffed. “No that’s a <em>Hinata</em> thing.”</p>
<p>“Still.” Semi didn’t yield. “Would it hurt to try? Or rather, if you don’t, would you be able to stomach the idea of not knowing if you could play a larger part in all of this?”</p>
<p>There was a pause as Shirabu considered the angle Semi was taking. He had stayed well out of the Battle of the Dynasty. His only part in it all was allowing Hinata to fall through a portal into the crypt and summon a dead queen for him to talk to. Compared to what the others did, it was nothing. He had always tried to stay out of the limelight, out of everyone’s sight; be quiet, unassuming, and not show off what he was capable of.</p>
<p>For Kenma, <em>Kenma, </em>to approach him and ask such a task of him meant two things; the first was that he didn’t feel equipped to do it himself, the second was that he didn’t trust anyone else to do it. It was a well-known fact that Kenma didn’t trust people easily, the fact he had allowed Kei to waltz in and deal with Goshiki’s unhinged state was a testament to how dire that situation was.</p>
<p>Kei was capable of doing a lot of things that could help them, but there wasn’t any trust there. So it fell into his lap. An opportunity to tackle his past head on, to get some form of retribution against Akiteru, the one who ruined his life.</p>
<p>As he glanced up and met Semi’s gaze again, he figured maybe ruin was a strong word.</p>
<p>“…if you were me, would you do it?” He asked.</p>
<p>Semi blinked. “I’d at least try?” He sighed almost in defeat. “I’m not sure if I’m being allowed to get involved in this. I don’t know if I’m just a liability. So yeah, if I were in your position, I’d try to help however I could.”</p>
<p>“You think they’re going to stop you from helping because you got roughed up and told to kill Akaashi?”</p>
<p>Semi shrugged. “This…feels personal to them.” He glanced around at the two doors again to confirm no-one was lurking. “I don’t feel it’s my place to get involved.”</p>
<p>Shirabu nodded. He could understand that, heck he had felt the same thing a few times in the past. The Brotherhood were a strange bunch when it came to dealing with problems. They rarely liked to seek help from outside their circle.</p>
<p>“Well, if they feel you don’t fit into their plans, I imagine I’ll need some sort of protection during whatever weird ritual I’ll have to cast…”</p>
<p>Semi smiled slightly. “You gave me the impression you didn’t want my protection.”</p>
<p>“Uh-huh. Well that was when I thought you were gonna be a sentimental ass.”</p>
<p>There was a chuckle. “Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate what you did for me, but I’m not a person who goes around collecting ‘debts’.” He shrugged again. “Friends help each other out.”</p>
<p>“Oh we’re friends now?” Shirabu joked.</p>
<p>“Well enemies don’t hold hands now do they?” Semi remarked with a smirk.</p>
<p>“Shut up. That was one time and—”</p>
<p>“And you didn’t exactly stop even when I fell asleep.”</p>
<p>Shirabu stood up abruptly, Semi found his slightly flushed face amusing. “I-I don’t need to listen to your shit.” He huffed. “I’m gonna go find Kenma and get him to reexplain whatever this…plan if his is.”</p>
<p>“Sure thing.” Semi made no attempt to move.</p>
<p>Shirabu cleared his throat and strode over to the door to the foyer. He glanced back over his shoulder. “Oi Eita,”</p>
<p>“Yeah?”</p>
<p>“…you’re not so bad.”</p>
<p>Semi wasn’t given an opportunity to reply before Shirabu was gone. He chuckled to himself. Shirabu was a strange one, but under the frosty exterior and aura of uncaring, he wasn’t so bad himself.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Tooru had neglected being involved in the planning process. Mostly it was because he didn’t see the need to be involved in the schemes of a slightly eccentric guild of assassins. Though as Iwaizumi filled him in on the details, specifically the idea that one mage was going to try and best Akiteru with no back up, he felt he needed to look over these plans himself. Daichi patiently explained the layout of the palace according to the floor plans given to them by Osamu and how the Brotherhood intended to split into small groups and pretend to be hired guards to bolster the ranks ahead of the ball they assumed would be happening.</p>
<p>“And Yachi?” He asked, noting the cluster of markers in the room labelled ‘The Empress’ Quarters’.</p>
<p>“Ah, well, that’s some standard Brotherhood magic.” Daichi replied with a confident smile. “Lev will be sent through a portal to provide some added protection until some of the mages sneak in there. Kenma and Nishinoya are going to evaluate Yachi’s mental state and decide if it’s better to extract her via the Miya family home or…”</p>
<p>Tooru raised an eyebrow as Daichi trailed off. “Or?”</p>
<p>“Well,” Daichi huffed, leaning against the table, “if Akiteru is trying to plan a coup and tries to claim Yachi’s absence from her own ball is an example of how unfit she is to lead…or rather her not being there to defend herself a ripe opportunity, then we <em>could</em> take her to the ballroom and out him as the traitor he is.” He looked for Tooru’s reaction.</p>
<p>“Gutsy plan.” Tooru hummed, eyes skirting over the parchment. “Tobio and I are ready to throw our support behind her in the event of a vote of public opinion. But that’s not what concerns me.”</p>
<p>“What concerns you?”</p>
<p>Tooru was silent for a few moments. “I hear Akaashi is intending to take Akiteru on in a duel of sorts.”</p>
<p>“That’s the intention.”</p>
<p>Tooru shook his head. “I don’t know much about magic, but I do remember how distraught my father was. I know its lasting effects.” He met Daichi’s gaze, gone was the usual air of arrogance that followed Tooru wherever he went, in its place was concern. “I’ve heard what Akaashi has done since getting here, the effects that Akiteru had on others, the way he carries a lot inside him. Are you sure it’s wise to let him take this on?”</p>
<p>“He said he won’t be alone, though he didn’t specify who was going to be with him.”</p>
<p>Tooru wasn’t convinced. “I won’t tell you how to run your guild Daichi, that’s not my place. However what I will say is be ready for the aftermath of such a duel. By the time my father passed he was a husk of his former self, but I remember the days where he was irritable, snappy, where nothing I did was ever good enough.” He swallowed. “I’d hate to hear that in his efforts to best Akiteru, Akaashi loses part of himself.”</p>
<p>That didn’t make Daichi feel any better about all of this. He was already concerned about Akaashi being so stubborn but hearing Tooru’s concerns just amplified his own.</p>
<p>“He’s strong.” Daichi settled on. “And he won’t be alone in the aftermath, he’s got Kuroo, he’s got us.”</p>
<p>Tooru weakly smiled. “I’m glad. I hope he doesn’t come off as bad as I fear.” He sighed. The sombre conversation felt heavy in the air. Tooru sighed a little louder and set his hands on his hips. “So, Tobio and I will be attending this ball, assuming the invites come through. Do you need anything from us? A distraction?”</p>
<p>A slight smile graced Daichi’s face. “Possibly. The twins are apparently sourcing some guard sashes for us. My current thoughts are that some of us put ourselves in the ballroom so we can oversee whatever happens. We can always come up with some signals to use between us if things go awry.”</p>
<p>Tooru nodded, shaking off his previous sombre feeling. “I like it, devious, sneaky…” He smirked. “I like the way you think Daichi.”</p>
<p>“I have been doing this for a few years.” Daichi remarked, getting a laugh out of Tooru.</p>
<p>“I’m glad you’re on our side.”</p>
<p>“We seem to be getting that a lot these days…” Daichi hummed.</p>
<p>Tooru shook his head. “Serious question though,” he gave Daichi a curious look, “after all of this,” he gestured to the parchment, “when we go home to our respective kingdoms and fortresses, what will you do?”</p>
<p>“As in the Brotherhood?”</p>
<p>Tooru gave him a sly smile. “You don’t think you’ll be able to slip back into obscurity again surely?”</p>
<p>Daichi sighed. “Probably not, but that’s a conversation for the guild as a whole. I know some of them will be taking trips to see their family, Hinata is probably going to stay with Tobio—”</p>
<p>“Oh <em>yeah</em>.” Tooru’s wicked smirk was back. “What is going on there? What’s happening? I see them holding hands, I see Tobio barely goes anywhere without him, did I miss something?”</p>
<p>Daichi laughed. “Honestly, the only one who seems to know details is Kenma.”</p>
<p>“So there <em>is</em> something.”</p>
<p>“Well duh.” Daichi snorted. “From what I gather, after the ‘fake consort plan’—”</p>
<p>“Hold on <em>a damn second</em>.” Tooru cut in. “Consort? What?”</p>
<p>It occurred to Daichi that no-one had told Tooru about any of this. He had arrived long after the ball, long after the chitchat, no-one had mentioned it because everyone already knew the plan. “Ah. Uh, well, do you want some tea? I feel like this is best explained with tea.”</p>
<p>“You bet your ass I do.”</p>
<p>Daichi laughed again. He quickly found some water already heating up in the hearth of the kitchen and served them both some fragrant tea that he didn’t particularly care for but Tooru seemed to approve of it. Once sat down at the dining table once more, Daichi went on to explain how the summons had arrived and the guild assembled in the guest quarters of Hokubujōsai. At some point a plan of sorts had been agreed between Tobio and Hinata that the latter pretending to be Tobio’s consort was the best way forward.</p>
<p>Tooru hung onto every scrap of information, picking Daichi’s brain for details that slipped through the cracks. Daichi wasn’t sure how much he should tell the other but he enjoyed talking about less dramatic things for a short while.</p>
<p>“And so when Hinata was arrested, Tobio freaked out. And most of us had figured at that point it was more than an act…”</p>
<p>“You don’t say?” Tooru remarked. “God if Hajime was arrested…” he shuddered, setting down his empty cup. “Anyway, go on.”</p>
<p>“So he tried to argue for Hinata’s release, Yachi said no, the twins were barely…cooperative. And so Kunimi and Yaku busted Hinata out instead. Which coincided with your arrival and…well yeah.”</p>
<p>“And so since then no-one’s really sure what’s happening?”</p>
<p>“Kenma seems to know something. And I’m sure various others have seen, heard, been told things.” He shrugged. “Honestly, I’m not worried about it.”</p>
<p>“Not worried?”</p>
<p>Daichi shook his head. “Hinata keeps Tobio grounded, calm, but he also gives him that boost of confidence he needs to tackle his issues.” He drained his cup. “Likewise, Tobio gives Hinata a sense of direction, a purpose beyond just being a powerful mage. To protect House Kageyama is to keep the one Hinata cares about safe.”</p>
<p>Tooru raised an eyebrow. “You don’t want him taking on Akiteru huh.”</p>
<p>“Can you imagine the carnage?” Daichi lowered his tone, gently setting the clay cup down. “Akiteru has done a number on some of the strongest people I know; Yaku and Kiyoko are not weak-willed individuals. They’re fighters. Yet he took them apart easily, they may seem fine now but I’d bet gold they’re burying it all rather than processing it. I don’t think Hinata is by any means weak-willed, but he’s emotional. He leads with his innocent optimism, a wish to see the good in everyone.”</p>
<p>Tooru nodded. “He does.” He smiled slightly. “It’s cute, that Tobio has found himself a partner in someone so unlike his current self.”</p>
<p>Daichi found that remark amusing in a way. “What was Tobio like when he was younger?”</p>
<p>Tooru’s smile grew. “He was soft. Not in a bad way. He was more timid, but strangely determined. He hid behind his mother’s robes the first few times we met. Took me and Hajime an entire afternoon to convince him to come bug catching with us.” He glanced away as he recalled the memory. “Gods if only we could go back to simpler times eh?”</p>
<p>Daichi could relate to that sentiment. “Maybe we can, when this is all over.”</p>
<p>“I admire your optimism but I have a hundred other things to worry about back home.”</p>
<p>“Including an heir I suppose?”</p>
<p>Tooru rolled his eyes. “Yeah. Gods have mercy on my soul.”</p>
<p>“I mean,” Daichi smiled, “I know you have nobles and stuff, but do you really have to adhere by the rules of those before you? You are the king, you can think up a workaround.”</p>
<p>“Workaround?”</p>
<p>He shrugged. “So you can marry Iwaizumi and not feel forced to take a queen?” Tooru’s face flushed red, Daichi had to laugh slightly. “Sorry, I uh, thought—”</p>
<p>“It’s fine!” Tooru laughed. “I uh, it’s not really, I mean I’ve joked with him about it…I don’t think he’d ever accept such a proposal. He takes his role as my guard very seriously…”</p>
<p>“Call it a commitment pledge or something. Kuroo and Akaashi did something vaguely similar.”</p>
<p>“That doesn’t solve my heir issue Daichi.” Tooru remarked, nervously laughing, his face still red. “I could just ask my sister to have another child and declare they’re my successor…”</p>
<p>“You could.”</p>
<p>Tooru was quiet for a few moments. “At least I have that option, Tobio won’t.”</p>
<p>“I’m sure Tobio will figure something out.” Daichi said. “I can see him finding a suitable lady to give him a successor.”</p>
<p>“Gods that would be a sight, Tobio with a lady.” Tooru chuckled. “He was always spooked by the ladies of the court. I think he was just always spooked by people in general honestly.”</p>
<p>“People grow, things change over time.”</p>
<p>Tooru met his gaze with a pensive expression. “But the bonds of brotherhood run deep, right?” He offered a smile.</p>
<p>Daichi returned it. “That they do. No matter where we are, what adventures or shenanigans we get up to, we’re all still connected in our hearts.”</p>
<p>“Gods you’re gonna make me bawl like a baby with that talk.” Tooru snorted, standing up and collecting both the cups and turning to return them to the kitchens. “When we all make it through this chaos, when Akiteru’s in chains and Yachi back on the throne, I’m gonna personally host a banquet.” Daichi waited for him to return from the kitchens and continue his train of thought.</p>
<p>“And the Brotherhood will be the guests of honour, and you’ll get the recognition you deserve.” He clapped a hand on Daichi’s shoulder. “As the ones who worked in the shadows to stop the threats that faced both our kingdoms and the wider realm. As the heroes you really are.”</p>
<p>Daichi felt himself tear up a little. They had always maintained they didn’t need or want titles or rewards for their actions. They maintained that they were just regular folk who wanted to do their part, to protect their home, their families, each other. Yet hearing Tooru assure him that after everything they had gone through, everything they still had to go through, they were going to get recognition they were long due, it made him emotional.</p>
<p>“I…” He was at a loss for words. “Thanks?”</p>
<p>Tooru squeezed his shoulder. “It’s me who should be thanking you.” He smiled. “Without you and your band of lunatics, we would’ve lost this fight a long time ago.”</p>
<p>“Well,” Daichi tried to keep his composure, “better make sure we don’t lose it right when it matters most eh?”</p>
<p>Tooru chuckled. “Oh we won’t lose Daichi, even the likes of Akiteru still bleed when struck with a blade remember. And I know you have many skilled fighters. Don’t get me wrong, I want him alive so I can remove his head myself, but don’t hold back. If it’s a kill or be killed situation, make it slow and painful.”</p>
<p>Daichi nodded as Tooru released his shoulder. With a final courteous nod, Tooru turned and left the dining room. It had been a conversation of many twists and turns, of many topics and thoughts. He didn’t remember the last time he spoke to Tooru candidly. It was weird to think they were the same age, they both felt older than they were, wise beyond their years but not out of choice, out of necessity.</p>
<p>Whilst in most cases it was survival of the fittest, there were many instances, like the one they found themselves tangled up in currently, where it was survival of the wisest.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0067"><h2>67. A Long-winded Recap</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Had a Minor Scare last night thanks to my computer deciding to crash multiple times. Managed to get it all fixed, no data was in danger, just my sanity. </p>
<p>Also, I've actually got the final chapters more or less plotted [finally] and it's looking like we're going to end on chapter 95. 🎉</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>LXVII</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>A Long-winded Recap</strong>
</p>
<p>It had been a week since the Brotherhood burst into the tavern and ‘rescued’ him. He still wasn’t sure how he felt about it all. Ennoshita was a man of few words, fewer still as he now found himself in an overcrowded manor that consisted of two royal parties, a guild of assassins and generally crazy people, and some ‘additional extras’.</p>
<p>The main issue he had with this change in circumstance is that he didn’t ask to be ‘rescued’. Especially under the instruction of someone who nearly killed him a few years ago. He had spoken with Semi a few times, the back and forth hadn’t yielded much in the way of comfort. He was still trying to wrap his head around how quickly a former Serpent had been accepted into the tight knit brotherhood. Semi could sit there and say he didn’t feel like he was ‘part of them’ yet, but Ennoshita could see the way that most had warmed up to him, he wasn’t shunned like a stray dog, he was even part of their jokes.</p>
<p>Ennoshita had no intention of making friends with some of these lunatics. He had heard stories about them, granted he didn’t know it was <em>them</em>. Akiteru had seldom spoken about his time in the south, but he seemed invested in this ‘new threat’ that had been emerging since he left. Letters that flew back and forth between the brothers during his time in the Serpents indicated Akiteru knew the Brotherhood could and would become a larger thorn in his side if they weren’t dealt with. It was curious.</p>
<p>So when that same Brotherhood arrived in Hinode, Ennoshita saw the shift. The carefree and reasonable noble that he had been graciously receiving bed and board from had gone and made way for a slightly more eccentric persona.</p>
<p>He had meant what he said to the others, Akiteru wasn’t a lunatic. At least the Akiteru he had met. As he heard more stories from the others, or rather <em>overheard</em> things, he started building a picture of what Akiteru was supposedly capable of. What he had supposedly done.</p>
<p>Given his apparent lack of knowledge, he felt he needed to get a much more level-headed run down of what happened. Speaking to kings and old acquaintances wasn’t getting him anywhere quickly enough. He needed a simple; ‘here’s what happened and why everyone else is mad about it’. He needed to decide if he wanted any part of it.</p>
<p>So he sought out Moniwa. It had quickly become apparent to him that this one man kept notes on everything so if anyone could give him the rundown he needed, it would be him. Moniwa had been spooked at his blunt nature, even more so when he asked if they could get out of the manor to speak about it.</p>
<p>“I uh, well, Kuroo and Daichi don’t want anyone leaving without protection.” Moniwa explained. “So, uh.”</p>
<p>“I highly doubt the guards are going to arrest either of us.” Ennoshita rolled his eyes.</p>
<p>“Even so.” Moniwa glanced around the parlour. “I’d feel better with at least someone—”</p>
<p>“Fine, if you can convince someone, be my guest.”</p>
<p>Moniwa sighed slightly. Given the subject matter, there weren’t many people who would remain calm throughout the retelling of the past. Even fewer who would be willing to leave the relative safety of the manor to do so. But he soon found Suga and calmly explained the situation; that Ennoshita wanted to be told about everything Akiteru had done and make a decision for himself on whether to believe it.</p>
<p>Whether Suga was totally okay with the idea of anyone thinking Akiteru was in anyway ‘right’ in his actions wasn’t obvious. Ennoshita didn’t show any sign of disagreeing with Moniwa’s choice of chaperon. The trio left, Moniwa with his satchel of journals slung on his shoulder and ventured out into the mid-afternoon streets of Hinode.</p>
<p>Ennoshita already had a place in mind to discuss sensitive matters, it wasn’t a tavern or teahouse, it wasn’t really anywhere that most would go in the city. The noble quarter, or ‘uptown’ as many referred to it as, was a quiet place in the day. At night there one could hear music from various manors and teahouses but as the sun was still reasonably high in the sky, it was quiet.</p>
<p>Suga tried not to think too much into where they were. He wasn’t overly familiar with this district, that unnerved him a little. He kept a hand near the hilt of his knife as Ennoshita halted at a door. He rapped his knuckles on the door and waited. The building itself was neatly kept, though a lot smaller than the noble family manors that surrounded them. Timber framing sat on a stone foundation and spanned two floors above them. All the windows were shuttered, giving it a much more secretive vibe than most of the other buildings around it.</p>
<p>The sound of a bolt sliding preceded the door opening. A man with short brown hair stood before them, fringe slightly hanging over one eye as he glanced between the trio. As his gaze met Ennoshita’s he raised an eyebrow.</p>
<p>“Chikara.” He noted. “You’re alive.”</p>
<p>Ennoshita nodded. “Good to see you too Kenji.”</p>
<p>“Guests?”</p>
<p>A side glance was directed at Moniwa. “…of sorts. May we come in and borrow your…services?”</p>
<p>There was a pause as if he were mulling it over. “Akiteru doesn’t know you’re here, does he?”</p>
<p>“No, and I’d prefer to keep it that way for now.”</p>
<p>A wry smile. “I see. Well, if his brother comes snooping around again I’ll be sure to send him scurrying.” He threw open the door to allow them into the building. It certainly wasn’t a home at first glance; bookcases lined one wall stuffed with tomes and scrolls, a chandelier illuminated everything with a soft glow. A staircase lined one wall and lead up to the floor above. In the centre of the room was a desk piled with books and letters, behind it a door was slightly ajar. The stranger closed the main door behind them once they were inside, the bolt being slid back into place.</p>
<p>“You know the drill Chikara.” He stated.</p>
<p>“Yes yes,” Ennoshita sighed, reaching into his pocket and pulling out five gold pieces, dropping them onto the desk with a light clink. He then beckoned Moniwa and Suga to follow him around the desk and through the ajar door without a hint of explanation. Only when the door was closed behind them did he say anything else. “Futakuchi is a decent person, just has his uh…precautions.”</p>
<p>Moniwa nodded slowly, Suga didn’t respond at all. The room they were now in was considerably simple and bare in comparison to what they expected. A single window overlooked the street running behind the building, though the half-closed shutters obscured their view for the most part. A table was shoved against one of the walls, only a pot of ink and abandoned quill resting atop its wooden surface. Candles were unlit, though Ennoshita’s first action was to find a flint and steel to spark a flame to light them with.</p>
<p>In the glow of the candles on the wall, two wooden stools could be seen stacked in the corner. Ennoshita moved them to the centre of the room and sat down, gesturing for Moniwa to do the same. Suga folded his arms across his chest as he stepped over to the table and leaned against it.</p>
<p>“What is this place?” Moniwa asked as he timidly sat down and let his satchel fall to the floor.</p>
<p>Ennoshita shrugged. “Futakuchi is a friend of a former friend.” He stated. “He was a guy who shared information with one of the clans. When I ended up here and didn’t know who I could trust or not, I sought him out and here we are.”</p>
<p>“I guess that makes sense.” Moniwa glanced to Suga who was remaining silent and remarkably expressionless. “So is he friend or foe?”</p>
<p>“In your ‘fight’ with Akiteru? Neither.” Ennoshita glanced to the door. “He doesn’t care about who sits on the damn throne, he cares about passing information. Sort of what I gather your guild used to be about.”</p>
<p>Suga raised an eyebrow but said nothing.</p>
<p>“In any case,” Ennoshita took the hint to not poke that issue, “you know why we’re here, so let’s stop dancing around the issue and get on with it. What did Akiteru do?”</p>
<p>Moniwa nodded. It was a question that could be answered bluntly first and then expanded on, for that he was sort of thankful. “In short; he used his empath powers to kill one king, get almost the entirety of House Kageyama wiped out, pulled the strings and caused a war between the south and the north to erupt and…coerced a mage into burning down the entire old city district of Hinode.”</p>
<p>Ennoshita nodded, leaning forward so his elbows were resting on his knees. “I see.”</p>
<p>“And now I guess you want me to explain how we know all this and why it’s led us to this point?”</p>
<p>There was the flicker of a smile. “In as few words as possible to begin with, yes.”</p>
<p>Moniwa reached into his satchel and dug out the first of three journals. Not every page pertained to this subject, but those that did would help him keep track of the tale that had been weaved throughout the last few years. He flicked through several dozen pages of other guild antics before getting to the part he sought.</p>
<p>“The story begins over four years ago.” He started. “Tooru’s father Hayato was king. Things were more or less stable in the southern kingdom, at least in terms of there weren’t any rebellions or wars breaking out. There were border skirmishes with the northern territories but nothing…notable.”</p>
<p>“Right.”</p>
<p>“All this we got from one of his journals that Shirabu found, so this is from the king’s quill, not ours,” Moniwa turned the page to find the loose transcript of what was in the aforementioned journal, “he mentions a young scout, a lot, someone who wants to prove himself. Hayato sends him to do odd jobs and not-so-important things.”</p>
<p>“Does Tooru know anything about this at the time?”</p>
<p>“Not especially. He was fourteen at the time.”</p>
<p>Ennoshita hummed in thought. “Go on.”</p>
<p>“Months pass and this scout keeps coming up, never mentioned by name but Hayato seems to trust him to get things done. Even entrusts a small unit of soldiers to him to carry out tasks in the wider kingdom. Which is where things get…murky.”</p>
<p>Suga watched Ennoshita’s reaction carefully, he wasn’t sure what to think of Ennoshita’s calm energy.</p>
<p>“Murky.”</p>
<p>Moniwa exhaled. “Reports are conflicting, and to this day we’re still not entirely sure what happened. Only Akiteru seems to know the true extent.” He paused. “From the journals and what Tooru said about his father’s demeanour; we think Akiteru manipulated Hayato, fed him lies about what House Kageyama was saying. Claiming they were talking to the empire and going to attack House Oikawa. So Hayato sent Akiteru with that unit of soldiers to Tobu Misaki-Mura to get answers. However an ‘untimely’ eruption of the volcano wiped the city out.”</p>
<p>Ennoshita nodded slowly, taking it all in. “And House Kageyama?”</p>
<p>“Tobio’s recollection of that day is…fragmented. However Yamaguchi, Asahi and Inuoka told me details that help fill in the blanks.” He turned the page again. “For a start, the city wasn’t wiped out. Secondly, that unit of soldiers invaded and,” he paused to calm himself, “murdered the royal family.”</p>
<p>Ennoshita didn’t react immediately, expression calm and neutral. His reasoning to have someone calm and collected tell him this story was paying off. He could imagine how quickly emotions would erupt if he had this told to him in front of either king.</p>
<p>“Tobio has proof of this?”</p>
<p>“A bloodied banner of House Oikawa that would’ve been brought into the fortress proof enough? Or do we need to bring up Kei’s involvement?”</p>
<p>Ennoshita quirked an eyebrow. “I assume this got back to Hayato, that the city wasn’t destroyed?”</p>
<p>“Not immediately. And a fifteen-year-old Tooru was told Tobio died. However as rumours began to fly around, news from people who had fled the city eastward to the other towns and villages of House Kageyama’s kingdom, I think Hayato figured out this scout of his was lying. And that was without the magical aftermath of being toyed with being taken into account.”</p>
<p>Ennoshita glanced at Suga who didn’t react. It was more than unnerving that he was being so silent.</p>
<p>“So Hayato went crazy I guess?”</p>
<p>“That’s what Tooru says.” Moniwa closed the journal with a light thud. He set it down and pulled out the second. “And Shirabu’s conversation with his ghost yielded similar thoughts.”</p>
<p>“Hold on, <em>what</em>.”</p>
<p>“Uh,” Moniwa nervously laughed, “long story short Shirabu did a few weird rituals to get us answers?”</p>
<p>Ennoshita blinked, he wasn’t sure how relevant talking to ghosts was so he decided he didn’t want to know. “Right, so…whatever. Carry on.”</p>
<p>“Uh yes, so Hayato suffered the effects of having Akiteru plant false…thoughts and the like in his mind. It eventually drove him mad and he died around Tooru’s eighteenth nameday, thus passing the crown to him.” He flicked to the relevant page in the second journal. “Tooru wasn’t aware of this foul play, his father having kept it a secret. Except he still hadn’t heard of the crown jewels of House Kageyama being retrieved and in an effort to put the rumours to rest, he…” he glanced to Suga again momentarily. “He enlisted our help to get to the bottom of it.”</p>
<p>“You.” Ennoshita looked between them. “A guild of assassins.”</p>
<p>“Well—” Moniwa wasn’t sure how in-depth he should go. “Kunimi was a palace servant for Tooru growing up and…basically Tooru asked us to get to the bottom of it and that’s the important bit.” He waved dismissively. “The thing is, we were to have a ‘guide’ of sorts.”</p>
<p>“A guide.”</p>
<p>Moniwa nodded. “So after Hayato showed no sign of recovering from his strange ‘illness’, Akiteru had disappeared. Once Tooru ascended to the throne, another scout appeared eager to make his…mark.” He stated. “Kei Tsukishima.”</p>
<p>He paused, Ennoshita’s brow furrowed. “Okay so here’s where it gets dicey. I knew of Kei but not as a scout of House Oikawa—”</p>
<p>“Because he was a scout of House Kageyama, correct?”</p>
<p>Ennoshita’s confusion was obvious. “…sort of? The letters I saw flying back and forth were just titled ‘Kei’. And most sent to Takeshi via the Flame Roses - the clan Futakuchi spoke to - and…there was no mention of House Kageyama. Not on the letters at least.”</p>
<p>Moniwa nodded. “Here’s the theory; backed up somewhat by your own experience,” he smiled slightly, “Akiteru returned here and immediately sent Kei out to ‘tie up loose ends’. Kei went west first, acquiring contacts with the clans of the north along the way and using them as a go-between. He then came south in search of these loose ends Akiteru spoke of, in the wilderness he found Tobio Kageyama, sole surviving member of the ruling family.”</p>
<p>Ennoshita nodded along, not interjecting.</p>
<p>“And as Tobio tells us, backed up by the rest of his staff, Kei agreed to help get him his kingdom back. Once the bandits and wildlife were cleared out of the fortress, Tobio returned to claim his birthright. And that’s when Kei started to pick up where Akiteru left off.”</p>
<p>“So you’re telling me, Kei somehow managed to win favour with Tobio and Tooru without the other knowing?”</p>
<p>“Sort of.” Moniwa grimaced. “Tobio was scorned and wanted to know what House Oikawa was doing in the aftermath of the invasion. So he sent <em>Kei</em> to spy on them. Kei did a very good job of slipping into a position of power and influence. Tooru never knew what hit him.”</p>
<p>Ennoshita considered this information. He had read enough of those letters to know something was amiss this entire time. Kei always wanted to be vague, never really told Akiteru the gritty details of what was happening until after the fact.</p>
<p>“…so Kei, on the orders of Akiteru, did his own fucked up shit and annoyed you all?”</p>
<p>As crass as the wording was, Ennoshita was accurate in his assumption. Moniwa nodded. “And whilst Kei was distracting us, Akiteru was back here.” Moniwa reached for his third journal. “And from what Goshiki has told everyone, what both Shirabu and Ukai have shared as well, we are fairly certain that the old city district fire four years ago was Akiteru’s doing. Sure, Goshiki may be the one who set the tavern alight but Akiteru planned it all, Akiteru decided it was going to be a thing that needed to happen.”</p>
<p>Ennoshita sat up a little straighter, frown etched on his face. “I see.”</p>
<p>“And Kei’s told Kuroo enough of a story to distance himself from it. So,” Moniwa flicked to one of the more recent pages, “given all of that, do you want me to explain anything else?”</p>
<p>There was a brief pause. “How does Yachi fit into all this?”</p>
<p>“Ah, so Kiyoko and Tobio both seem under the impression that Akiteru is using the same tactics he used against Hayato in order to compromise the empress. The Miya family believe this is a gutsy attempt to steal power.”</p>
<p>Ennoshita snorted. “Akiteru wants to be emperor by killing of Yachi huh?”</p>
<p>“Unless you have other insight?”</p>
<p>Ennoshita shook his head. “Akiteru never spoke to me about this sorta thing.”</p>
<p>“What did he speak to you about?” Moniwa tilted his head. “You said he offered you a chance to rebuild?”</p>
<p>Ennoshita shrugged, clearly not that beat up about the entire thing. “In a way, I reckon he just saw one of the remnants of the Blue Serpents, a clan that ‘helped’ him and his brother and saw it fit to offer me a more stable life?”</p>
<p>“So he didn’t take you prisoner?”</p>
<p>Ennoshita scoffed. “Not until Eita spoke to Kei.”</p>
<p>“Why did he change his tune then?”</p>
<p>“As soon as he heard the Brotherhood were in town, he ordered Kei to tie up loose ends or he would do it for him. As soon as Eita spoke to Kei, even with his agreement to kill Akaashi, he was slated as one of you.” He spoke coldly. “And when Akaashi didn’t show up dead, Akiteru’s patience ran out.”</p>
<p>Suga raised an eyebrow again. Moniwa let a beat of silence rest before continuing. “So, Akiteru really wants Akaashi dead?”</p>
<p>Ennoshita shrugged. “If what I heard about him sabotaging Kei’s efforts are true, then yeah. If everything you’ve told me about Akiteru being a power-hungry madman is true, if he really tortured another mage…” he trailed off. “I guess it all fits in a way. He hates the idea of a competitor.”</p>
<p>“So what do you think?” Moniwa asked. “You don’t have to be involved, but…I don’t think the others would want you going back.”</p>
<p>“Going back?” Ennoshita snorted. “You think I’d want to go back after hearing all that?”</p>
<p>“Can’t say I would, no.”</p>
<p>Suga cleared his throat, stepping away from the table still with his arms folded. “I’ll say this,” he broke his silence, “you’re under no obligation to be part of any of these plans, to even be anywhere near the palace during this encounter, but obviously you know far too much now. We can’t just let you go freely.” He kept his tone even but serious. “If Akiteru finds you, we know he won’t be merciful with you. He’ll want to know what we told you and we can’t take that chance.”</p>
<p>Ennoshita didn’t seem surprised at this statement, more annoyed. “One day I’ll be able to actually make my own choice about my life…”</p>
<p>“And you will, as soon as this is over, you’re free to do what you like.” Suga stated. “You can stay with us, you can stay here, you can do whatever you want.”</p>
<p>“Ahh, thanks <em>so much</em>.” Ennoshita uttered.</p>
<p>Suga didn’t reply, looking to Moniwa as if to ask if there was anything else he needed to say. After a few moments of silence, Ennoshita stood up and stated they should get back. He nodded in thanks and parting to Futakuchi as they passed through the building to the street. The journey back was silent, not another word being uttered between them.</p>
<p>Once back at the manor, Suga made a point to get Moniwa alone in a room.</p>
<p>“What do you think?” He asked.</p>
<p>Moniwa shrugged. “He’s…understandably annoyed I guess? I gather he hadn’t caught a break in years and just when he thought he had gotten one, it’s pulled out from under him by our arrival.”</p>
<p>Suga hummed. “I guess.”</p>
<p>Moniwa offered a small smile. “Hey, don’t take it personally Koushi. Not everyone we meet is gonna be charmed by our lunatic endeavours.”</p>
<p>That succeeded in making Suga chuckle. “True, I guess I just feel somewhat guilty.”</p>
<p>“And that’s okay,” Moniwa nudged him, “but remember, we’re not responsible for how others react. We can only be responsible for our own actions.”</p>
<p>Suga nodded, letting out a sigh. “You’re right.” He forced a smile. “So, I’ll go find out if anything has changed with Daichi and Kuroo.”</p>
<p>“And I think I’m going to go and talk to Ukai and Goshiki some more. They’re both incredibly knowledgeable about magic and how the empire taught it, I want to try and get as much written down before we go home.”</p>
<p>Suga’s forced smile melted into a more genuine one. “Yeah? You’ll have to share those findings with us on the way home.”</p>
<p>Moniwa grinned. “Oh I have more than enough for the trip south. We could ride all the way to Kitamine and I’d still have leftovers.”</p>
<p>They shared a laugh. “Well,” Suga said, “I can’t wait to hear it.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0068"><h2>68. Acceptance</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>LXVIII</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Acceptance</strong>
</p>
<p>By the time the sun set, Bokuto had finished the sets of ear cuffs. He had also managed to get three rings crafted before the forge went cold. He was exhausted but happy with the amount he accomplished with only one other set of hands for most of the day. As Tanaka handed over the bundle of cloth that held all the trinkets to Kenma, he made sure to tell Kenma how much work was put in. Kenma nodded, thanking both of them before quickly whisking the bundle upstairs.</p>
<p>Just as Bokuto and Tanaka had been busy all day, Inuoka had also been hard at work. He was just putting the finishing brush strokes on the first of two portal circles as Kenma arrived in the small room. Nishinoya had been idly watching him for a while, just appreciating the quiet company. Upon seeing it was just the two of them, Kenma sighed slightly.</p>
<p>“Take this.” He handed the bundle to Nishinoya, “I’ll be back.”</p>
<p>Nishinoya glanced to Inuoka who shrugged as Kenma left sharply. They waited in silence, neither daring to suggest peeling back the layers of the bundle. A short while later Kenma returned with Shirabu and Hinata following closed behind. No-one said anything as he accepted the bundle back from Nishinoya.</p>
<p>“Alright, Bokuto and Tanaka finished the ear cuffs.” He stated. “So, now we have enough to properly test the theory <em>and</em> some extra help from the rings…” He fished out the ear cuffs as he spoke and handed everyone one each. “So, if everyone is okay with it, I’d like to test it now.”</p>
<p>“Sure.” Nishinoya immediately put one on.</p>
<p>Inuoka accepted it without a word and did the same. Shirabu was a little more reluctant but complied. Kenma didn’t offer one to Hinata straight away, more inclined to respect his wishes from before but did so after a beat of hesitation. Hinata took it and held it in his palm, considering just <em>trying </em>at the very least.</p>
<p>“So to recap,” Kenma set the bundle down on a stool as he slipped his own ear cuff on, “this entire theory is that the shards of the purple stone can aid us share a state of consciousness almost. In simple terms, we can hear each other’s thoughts and rely information.”</p>
<p>“Question is how invasive is it?” Inuoka asked. “Earlier it was easy for me to hear what you said about…” he trailed off as he remembered Hinata was present. “So with more of us will it be more jumbled or?”</p>
<p>Kenma shrugged. “That’s what we’re going to find out.” He glanced over at Hinata who had his hand raised. “Yes Shoyo?”</p>
<p>“Why am I here?”</p>
<p>There was a beat of silence. “Well I didn’t want to exclude you.”</p>
<p>“But Akaashi’s not here.”</p>
<p>Kenma gave him an almost sad smile. “Yes, because we all know Keiji isn’t going to wear one due to what he’s intending to do. This is more for the rest of the plan, getting Yachi to safety, ensuring both Tobio and Tooru are safe, combating any surprises Akiteru might have in store.”</p>
<p>Hinata understood. He did appreciate Kenma not excluding him, but he didn’t exactly have anything to bring to the table if he wasn’t going to wear one. Though he was the only one present who knew how to wield the void, so perhaps he could be of some use if they got overwhelmed. Kenma reached into his pocket and offered the pure stone back to Hinata. He took it, giving it a curious look.</p>
<p>“Goshiki says he doesn’t need it, nor does he know what happened to make it cloud over.”</p>
<p>“That’s…concerning.” Hinata mumbled as he turned it over in his hands. He felt the same warmth from it that it gave off before, the purple wisps didn’t seem inherently <em>bad</em>.</p>
<p>Whilst Hinata was focused on that, Kenma decided to move on with testing the theory. He closed his eyes. There was a weird feeling of eyes upon him, given what happened earlier, it was possible all three of the others were present in his thoughts. So he started simply.</p>
<p><em>‘So. Who wants to place bets on how long it’ll take for the invitation to the ball to arrive?</em>’</p>
<p>There was a pause. A silent one. He glanced around and saw the other’s expression’s set in deep thought. Inuoka wrinkled his nose but it was not his voice that came through first.</p>
<p>A flash of light and boom of thunder echoed in his mind. <em>‘Depends how long Akiteru wants to make us stew?</em>’</p>
<p>Shirabu inhaled sharply, blinking rapidly. “Make us stew?”</p>
<p>Kenma snorted. “I think Noya meant, ‘make us wait’.”</p>
<p>Shirabu shook his head. “God this feels weird. I don’t like it.”</p>
<p>A slight chill went down Kenma’s spine. <em>‘I’d say it’ll be within two days. It’s been a week since the tavern stuff. He won’t want us getting many more ideas’</em></p>
<p>“True.” Kenma reasoned. He was starting to get used to the sensations. He glanced to Hinata who seemed tempted to put on the ear cuff for himself but was still conflicted about why the pure stone was clouded over.</p>
<p>“So,” Shirabu still seemed uncomfortable as he blinked rapidly, “we can sorta hear each other, now what?”</p>
<p>Kenma fished out three rings from the bundle of cloth. They were simple in their design; a plain silver band with a jagged shard no wider than his pinkie finger embedded in them. “Now we see if these help strengthen the bond.”</p>
<p>Nishinoya slipped one of the rings on without hesitation. Inuoka followed his lead and Shirabu was once again a little hesitant but complied. Once all three were wearing the rings, the air felt a little more charged with energy. Hinata looked up as silence fell. It was an odd feeling; it took him back to all the times he saw Akaashi having silent conversations in his presence. He wasn’t really involved but he could <em>sense</em> it.</p>
<p>Deciding he might as well try and see what happened, he slipped the thin cuff over his ear. As the shard hung down, he let out a short exhale. Immediately his mind felt cluttered, like he had been shoved into a tiny room with too many people watching him. He inhaled sharply as lightning crackled in his mind’s eye.</p>
<p><em>‘Right. So it works? I guess?</em>’</p>
<p>Kenma nodded wordlessly. <em>‘It would appear so. Shirabu, are you feeling okay? You look pale.</em>’</p>
<p>Hinata glanced at Shirabu who did look paler than usual, almost like he was about to faint. Without thinking about it, Hinata took his hand and placed the pure stone into his palm. It wasn’t an instant change, but colour did begin to return to his cheeks.</p>
<p><em>‘Sheesh. Akaashi does this daily?</em>’</p>
<p>Kenma snorted. ‘<em>I don</em><em>’t think Akaashi does this amount of work on a daily basis very often, for good reason.</em>’</p>
<p>Inuoka had begun conjuring snow again as he thought. Hinata felt a prickling sensation in his fingers as he watched the snow swirling in its usual vortex. Nishinoya followed his gaze and held out his palm. He had summoned ice before so it wouldn’t be abnormal for him to be able to mimic it.</p>
<p><em>‘Let me try something.</em>’ Inuoka flexed his fingers, bringing both hands together before pulling them apart. In the gap between his palms was a ball of ice that morphed and chipped away until it formed an arrow, the tip pointed at one of his palms before he closed his eyes and focused.</p>
<p>A rippled of energy washed over Nishinoya as his palm remained facing up. There was a sudden chill in the room before Inuoka smashed his palms together abruptly. Nishinoya cried out in mild panic and pain as the ice arrow suddenly shot out from his upturned palm.</p>
<p>This was interesting. Hinata blinked as he saw no blood appear. No, the arrow had been passed though element. It had passed from mage to mage.</p>
<p>Shirabu cleared his throat. <em>‘Send it here</em>’.</p>
<p>Nishinoya glanced back and forth between his hand and Shirabu’s, visibly concentrating as he murmured something. The arrow of ice was surrounded by small lightning bolts as it was turned around to point downward. Hinata felt a sense of anticipation rising as they waited. The arrow remained suspended between Nishinoya’s hands.</p>
<p><em>‘Ready?</em>’</p>
<p>
  <em>‘Ready as I’ll ever be’</em>
</p>
<p>With a short exhale, Nishinoya copied Inuoka’s actions, clapping his hands together. Shirabu flinched and gritted his teeth as the burst of pain preceded the arrowhead bursting forth with a violent crackle of lighting and shattering of ice. It was at this point Hinata realised the pure stone was still in his other hand and the purple wisps now had light blue streaks accompanying them. Likewise, the purple shard within both the ring and the ear cuff were aglow, pulsing in time with Shirabu’s breathing.</p>
<p>Watching and hearing all this play out, Kenma was both surprised and impressed. It was a good sign. It meant with some practice and coordination, they could use these new trinkets and powers to help one another if push came to shove. Though there were still some kinks to work out.</p>
<p>“Someone needs to go to another room, ideally the one furthest away from here.” Kenma stated aloud.</p>
<p>Inuoka raised an eyebrow but volunteered, stepping past them all and leaving without another word. In a way it was almost unsettling how quiet he was being. They waited for a while, Hinata still not sure how comfortable he was with this arrangement but so far he didn’t feel <em>bad</em>.</p>
<p><em>‘Can you hear me?</em>’</p>
<p>Nishinoya stiffened before relaxing. <em>‘Yes. Can you—</em>’</p>
<p>Shirabu’s palm still had the arrow of ice floating in mid-air above it. It shattered without warning, ice dissipating. There was a pause as they exchanged glances. Nishinoya decided to try his hand at sending his conjured elements. He summoned lightning bolts between his fingers and manipulated them until they formed a complex woven structure that mimicked a sun. He let it stabilise itself for a moment before abruptly clapping his hands again.</p>
<p>It vanished. There was no audible reaction.</p>
<p>Kenma frowned. <em>‘Sou? You good?</em>’</p>
<p>Nishinoya held his palm out waiting for something to return. It felt like an age before he winced. A noticeable surge of <em>something</em> was felt by all of them before a bright light exploded into existence. The sun made up of lightning floated in Nishinoya’s palm, quickly followed by a slightly more irate thought.</p>
<p><em>‘Fucking hell Yuu, could’ve warned me. Nearly sent that straight at Yamamoto’s face.</em>’</p>
<p>Shirabu laughed, his laughter echoing in their thoughts. Kenma smiled wryly as Nishinoya snapped his fingers to dissipate the element.</p>
<p>‘<em>Okay, I</em><em>’m coming back. I’m getting tired.</em>’</p>
<p>Kenma nodded. “I think that’ll do for now. We don’t need to exhaust ourselves.”</p>
<p>“Agreed.” Shirabu sighed, immediately taking off the ear cuff and looking at it with mild approval. “Clever little thing.”</p>
<p>Hinata took his off and gave it back to Kenma quickly. As Inuoka returned, Nishinoya and Shirabu had handed theirs back along with the rings. Kenma was quiet as he wrapped up the trinkets in the bolt of cloth. Shirabu was quick to excuse himself after handing Hinata the pure stone back, Nishinoya wasn’t far behind. Inuoka looked around at the portal circle, rubbing his chin in thought.</p>
<p>Kenma shot Hinata a curious look. “You okay?”</p>
<p>Hinata wasn’t sure how to word his thoughts. He decided just to abruptly ask. “You didn’t…see anything from me did you?”</p>
<p>Kenma knew exactly what Hinata was fearful of. “No. The connection between us all was faint. I could barely differentiate between voices, let alone read thoughts.”</p>
<p>“Hm.”</p>
<p>“I’m sure with practice we’ll get more competent.” He smiled. “But Shoyo,” he gently set a hand on Hinata’s shoulder and lowered his voice. “You don’t have to wear it if you don’t want to. I understand you’ve got more at stake here than the rest of us. I won’t blame you for wanting to protect us.”</p>
<p>It was the last remark that made Hinata flinch a little. It was that same mentality that Akaashi was working under, protecting everyone through going it alone. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to go the same route.</p>
<p>“It’s more…” Hinata glanced past Kenma to where Inuoka was tidying up pieces of charcoal. “I want to help, but if something goes wrong…y’know?”</p>
<p>Kenma took a moment to read between the lines. It had been stated openly how much of a disaster it would be if Akiteru got his hands on Hinata. If Hinata was subjected to anything close to what Goshiki and the others went through. It probably terrified him to think that it was possible and that Akaashi was willing, <em>adamant</em>, to put himself in that position before allowing Hinata to.</p>
<p>He probably felt his hands were tied. That despite all this power he could wield, he was actually more vulnerable for it. That <em>because</em> he was so gifted with abilities, he was unable to help.</p>
<p>“I understand.” Kenma smiled, offering his hand to Hinata who took it. “So, let’s focus on what you can comfortably help with.” He gestured to the pure stone. “Shall we find somewhere quiet to sit and talk about what’s going on with this?”</p>
<p>Hinata returned the smile, looking at the pure stone. “Yeah, yeah.”</p>
<p>They waved in parting to Inuoka who was still packing away his supplies. Compared to other days, the manor felt calm, yet there was still this ever-present feeling of anticipation in the air. A week had passed since the tavern incident. Akiteru had said and done nothing for an entire week.</p>
<p>The question on everyone’s minds was simply; when would the silence be broken?</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p> The quiet of the back room that evening provided Akaashi a relatively secluded place to meditate. The dining room was alive with activity as food was served, the last of the manor’s residents eating together as the ones who ate before had moved to the parlour or upstairs. The past few days had been taxing. A lot of conversations had taken place, choices made, plans set in motion. He hadn’t been oblivious to the feeling in the air earlier that day when Kenma had rounded up the other mages and conducted an experiment of sorts. If anything, he had actively paid attention to the shifting energy in the air.</p>
<p>He admired Kenma in many ways, rather than wallowing in despair and frustration over the way of things, he was proactively seeking ways to use his knowledge. The world could benefit from more people like Kenma, even if they required warming up to first.</p>
<p>He kept his breathing slow as he sat cross-legged on the floor, back resting against the end of one of the wooden benches. It was dark in the room, the late sunset had left a gloomy, humid feeling. A single candle sat in front of him, bright yellow flame not helping the humidity dissipate at all but he wasn’t bothered by it. He had bigger issues than feeling stifled by the weather. The doors were all closed firmly, a silent statement not to bother him.</p>
<p>Eyes closed and breathing slow, he rested his hands on his knees. The uneasiness in him hadn’t yielded in days. He expected it to linger but this was unusual. Then again what he had been doing as of late wasn’t exactly <em>normal</em>. As the uneasiness had stuck around, he figured meditation would help.</p>
<p>And it did.</p>
<p>Except ‘help’ also meant he had to come to terms with what he saw. He remembered something Hinata once said about the void and its balance, that to wield it, one must conquer it. At the time Akaashi had thought it just meant being focused but now he was starting to understand it as a deeper thing. A deeper understanding of one’s struggles and woes. Now he was carrying several people’s woes, though he hadn’t quite taken everyone’s memories like he had done with Tobio, he still saw and experienced those memories.</p>
<p>The kind of memories that left imprints.</p>
<p>The thing about memories is that they could change, morph into each other. Where one chain of events would shift into another, he felt the emotions bleed into one another.</p>
<p>Fear. Anger. Helplessness. Disgust.</p>
<p>He hadn’t been taught how to handle so many things at once, granted he hadn’t been taught anything about magic. Everything he knew he had learnt by himself, in dingy tavern rooms in the dead of night, in the cramped tunnels of the old guild, both alone and with Kuroo watching over him. He hadn’t had the benefit of a teacher, a mentor or even a fellow empath. He had always been alone in this fight with himself. Those around him had tried to help, tried to understand, tried to give him the space he needed but none of them really ‘got it’.</p>
<p>And of course, he would not only find one but <em>three</em> empath mages in the empire and two of them were considered enemies, and the third was a shadow of the mage he had been years ago. The things he had heard that Akiteru had done, the things he <em>knew</em> had happened as a result of Akiteru’s meddling, they made his stomach turn and reminded him why so many feared empath mages. The world felt like a cruel place. And as much as he had tried to forget the words his father uttered all those years ago, they bubbled up from deep within him.</p>
<p><em>‘People with powers like yours aren’t normal. They’re cursed.</em>’</p>
<p>He let out a slow breath. His rational mind told him that curses were put on people by the deities and other mages. To his knowledge, his mother hadn’t pissed off anyone in her lifetime and he certainly hadn’t left his village before his powers surfaced. As for the gods, he didn’t care for them, neither did he strictly believe they existed.</p>
<p>So what was it? Were all empaths cursed? That couldn’t be true with people like Ukai around who seemed the furthest thing from ‘cursed’. He didn’t recall any elementals expressing regret for their powers existing. People hailed them as gifted, so why was he different? Why was he the freak? Why was wielding ice, fire and lightning viewed as heroic and awe-inspiring but being able to sense someone’s sorrow deemed disgusting?</p>
<p>He knew the answer really. It was because of mages like Akiteru. Mages who used their powers for ill-will. He couldn’t sit there and say he had never used his powers to cause harm, he had inflicted horror upon victims before. Where was the line that separated him from Akiteru?</p>
<p>Were they that different?</p>
<p>Another low exhale. He opened his eyes, looking across the top of the candle at the furry face that watched him intently. Green eyes reflected the flame in them.</p>
<p>“You’re thinking too much.” Lev remarked, tail sweeping across the floor. “If you don’t get a hold of yourself he will kill you.”</p>
<p>Akaashi wasn’t fazed by Lev’s unusually blunt term of speaking. “I know.”</p>
<p>“So what are you going to do about it?”</p>
<p>He kept his hands on his knees. “I don’t know.”</p>
<p>Lev stood up, tilting his head slightly. “It might not be my place to say, but for what it’s worth, I think you’re stronger than you think.”</p>
<p>“How so?”</p>
<p>Within the gloom, purple wisps began to appear around Lev, dark and swirling like smoke. This was the first time Akaashi had seen them in a while. “You think the Kirin would tell Hinata you’re the one who has to take on Akiteru for any other reason? You and I know he’s fully capable of powerful shit and if the goal was to kill Akiteru outright, he’d be more than qualified to deliver on that.” He paused. “The Kirin told him that he has to help <em>you</em>. The Kirin that turned me into this form, the Kirin that guided Hinata to Hēishān, the Kirin that continues to guide him in his new role.”</p>
<p>Akaashi heard Lev’s point loud and clear. “So you’re saying—”</p>
<p>“You’re the one who has the powers to take him on, just as you’ve been telling everyone all along.” Lev began prowling back and forth, slipping in and out of the candle’s light and only the purple wisps emanating from him giving his location away. “Ask yourself this Keiji, other than undoing Kei’s work, why else would Akiteru want <em>you</em> dead? Why not kill Hinata? Why not kill just anyone in the Brotherhood? Why does he want <em>you</em> dead?”</p>
<p>Akaashi snorted. “Because he knows that if I undid Kei’s handiwork, I could undo his.”</p>
<p>“Exactly.” Lev sat down again in the shadows, purple wisps glowing. “He sees you as a threat. And the Kirin knows that.”</p>
<p>“You seem to know a lot about the Kirin’s thought process for a talking lion.”</p>
<p>Lev was silent for a moment. “When the Kirin granted me this form, there was old magic involved. Couldn’t explain it even if I wanted to. I just feel things, sense things, understand things…things not that unlike this void element you all go on about.”</p>
<p>Akaashi raised an eyebrow. There had been a shared acknowledgement that Lev was a bit peculiar, even before he got made into a lion. Since the Battle of the Dynasty it had just been more obvious. It gave him pause for thought.</p>
<p>“You fell through the portal to Tanishiti, right?”</p>
<p>“I did.”</p>
<p>“Which means you’re capable of manipulating the void and its balance.”</p>
<p>“That’s what Kenma says, that’s why I’m being sent through one to the empress’ chambers.”</p>
<p>Akaashi hummed, his attention on the flickering flame in front of him. He had said he wouldn’t be alone in this throne room with Akiteru but he hadn’t asked anyone to join in. In honesty he didn’t intend to allow anyone to get involved if he could help it. However, if Lev could manipulate the void, maybe, <em>just maybe, </em>he’d be able to survive an encounter with Akiteru.</p>
<p>“How do you feel about joining me in this endeavour?”</p>
<p>Lev didn’t reply at first, standing up once more and prowling over towards the candle where he sat opposite Akaashi. Wisps continued to float around him, pulsing gently but not showing any other purpose than being a pretty light show. Green eyes regarded Akaashi silently.</p>
<p><em>‘A chance to help protect the others? Count me in. However I can’t guarantee I’ll be much use beyond being a distraction.</em>’.</p>
<p>Akaashi smiled. <em>‘A distraction might be just what I need if I get overwhelmed.</em>’</p>
<p><em>‘In that case, I’ll do everything a talking lion could possibly do.</em>’</p>
<p>“Of course,” Akaashi spoke aloud, “but if you’re protecting Yachi—”</p>
<p>“Don’t worry about that. I’ll be there when you need me.” Lev chirped, tail sweeping across the floor as it moved to curl around his paws. “Just like that time Semi broke into the guild.”</p>
<p>Akaashi chuckled, remembering the time well, how Lev leapt from the rafters to pounce on Semi and ultimately saved his life. Hopefully it wouldn’t be such a dire situation, but if he was being honest with himself, he knew this was going to be an ordeal unlike any other.</p>
<p>“Thank you Lev.” He murmured. “I know everyone else is worried, and they have reason to be, heck <em>I</em><em>’m</em> worried. But, if like you say, the Kirin seems to think I’m the one who has to do it…”</p>
<p>“If it’s any consolation,” Lev cut in, “Hinata’s gone through this before, the whole ‘am I really the one who has to do this?’ thing.”</p>
<p>“Yeah?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, so doubting yourself is normal, if anything I’d be worried if you were just as arrogant as Akiteru. Just, y’know, trust in yourself.”</p>
<p>Getting a pep talk from a lion wasn’t really his idea of normal but what was normal anymore? Akaashi took the words on board. It did give him some solace that Hinata, for all his optimism and carefree nature, had gone through his own doubts ahead of his heroic deeds. He didn’t exactly doubt his powers, he doubted if he’d be strong enough to counter Akiteru’s powers.</p>
<p>But this cycle of thinking wasn’t going to get him anywhere. He could sit in this dark room all night having this conversation with himself and Lev, but really it wasn’t going to help. What was going to help was surrounding himself with those he cared for, with those he loved.</p>
<p>“Shall we go find the others?” He said, getting a nod from Lev.</p>
<p>“Wonder if there are any scraps…” Lev thought aloud.</p>
<p>Akaashi watched as the purple wisps faded. He wondered if Lev consciously made them appear and dissipate or not. He blew out the candle and moved it back to the side table he had taken it from before sliding the doors to the parlour open. Light flooded into the back room from the modest fire in the hearth. He nodded in greeting to Suga and Kiyoko who were sat on one of the benches, Suga gave Akaashi a tired smile in return, Kiyoko’s gaze was on the crackling fire as she leaned against him.</p>
<p>“Kuroo’s in the dining room.” Suga told him. “Talking to Ennoshita about something.”</p>
<p>Akaashi nodded in thanks, letting Lev go on ahead of him. The manor was quiet, an indicator many had gone to bed already. He didn’t think it was <em>that</em> late. Crossing the foyer and finding the door to the dining room closed, he was curious. Lev sniffed at the bottom of the door as he pressed an ear to the wood. Though muffled, he could make out the conversation being had.</p>
<p>“So you’re saying he knew about the Brotherhood the whole damn time?” Kuroo sounded caught between annoyed and defeated.</p>
<p>Ennoshita’s voice was more muffled, lower tone and harder to make out. Akaashi squinted as he concentrated. “From what I could tell, sort of. He certainly knew about you when Kei escaped Tobio’s dungeon. Called you all sorts of names.”</p>
<p>Kuroo snorted. “And throughout the entire back and forth with the north, with your clan, he knew about us?”</p>
<p>“More or less. He had other things to focus on, as did I. And once Kei had returned here, there was no reason for…well, there was that one...”</p>
<p>“What, Chikara.”</p>
<p>There was a pause. “Satori. Satori took one of yours, right?”</p>
<p>“He took Suga, yes. Kiyoko rallied an entire fucking pirate’s guild to get him back. What of it?”</p>
<p>Another pause. “Suga wasn’t the original target.”</p>
<p>“Excuse me?”</p>
<p>“I don’t know the details, like how exactly Satori fucked up that much, but Suga was merely a secondary target pointed out at the time. Akiteru had…heavily implied that capturing Keiji and bringing him north alive, would grant a sizable reward.”</p>
<p>Akaashi swallowed. This was news.</p>
<p>“Are you telling me, that Akiteru is so focused on—”</p>
<p>“I <em>don</em><em>’t</em> <em>know</em> Tetsurou.” Ennoshita uttered. “I can only tell you what I read and heard. Satori is dead so we’ll never know what happened to switch targets but, yes, Akiteru is holding a grudge.”</p>
<p>Akaashi felt like he had eavesdropped long enough. He knocked on the door before opening it and tried to play off his concern from what he had heard. Ennoshita seemed spooked at his arrival, Kuroo made an effort to at least try to give him a calm smile.</p>
<p>“Did I interrupt something?” He asked.</p>
<p>Kuroo shrugged. “Just sharing some notes.” He played it off, Akaashi raised an eyebrow at he met Kuroo’s gaze.</p>
<p><em>‘I heard the last part of that conversation. Don’t feel like you need to pretend everything’s fine.</em>’</p>
<p>Kuroo inhaled sharply before sighing. “Well, it’s getting late. Maybe we can all convene tomorrow after breakfast and see what’s left to prepare?”</p>
<p>Ennoshita glanced back and forth between them. “Sure. I’ll…take my leave?”</p>
<p>Akaashi said nothing as Ennoshita left, glancing at the doorway where Lev had flopped down to nap. He returned his gaze to Kuroo.</p>
<p>“So Suga wasn’t the original target of the kidnapping.”</p>
<p>Kuroo shook his head. “Keiji don’t worry—”</p>
<p>“Too late.” He said. “Tetsurou, it’s sounding more and more like Akiteru’s using this entire ordeal not just to steal the throne but to kill me. He told Kei to ‘clean up loose ends’. That’s why Semi was told to kill me, that’s why Ennoshita was endangered, that’s why he did everything he did at the tavern. Part of me thinks he expected me to walk into that room with him and Yaku, it was by pure chance that I sent Kiyoko instead…”</p>
<p>Kuroo stepped forward and took him by the shoulders. “Keiji. Listen to me right now, I know you said you want to take him on alone but all of what you just listed is reason enough for you to—”</p>
<p>“The Kirin told Hinata that <em>I </em>have to do it. That he has to help <em>me</em> overcome this. Why would the Kirin say that if it wasn’t true?”</p>
<p>Kuroo hesitated, uncertainty in his eyes. “…the Kirin said what?”</p>
<p>Akaashi sighed. “Hinata told me about a weird dream he had, sounded reminiscent of when Hēishān instructed him to do all that stuff in the battle.” He held Kuroo’s gaze, unsure how to properly word any of these thoughts. “I know it sounds ridiculous, but Lev feels it too. And I’m pretty sure Hinata would be more vocal about it all if he felt the Kirin was leading us astray.”</p>
<p>Kuroo shook his head slightly, hands still on Akaashi’s shoulders. He hated how powerless he felt in times like this. He wasn’t gifted with magic. He was barely able to keep himself alive half the time. Here was his lover, the person who helped pull him through some of the toughest days of his recent life, telling him that he and he alone had to take on their biggest foe. Something about this felt like a cruel joke from the gods.</p>
<p>“It’s not that I don’t think you can do it,” he spoke quietly, “it’s more that…I’m scared.”</p>
<p>Akaashi nodded. “I know.”</p>
<p>“I’m scared for how this will…change you.” He squeezed Akaashi’s shoulders. “I doubt any of us are really going to be the same after everything we’ve been through recently but…”</p>
<p>The inference was there. The horrors of the battle of the Dynasty were still setting in, the distraction that this new saga had provided was surely just delaying the effects. Now Akaashi was about to throw himself into a second level of pain and suffering. Kuroo had every right to be fearful, the reputation empath magic had and what he had seen first-hand was enough to scare him.</p>
<p>“I know.” Akaashi repeated, quieter this time. “But know this, no matter what happens, I’ll come back to you. It might take a while, it might be frustrating, it might be…painful, but I’ll come back.”</p>
<p>Kuroo didn’t want to think about the gritty details of it. The promise was enough to quell some of his apprehension. He was still scared, anxious for what would happen but like most things magic related, they were out of his control. All he could do was trust in the abilities of the others. He knew Kenma and the others would do whatever it took to help in the aftermath, he knew the Brotherhood would both support them and give them space.</p>
<p>“I’ll be here.” Kuroo whispered. “I won’t abandon you.”</p>
<p>Akaashi smiled, it felt forced, almost sombre. He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Kuroo’s torso, burying his face in his shoulder as he felt arms wrap around him. It wasn’t the conversation he intended to have, but it felt like one that needed to happen. His conscience felt a little lighter, like it could all erupt tomorrow and he’d be at peace.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>We're actually a lot closer to the final confrontation than I realised. Holy moly. 👀</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0069"><h2>69. A Taunt</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>LXIX</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>A Taunt</strong>
</p><p>Another morning of hard work had finally come to an end. Bokuto was content, proud even, of how much he had accomplished at this one forge in such a short span of time. He figured his father would be pretty impressed with how many projects he had completed since arriving. As the final ring was set aside, he let out a happy sigh.</p><p>“Well, we still have a pretty big chunk of stone left.” He tossed what remained of the purple stone into Tanaka’s hand. It was around the same size and shape of an apple, a large apple, but an apple nonetheless. It was certainly smaller than it was when he first had it land on his workbench.</p><p>“Well maybe Kenma will find a use for it when we go home.” Tanaka shrugged. “Or Tobio will decide to get it put in a statue or something.”</p><p>“Maybe I’ll just buy it off him and take it back to my pa, he’d kill for something like this to put in a piece of art.”</p><p>They looked over the fruits of their labour; in total there were twelve ear cuffs and six rings. Essentially enough for twelve people to wear one cuff or six to wear two <em>and</em> a ring. Bokuto didn’t claim to know how it all worked, he had made sure to keep the shards and cuts of stone neat and as perfect as possible. Runestones were notorious for being difficult to cut cleanly so he reckoned he did alright, all things considered.</p><p>“I mean if I didn’t know anything about the void, I’d almost be prepared to wear one of these.” Tanaka picked up one of the rings. Bokuto had done his best to make them all match but also given them some subtle differences to tell them apart if people got attached to them. Some were pointed, others more square, some were rounded off. All six rings had the same silver band and general size so there could be no squabbling over that aspect.</p><p>Not that the mages were likely to care, but if they ended up getting sold on then they’d at least fetch a pretty price.</p><p>“So, bundle them all up and get back to the manor?” Bokuto offered, already reaching for the cut of cloth that the previously crafted trinkets had been transported in.</p><p>“Sounds like a plan,” Tanaka nodded, “I’ll meet you outside?”</p><p>With a nod from Bokuto, Tanaka stepped out of the workshop. The midday sun beat down, though the thin clouds and brisk northern breeze took the heat off. He remembered how hot it would be in the south, it was almost refreshing being up here during the dry season. Caught up in his thoughts of home and the rolling hills, he almost didn’t register the sort of familiar face approaching him.</p><p>“Ah, Aone.” He grinned, looking past the mercenary at Ushijima who was holding the reins of a small pony. “Uh, pack horse? Going somewhere?”</p><p>Aone nodded. “The manor.” He stated simply, glancing around before leaning in a little closer. “The twins have acquired the uniforms for the Brotherhood.”</p><p>Tanaka vaguely remembered something about pretending to be guards. Looking at the pony again, he saw the knapsacks tied to the saddle and a small wooden chest strapped across the seat of the saddle. “Ah! Of course. Well we’re just about to head back,” he gestured to the workshop, “just finished up some…work.”</p><p>Aone nodded again. “Good.” He glanced around again, it was like he was <em>very</em> paranoid about being seen or heard. “Atsumu is worried. He thinks Akiteru is taking too long.”</p><p>“Yeah? Well he can join the others in that regard. A lot of them are thinking it’s been too long. I think the only person who thinks this is normal might be Iwaizumi but—”</p><p>Bokuto stepped out of the workshop and let out a squawk of surprise at seeing both Aone and Ushijima. “Huh, off somewhere?” He gestured to the pony.</p><p>“The manor.” Aone stated again. “May we walk with you?”</p><p>Bokuto wasn’t going to say no. He held the bundle of trinkets tightly as he nodded for them to start walking. He fell into step with Ushijima who seemed quieter than usual. The streets of Hinode weren’t any more or less crowded than usual during the middle of the day. The same market stalls were trading goods, visiting traders from out of town had set up shop out of the back of carts or on small tables.</p><p>Ushijima kept the pony plodding along, Bokuto nearly made a comment about how comical it looked for a large man like Ushijima to be leading such a smaller horse. He kept quiet for a few moments, at least until they had crossed the central circle and were getting closer to the manor.</p><p>“So, Akiteru hasn’t made his move yet?”</p><p>Ushijima shook his head. “It’s concerning. We have not been able to see her majesty either, despite Atsumu’s insistence.”</p><p>That explained the sour mood. There had been talk about Yachi being under Akiteru’s influence more and more, the fact she was now being kept out of the public eye, away from the nobles themselves, was concerning. He remembered the letter Kei brought from her, the comment about how only the Tsukishima family guards could see her stuck out to him more now.</p><p>It could mean two things; one was that Akiteru was already making his move and they were yet to be clued in, the other was that the peace was about to be shattered.</p><p>“Any news about a ball? Kei mentioned invitations being sent out.”</p><p>Ushijima shrugged. “Couriers keep arriving, but that’s nothing new. It’s above my pay to ask about such matters. The only one who could tell you about that would be Kei himself.”</p><p>Bokuto sighed. “Well, guess we better hope he doesn’t forget he’s on our side.”</p><p>“He won’t. It’ll be the last mistake he ever makes.”</p><p>That sounded foreboding. It sounded like Atsumu and Osamu had given Kei some pretty stern words, possibly an offer of a pardon or something similar assuming he didn’t double cross them or the Brotherhood. He shook it off as they reached the manor and Tanaka directed them to take the pony around to the stables whilst he told Daichi that they were back.</p><p>Bokuto proceeded into the manor and offered the bundle to Kenma. “All done. Twelve cuffs and six rings <em>and</em> what’s left of the stone.”</p><p>Kenma smiled. “Thank you Bokuto, this will help us a lot.”</p><p>“Ah no worries! Least I could do, and it kept me busy.” He ruffled Kenma’s hair, he knew it usually annoyed Kenma but that day it seemed the other didn’t mind as much, only lightly grimacing at the gesture before ducking out of reach.</p><p>As he watched Kenma take the bundle upstairs no doubt to confer with Inuoka and the others, he spotted Kuroo on the upstairs landing. “Yo, Ushijima and Aone bought some stuff.”</p><p>Kuroo gave him a thumbs up. “Any news?” He called down.</p><p>“Not…really?”</p><p>Kuroo frowned but shrugged. “Guess it’s another day of waiting.”</p><p>Bokuto nodded, stepping into the parlour and seeing Yaku and Kunimi playing cards. He sat down next to Kunimi and raised his eyebrows at the hand he had. It was only a few moments later when both Ushijima and Aone entered the manor through the back entrance carrying the knapsacks, Kindaichi followed them in with Tanaka carrying the small wooden chest. They were all set down in the back room, Lev prowled over to sniff at all the new things as Kindaichi loosely explained to a waiting Daichi that the pony was in the same stall as Yuki.</p><p>Daichi nodded and asked about the chest, prompting Ushijima to say something that made his eyes widen. Bokuto couldn’t hear what was being said, but he saw the rattled look Daichi had on his face and it didn’t sit well with him.</p><p>Kunimi snorted. “Wonder what that’s all about.”</p><p>Yaku glanced up at the scene Bokuto had been watching. “Probably some dumb banquet shit. Like the masks from before.”</p><p>“Heh,” Kunimi tossed down his hand, “or maybe it’s a case of invitation-only so now we gotta figure out how many ‘guards’ we can sneak in.”</p><p>Yaku raised his eyebrows at the winning hand and folded his own. All three of them now watched as Daichi looked back and forth between Ushijima and Aone before folding his arms across his chest. Something wasn’t right about this situation but none of them moved to find out the details.</p><p>They watched as Kuroo came into the parlour mid-sentence before realising the situation. He shot them a quizzical look and got three shrugs in return. Rolling his eyes, he turned and walked through the open doors to the back room. He noted the look on Daichi’s face; rattled or at the very least, startled. Then he noted the knapsacks and finally, the box that Lev was sniffing at.</p><p>“So, what’s in the box?” He asked, glancing at everyone gathered.</p><p>“We don’t know.” Ushijima replied. “It came to the manor and the courier said it was for Akaashi’s eyes only.”</p><p>Kuroo was more confused than rattled. “Akaashi?”</p><p>“The courier didn’t specify who sent it.”</p><p>Kuroo looked at the box again. It was simple, far too simple to be trapped in the conventional sense. There were no markings on it, it was being held shut with a simple rope tied in a fanciful knot.</p><p>“May I suggest,” Ushijima spoke quietly, “that you take it outside and get one of your mages to check it for enchantments.”</p><p>“Agreed.” Kuroo quickly jumped in, looking to Kindaichi. “Go find Ukai. I think Kenma is busy with stuff.”</p><p>“N-Not Akaashi?”</p><p>“No not Akaashi.” Kuroo sternly told him.</p><p>Kindaichi nodded quickly and left, taking a brisk pace through the manor. Daichi shook his head as he looked at the box. Tanaka had carried it in and didn’t seem to be having an ill effects.</p><p>“It’s not really that heavy.” He said, rubbing the back of his neck. “Doesn’t feel like anything loose is in there.”</p><p>Kuroo wasn’t about to take any chances. He picked up the box and immediately took it outside. The brisk breeze cooled his sweaty brow as he set it down on the grass. Kiyoko had been doing her usual sword practice and noticed the panicked expression. After loosely being told a ‘weird courier’ said the box was for Akaashi only, she seemed alarmed.</p><p>“You think he’s trying to…no that wouldn’t make sense.”</p><p>“We could be being paranoid.” Kuroo admitted. “But I’d rather be safe than sorry at this stage.</p><p>Before Kiyoko could say anything else, Ukai strode out of the manor with Goshiki quick behind. Kuroo stepped back and gestured to the box and explained the situation. Ukai frowned at the wording, it implied there was something vaguely magical at play but the overall appearance of the box didn’t seem threatening.</p><p>Goshiki stood off to one side, watching and waiting as Ukai crouched down in front of the box. He rolled up the sleeves of his shirt, the focus rune on full display as he reached out and ran his fingertips over the knot. Nothing visible happened. Kuroo was feeling the urge to pace as Ukai took his time examining the box.</p><p>After a few moments, he began to loosen the knot. As the rope came loose, the lid creaked open from the force of whatever was inside. Goshiki’s gaze was on the focus rune inked into Ukai’s skin, so far it remained dull, inactive. As the rope was pulled away, Ukai paused, hands freezing at the side of the lid.</p><p>“…I see.” He uttered, blinking. “…curious.”</p><p>Kuroo had gone to biting on his knuckle as he waited, Kiyoko stood by his side, watching and waiting.</p><p>The focus rune lit up. Ukai didn’t react, he merely opened the lid further. He wrinkled his nose as he caught scent of something. He only got the lid open part way before seeing the full scale of what was inside. He let the lid fall shut again without a word, it didn’t close all the way, hence the rope keeping it shut before.</p><p>He remained crouched down for a moment, the focus rune still alight, before standing up and sighing heavily. He glanced back to Goshiki.</p><p>“He knows you’re alive.”</p><p>Kuroo was confused to say the least, Kiyoko had a vague notion of what this was about but remained quiet as Goshiki paled.</p><p>“He…what.”</p><p>Ukai looked to Kuroo. “So, Akiteru is trying to spook us.” He gestured to the box at his feet. “I can confirm that this is meant to be a sign for Akaashi.”</p><p>“What…is it?” Kiyoko dared to ask.</p><p>“Bones.” Ukai stated gruffly. “Specifically human ones.”</p><p>She remembered the bodies in the tavern, bones blackened by fire. Her stomach turned slightly. “Oh.”</p><p>Kuroo wasn’t sure what to think. “So he sent some bones to Akaashi.”</p><p>“It’s what else he sent.” Ukai looked down at the box. “As much as you don’t wanna hear it, Akaashi needs to see it.”</p><p>Kuroo let out a groan of irritation. “Fine.”</p><p>Goshiki was still in a state of shock and mild fear as Kuroo stormed past him to go and find Akaashi. Kiyoko glanced at the box before stepping to go inside when she saw his pale face. She hadn’t really spoken to Goshiki before but he was shaking like a leaf.</p><p>“Hey, let’s go inside.” She offered her hand to him. “I’m sure Suga can get you some tea to settle yourself.”</p><p>She expected him to lash out but he nodded, swallowing as he took her hand and allowed her to lead him inside. For a few moments, Ukai was left in the garden alone with the box. He stared down at it before checking the tattoo on his arm. The flashes of what he saw upon opening the lid were no worse than what he had seen in person but they brought back memories he didn’t really want to see.</p><p>At least he could confirm that it wasn’t going to explode or something equally destructive. But this was a mind game, a taunt. An ‘I know what you know’ ordeal. If Akiteru knew they found Goshiki, that Goshiki had told them everything; first of all <em>how</em> did he know, secondly, what did that mean moving forward?</p><p>Akaashi arrived looking neither rattled nor calm, he was in the middle as his gaze flickered around the walled garden. He fidgeted with his fingers as he came to stand next to Ukai and see this chest for himself.</p><p>“What’s in it?” He asked.</p><p>“Bones.” Ukai repeated. “Human, burnt.”</p><p>Akaashi nodded. “Anything else?”</p><p>“A message, both magic and carved into the lid.” Ukai crouched down again as Akaashi knelt on the grass. “It’s not pretty, but it’s easy to understand at least.”</p><p>Akaashi sighed, glancing at him. “Anything else?”</p><p>“Not that I can tell. It won’t explode, not sure if anything else will happen if <em>you</em> touch it.”</p><p>“Noted.” Akaashi nodded, flexing his fingers as he reached out and took hold of each side of the lid. A surge of energy rippled over him but it wasn’t anything concerning as he lifted it. The hinges squeaked as the lid came up to reveal the words crudely carved in the underside.</p><p><em>‘Can you say you have a clear conscience Keiji? Helping a murderer hide from justice?</em>’</p><p>In the body of the box an assortment of bones was packed in. Most of them were ribs and fingers. He was able to take in the sight for a few moments before the smell of smoke hit him. And it wasn’t just residual smoke.</p><p>The pulse of energy came rushing back and he felt woozy as his mind’s eye was forced open.</p><p>
  <em>Fire surrounded him. There was screaming. Wood was splintering as the heat was unbearable. His skin felt like it was melting off. His lungs ached as he panted, wheezing, need air. Air. Need air. Red and yellow filled his vision. Can</em>
  <em>’t see the door. Where’s the door? Don’t want to die, don’t want to die. Don’t die. Don’t—.</em>
</p><p>He shook himself out of it, hand coming up to hold his head. He wasn’t sure what that was, well he knew what it was, but <em>why</em>. Why would Akiteru put him through that?</p><p>The message seemed to refer to Goshiki. The bones further confirming that. Was Akiteru trying to make him question his morals? Was he trying to say they weren’t all that different? It certainly indicated he knew Goshiki was not only alive but in the Brotherhood’s care. That wasn’t hard to imagine given Kei’s involvement, but why bring it up?</p><p>Ukai was watching him with a pensive gaze. “So, what do you make of it?”</p><p>“I think,” Akaashi let the lid fall down with a light clunk, “he’s trying to get under my skin.”</p><p>“Yeah?”</p><p>“Goshiki by all accounts murdered people that night,” he gestured to the box, “told to do so by Akiteru. Now Akiteru is trying to say that us helping Goshiki makes us just as bad as him.”</p><p>“I see.” Ukai rubbed his chin. “But you’re all…criminals anyway?”</p><p>Akaashi shook his head. “That’s not what he’s trying to get at.”</p><p>“Then what is he getting at?”</p><p>“That me and him aren’t that dissimilar. We both use our powers for our own gain, to affect other people’s lives, to meddle in affairs that aren’t ours to meddle in.”</p><p>Ukai was starting to get the idea. Making Akaashi question how much of a ‘good person’ he was could prove fatal at the most opportune moment. It was a dangerous mind game of different measures.</p><p>“I’ll say this,” he said, “you’re using your powers to help individual mages, to figure out how a district was attacked and to keep an empress on the throne. Those sound like ‘good guy’ actions, not ‘lunatic mage’ ones.”</p><p>“Yeah, but it still…” Akaashi shook his head. “Anyway, I guess this isn’t a danger to anyone else. Though what we do with it…”</p><p>Ukai put up a hand. “I’ll handle it, you just focus on keeping yourself calm.”</p><p>Akaashi offered a weak smile. “Thanks.”</p><p>“Think nothing of it, now best go find Kuroo or he’ll start pacing the manor again.”</p><p>Another weak smile was offered as Akaashi stood up. As he entered the manor again, he caught Kuroo interrogating Ushijima about who exactly gave them this box and why they didn’t think to look inside. Ushijima wasn’t giving him many reasonable answers. Daichi was deep in thought as he looked through some of the knapsacks and was being told by Aone about all the different guard uniforms that were being provided.</p><p>He honestly didn’t feel like intervening. He made his way straight into the parlour where Yaku, Kunimi and Bokuto were back to playing cards. He sat down silently and waited for the current round to finish. As Kunimi shuffled the cards, he gave Akaashi a curious look.</p><p>“So, weird box with bones in?” He offered. “Taunt from Akiteru?”</p><p>“Yeah.” Akaashi watched as the cards were dealt out. “Nothing particularly impressive.”</p><p>Kunimi snorted. “Can’t wait to see the bastard in chains.” He sighed. “And Goshiki looked really rattled when Kiyoko ushered him through.”</p><p>Akaashi nodded. “Akiteru knows he’s alive.”</p><p>All three of them looked at him with disbelief and concern. “What?” Yaku asked.</p><p>“A message in the box mentioned ‘helping a murderer hide’ and questioned my conscience.” Akaashi shrugged as he picked up his cards. “He won’t do anything.”</p><p>“Are you sure?” Bokuto frowned.</p><p>“No. Because he wants me and him to duel it out.” Akaashi stated nonchalantly. “Everything he does is just a way to either get me alone or whittle down my mental strength so that when we inevitably end up duelling, he has an upper hand.”</p><p>It was more than a little concerning how much sense that made to them.</p><p>“That’s why he hasn’t told the guards about Hinata and Ukai being here, that’s why the guards haven’t even searched this place, that’s why we’ve been able to get away with half the shit we have for so long.” He placed a card down. “Everything has been leading up to this one night, this ball that we’re adamant is happening, he’s going to try and prove his point - whatever that may be - once and for all. And if we try to stop him, he’ll throw us to the wolves.”</p><p>Yaku placed a card down. “Sounds peachy.” He remarked, looking across the table at Akaashi. “So what’s your plan?”</p><p>“I plan to play right into his hands.” Akaashi met Yaku’s gaze. “And then do what must be done to stop him and whatever lunacy he’s got planned.”</p><p>Bokuto inhaled sharply. “Well, whatever that looks like, we still got your back.” He gave Akaashi a pointed look. “Remember that yeah? You’re not alone in this.”</p><p>Akaashi smiled. “I know, and I wouldn’t have any other group of lunatics looking out for me.”</p><p>Kunimi laughed. “Who would’ve thought that Kei’s veiled insult would turn into something of a nickname.” He drew a card from the deck.</p><p>“I mean if the shoe fits.” Akaashi shrugged, already sensing he was onto a winning hand as he glanced at Kunimi’s expression upon drawing the card. “Maybe we can change our name after all this, forget Brotherhood, just wear it like a badge; Silver Owl Lunatics.”</p><p>There was a shared laugh. Cards were picked up and tossed down in silence for a few moments before Akaashi sensed he was victorious. He cleared his throat as he set his hand down with a smirk. Yaku cursed loudly, Kunimi scoffed and rolled his eyes. Bokuto merely shrugged.</p><p>“Same old Keiji.” He playfully nudged Akaashi in the side. “Good to know you’re not <em>that</em> rattled.”</p><p>Akaashi laughed. It was. As much as he could’ve slipped away and spent the rest of the day worrying about what was going to happen imminently, playing cards and focusing on something as trivial as a game helped settled his nerves about it all.</p><p>“Another round?” He offered, collecting all the cards together to start shuffling.</p><p>Kunimi raised his eyebrows but nodded, Yaku seemed put out at the prospect of Akaashi starting a winning streak but nodded as well. Bokuto grinned in reply. As he shuffled the cards, Akaashi felt calm, serene even. He knew logically he shouldn’t, with everything happening, with everything they thought was going to happen, he should be a heap of nerves but he didn’t.</p><p>Maybe it was an odd sense of acceptance. Whatever fate had in store for him, he couldn’t run from it. He had learnt that from Hinata and all his adventures. All he could do was meet it with a cool head and do his best to make it through. Like he said to Bokuto, he wouldn’t have any other group watching his back. They may be lunatics, but they were his family, his brotherhood. No-one could compete when it came to grit and determination, to stubbornness and loyalty.</p><p>And he had a feeling those qualities would be what made the difference between success and failure. Between life and death.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Considering the circumstances, the knock at the front door of the manor sent an unwelcome feeling of foreboding rippling through the manor. A short amount of time had passed since Ushijima and Aone delivered the guard uniforms and the chest of human bones, enough time for Kuroo to calm down. Not that it mattered much when he opened the door and saw Kei stood there.</p><p>He said nothing as he stepped aside to let Kei in, but as soon as the door was closed he grabbed the front of Kei’s shirt and shoved him against the wall.</p><p>“What the fuck is he playing at?” Kuroo hissed, keeping Kei pinned against the wall of the foyer regardless of the audience from both rooms. “Sending a taunt like that to us?”</p><p>Kei scowled at Kuroo. “As you say, it’s a taunt, a taunt you’re reacting to just how he’d want you to.”</p><p>“You fucking—”</p><p>“Getting mad at me isn’t going to help.” Kei hissed back.</p><p>“How did he know Goshiki is alive?”</p><p>Kei snorted. “You weren’t exactly fucking subtle about finding him.”</p><p>“You fucking told him didn’t you?”</p><p>“Not consciously.” Kei shoved Kuroo but couldn’t get him to release his hold. “I didn’t say a fucking word to him. And like hell if I know what he’s thinking.”</p><p>“You live in the same fucking house, like I’m gonna believe he doesn’t speak—”</p><p>“He doesn’t fucking talk to me.” Kei shoved him again, harder this time. Kuroo relented finally but still regarded Kei with a frosty gaze as he stepped back. “Look, I don’t know how he found out, but I’m not here to answer your stupid questions,” he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a folded piece of parchment before shoving it at Kuroo. “Your ‘invitation’. <em>Sire</em>.”</p><p>Kuroo took the parchment and unfolded it to read the inked words. Simple, to the point.</p><p>
  <em>‘Doors open just before sundown tomorrow. Drinks served immediately. Get both southern Kings into the ballroom and keep them there. Keep everyone drinking and merry.</em>
</p><p><em>Deal with whatever scheme the Brotherhood try to pull.</em>’</p><p>It didn’t tell them much, but it gave them a time.</p><p>“Who—”</p><p>“His guards.” Kei answered the question he anticipated. “I merely copied the information word for word.”</p><p>“So tomorrow night.”</p><p>Kei nodded curtly. “Do with that what you will.”</p><p>He moved to leave before being halted by Kuroo grabbing his arm. “You are going to fulfil your role in this, correct?”</p><p>Kei snorted. “Don’t you worry your pretty little head,” he ripped his arm away, “I’ll be sure to lead Akiteru to the throne room.”</p><p>“Good.”</p><p>“And then I’m getting as far away from there as possible.” He grabbed the door handle. “I’d rather watch the palace burn down from afar thank you very much.”</p><p>Kuroo scoffed, set on letting him leave the manor. Before the door could be pulled open, a voice from upstairs halted him.</p><p>“Oi, Kei, we need a favour.” Inuoka called down from the upstairs landing. Kei turned and gave him a curious glance. “We need you to deliver something to Yachi.”</p><p>Kei gave it a moment’s thought before nodding, releasing the door handle and scooting past Kuroo to make his way upstairs to find out exactly what he was being asked to do.</p><p>Kuroo remained where he was, he glanced down at the note again before turning to walk into the dining room. Daichi gave him an unimpressed look at the nature of that conversation but said nothing, merely holding his hand out to be passed the note. No sooner had Kuroo handed the note over did he feel a hand on his shoulder. Bokuto nodded towards the back of the manor, a silent cue to follow him.</p><p>In the back room with the doors firmly closed, Bokuto turned to Kuroo.</p><p>“I feel like we’ve been here before.” He remarked, folding his arms across his chest. “Me trying to get you to calm down and see some sense.”</p><p>Kuroo snorted, not meeting Bokuto’s gaze. “Yeah well maybe I’m just a very fiery person when it comes to anything involving Keiji.”</p><p>“Ah love.” Bokuto hummed. “Admirable, but you gotta know how it looks to the rest of us.”</p><p>“Yeah yeah, getting worked up isn’t going to help—”</p><p>“No, getting riled up at <em>Kei</em>.” Bokuto cut in. “As in, the guy who <em>you</em> convinced us to trust to get a fairly large part of this plan into motion.” He let a beat of silence rest between them. “I get it, the chest of bones rattled you, they rattled everyone. They rattled Keiji no doubt, though he’s too stubborn to admit it aloud.”</p><p>“Akiteru knows Goshiki is alive, which means he knows that we know—”</p><p>“And you expect him to what?” Bokuto cut in again, giving Kuroo a no-nonsense expression as he set his hands on his hips. “Bro, he’s had plenty of excuses to get the guards to storm in here but he hasn’t. Like it or not, he’s doing all of this to fuck with Keiji before they even meet face to face. He just wants to fight Keiji. I doubt he cares about the rest of us in any detail beyond how hurting us will hurt him.”</p><p>Kuroo shook his head. Bokuto was speaking sense but it stung to hear it. It stung that all this pain, suffering and anguish was being caused because of a personal vendetta. It stung to hear that he couldn’t do anything about it. He had to let Akaashi go alone. They had already spoken about it but that didn’t mean he was okay with it.</p><p>Today’s events just solidified his hatred for this situation.</p><p>“And I know that you don’t like it.” Bokuto broke the silence. “But do you think the rest of us like it? And getting mad at Kei doesn’t just look bad, I can’t imagine it inspires him to stay on our side. The only thing we got going for us on that front is the fact he hates his brother more than we do.”</p><p>“Alright.” Kuroo sighed, putting up a hand. “I get it.”</p><p>“Do you?” Bokuto didn’t relent. “Tetsurou, I care about you, I can see how much stress this has put on you, on both you and Keiji. But for the love of the gods, take a few moments to <em>breathe</em>.” He took a few steps forward, relaxing his posture. “We just have one more day, one more day of waiting and stewing over the what ifs and other bullshit.” He took Kuroo by the shoulders as he continued.</p><p>“Tomorrow night we’ll get him. Keiji will make him yield or kill him. It’ll be over and you can breathe. But until then, just hold your nerve and keep it together, if not for yourself, do it for me, for Keiji, for everyone who needs you to keep your head.” He gave Kuroo a determined smile. “I know it’s gonna be rough, that this’ll probably feel worse than the battle a month ago, but we need to stay calm and not charge off to do something stupid, you hear me?”</p><p>Kuroo nodded slowly, forcing himself to meet Bokuto’s gaze. The stern expression had melted into a determined smile and he felt like they were in the tavern all those years ago. The glint in Bokuto’s eye promised loyalty and brotherhood. A friend until the end.</p><p>“Yeah.” Kuroo nodded more confidently. “You’re right.” He sighed. “I just wish I could do more than sit on the sidelines again...”</p><p>Bokuto chuckled. “Hey, you and I are the last people who should be trusted with anything magical. And c’mon,” he squeezed Kuroo’s shoulders, “sometimes the people on the sidelines are more important than we get credit for.”</p><p>Kuroo shared the laugh. “Maybe we should make sure Moniwa makes a better note of it then.” He remarked. “Screw the heroes, let’s talk about the sidekicks.”</p><p>“Now that’s a plan I can get behind.” Bokuto laughed louder, releasing Kuroo’s shoulders and playfully punching one of them. “I want my own saga, I can see it now, ‘Bokuto and the time we un-cursed a dragon’.” He puffed out his chest.</p><p>“What about the sequel ‘Bokuto and the time we solved a four-year-old mystery and stopped a war’?” Kuroo played along.</p><p>“Of course! And who could forget the third part ‘Bokuto and the time we actually fought in a battle and there was <em>another</em> dragon.’.”</p><p>“What would this part of the saga be then?”</p><p>Bokuto thought for a few moments. “Hm. Maybe… ‘Bokuto and the time we fixed the empire before it broke’?”</p><p>“More like ‘Bokuto and the time we decided politics were too tiring’.”</p><p>“Bro, that was part <em>two</em> of the saga, keep up.” He winked, getting a louder laugh from Kuroo. “Wanna hear part five’s title?”</p><p>“Sure.”</p><p>“It’ll be called, ‘Bokuto and thank fuck that’s all over now I can sleep’. Co-authored by Kenma.”</p><p>Kuroo laughed, doubling over as he laughed long and hard. As silly as the conversation was, it felt good to laugh. As much as Bokuto was treating this as a joke, the sentiment he was presenting wasn’t going amiss. It would be good to finally sit down and breathe after all of this. They had been at this for far too long without a solid break. They all deserved a good night’s sleep for once.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0070"><h2>70. The Quiet</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>LXX</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>The Quiet</strong>
</p>
<p>Word whipped around the manor quickly. As soon as Kei left, rolled-up parchment containing the portal in hand, things kicked into a frenzy. Kenma was eager to do one final test of the ear cuffs whilst they had time. Hinata decided this was not of importance to him, citing he needed to take care of ‘other stuff’. Kenma didn’t argue.</p>
<p>Truthfully Hinata wanted to talk to Goshiki. He had heard about this strange chest that had been delivered and that it indicated that Akiteru knew Goshiki was alive. Hinata figured that must’ve rattled the other so he sought him out as the lower level of the manor came alive with final preparations and planning being decided on. He found Goshiki alone in one of the bedrooms sat cross-legged on his bed and appearing to be in a state of meditation.</p>
<p>He closed the door quietly but letting an audible click resonate to indicate his presence. Goshiki tilted his head slightly, slowly opening his eyes and looking to Hinata almost like he had been expecting him.</p>
<p>“Hey.” Hinata greeted. “Can I uh, talk?”</p>
<p>“Sure.” Goshiki didn’t move, letting Hinata approach his bed and gingerly sit on the edge. “What do you want?”</p>
<p>“Just wanted to see how you are…” Hinata shrugged, it was only a partial lie.</p>
<p>Goshiki mulled over his response for a few moments. “Well Akiteru knows I’m alive. My four years of hiding just went up in smoke.” He shrugged. “I’m not mad though.”</p>
<p>“Yeah?”</p>
<p>“Nah,” he let out a heavy sigh, “like, if Akaashi hadn’t been so insistent about me helping solve the damn mystery, I wouldn’t be here feeling less plagued by those thoughts.” He shrugged. “Even if Akiteru knows I’m alive, he’s got bigger things on his mind if what you say about his vendetta is true. I was and always have been a mere afterthought for him.” He paused, glancing around the room before settling his gaze back on Hinata. “So I’m just going to focus on figuring out what to do after all this…Ukai taught me some meditation techniques, they help with the uneasiness.”</p>
<p>“Is that why you don’t need this?” Hinata reached into his pocket and held up the pure stone. It was still clouded over with purple wisps and flashes of light blue energy. “Kenma said you don’t need it anymore.”</p>
<p>Goshiki smiled slightly. “It did what it had to do I guess? I just woke up and felt at ease without it being in my hand.”</p>
<p>“And it was like this?”</p>
<p>“Yup.” Goshiki nodded. “Like, you could argue that it probably absorbed something—”</p>
<p>“It did.” Hinata confirmed. He had been thinking about it and after seeing the blue flashes so soon after Shirabu accepted the ice element from Inuoka, he was certain it was storing energy. “It’s charging.”</p>
<p>“Yeah?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, it…sort of did something before.”</p>
<p>“Let me guess,” Goshiki smirked, “in the volcano.”</p>
<p>“Well. Sort of.” Hinata let out a breathless laugh. “Hēishān just…said a lot of Hēishān-y stuff and told me to put it in the circlet from the vault. I don’t really remember if it looked any different.”</p>
<p>Goshiki pretended to know about this vault. Kenma had mentioned it in passing when he told Goshiki about the guild’s journey but didn’t really specify what it was. “So a dead dragon told you to wear it, then he came to your aid when you called him to. Sounds like you’re a big fucking deal. Here I was just thinking you were a little more powerful than most.”</p>
<p>“Yeah…” Hinata turned the stone over in his hands. “And well, it’s always been a weird stone. I hadn’t thought about it ‘til…you unhinged and I figured that if it could summon Hēishān then it could help you.”</p>
<p>Goshiki snorted in amusement. “Lucky it worked then eh?”</p>
<p>Hinata smiled. “I don’t think luck has anything to do with a lot of what I do.” He shrugged. “Between weird dreams and direct messages from things like the Kirin…” he sighed again. “Being told that I have to let Akaashi handle this battle…that I have to help him because he won’t be able to do it alone…”</p>
<p>Goshiki tilted his head slightly in thought. “You think that stone is gonna be useful?”</p>
<p>“I reckon it’s got potential to be, yeah. But it’s clouded over and I don’t know if—”</p>
<p>“You call it the ‘pure’ stone, right?”</p>
<p>“Yeah.”</p>
<p>“Why? Maybe that’s linked to how it works.”</p>
<p>Hinata thought about it. The lady in Kōshi called it that. He didn’t really know what made it pure so to speak. He just thought it was pure because it was clear and supposedly from a fallen star. Who said names ever had to make sense with these sorts of things?</p>
<p>“That’s what it was called when I got given it.”</p>
<p>Goshiki nodded. “Alright, why did your dragon friend seem insistent that you use that stone as opposed to any other? What makes it special?”</p>
<p>Hinata shrugged. “I dunno. The woman who gave it to me said it’s like a blank runestone to the right mage, it just requires a cost of sorts.”</p>
<p>There was another pause, as Goshiki held out his hand for Hinata to hand it over. Once the stone was in his grasp he felt the surge of energy that it carried. It wasn’t just any old runestone, lending to its rumoured origins from elsewhere. “Hm, maybe it’s called a pure stone because to unlock it’s ‘true’ power - or something equally as fantastical and bard-song-esque, - it needs someone of pure conscience or something like that.”</p>
<p>“You don’t sound convinced.” Hinata was watching the swirling mists in the stone.</p>
<p>“Well yeah, because that’s the stuff you hear in fables and bard songs. But half of what I’ve heard about <em>you</em> also falls into that category of weird.” He snorted. “I’m not saying I believe that’s the truth but given all the other crazy shit you’ve seen and done, I wouldn’t be surprised.”</p>
<p>Hinata could see it. Then again he, as Goshiki had said, had seen and done a lot of things normal people would think were crazy stories. He couldn’t sit there and claim to be offended at the idea of someone not believing him when he said he survived being thrown into a volcano.</p>
<p>“So you think it’s maybe clouded over because it’s—”</p>
<p>“I dunno. Probably needs cleansing or some shit. Stones are weird. I don’t like them.” Goshiki tossed it back into Hinata’s hands. “I’ve had enough of stones, dust and anything that can give mages unlimited power, they always end up causing more trouble than their worth.”</p>
<p>Hinata caught the stone. He didn’t know how to ‘cleanse’ a stone and the others were no doubt busy with their testing of the ear cuffs. He didn’t have a lot of time to ask around.</p>
<p>“Huh. Okay. Hm.” He turned it over in his hands. “Thanks Goshiki And I uh, I’m glad you’re feeling okay, all things considered.”</p>
<p>Another smile, softer than the usual demeanour Goshiki was known for. “Yeah, ‘okay’ is a good way to put it.” He murmured as Hinata stood up and nodded in parting, leaving Goshiki to return to his meditation.</p>
<p>There were only a few people who could possibly know anything about cleansing stones. His first thought was Moniwa, but when asked, he shook his head and said that whilst he had a vague idea, he didn’t know enough to confidently give him advice. So then he went to Tanaka, figuring that the guy who grew up with Nishinoya would have some notion. Tanaka scratched his head and confessed Nishinoya never really used runestones before he joined the guild.</p>
<p>So that left him with precious few people. In desperation, he approached Ukai. The only thing that stopped him asking Ukai first was the fact he had been burying the human bones in the garden of the manor. Interrupting such a grim task felt wrong so he had asked the others whilst waiting for Ukai to finish piling dirt on top of the box.</p>
<p>“Huh, cleansing the pure stone?”</p>
<p>“Yeah.” Hinata offered it to Ukai. “Goshiki reckons it might be a case that its true power is linked to clear consciences but it’s all clouded over right now after being handled by some of the others.”</p>
<p>Ukai frowned as he took it and examined the stone. It was still swirling with mists of purple and flashing blue that correlated to elements had been absorbed already. He held it up to the sky, getting the light to catch it and see the smooth cut of the edge.</p>
<p>“I see.”</p>
<p>“So do you know how to cleanse it?”</p>
<p>Ukai raised an eyebrow as he gave the stone back to Hinata. “Maybe? I know a small ritual that might work?”</p>
<p>“Can we do it…now?”</p>
<p>Ukai chuckled. “If Kenma happens to have some sage lying around, sure. Though I can do most of it without, the sage will help.”</p>
<p>That gave Hinata some hope. He wasn’t sure how important the stone could be but he wanted to make sure he had every angle covered. If the Kirin wanted him to help Akaashi then he was going to do everything he possibly could. He found some sage in one of the knapsacks brought with them, thankful that he didn’t need to bother the others in the process of their experimentation. Meeting Ukai outside again, he saw a small copper pot had been borrowed from the kitchen and filled with water. When he offered the sage to Ukai, it was quickly thrown into the water.</p>
<p>“So now what?” He asked as Ukai sat on the ground behind the pot.</p>
<p>“Can you heat the water?”</p>
<p>Hinata nodded, snapping his fingers and summoning a small flame. He held it close to the pot. Ukai watched as the water began to simmer, sage leaves moving slowly as the bubbles rose up. After a few minutes of the water heating up, Ukai raised a hand in a signal to stop. The flame was snapped out of existence.</p>
<p>“Give me the stone.”</p>
<p>Hinata handed it over, watching as Ukai held it between his palms and closed his eyes. The tattoos inked on his arms lit up with a soft yellow glow. Slowly, he opened his hands to cup the stone, it was glowing faintly as he held it over the pot of water. With a final hum, he parted his hands and let the stone fall into the water with a plop.</p>
<p>Immediately the water fizzed, swirling mists rose to the surface. Purple and blue mixed together and turned the clear water into a deep indigo colour. Besides the fizzing and changing colour, nothing obvious seemed to be happening. Ukai kept his gaze steady as he watched the pot.</p>
<p>“What’s it doing?” Hinata asked, fascinated by the simple process that mimicked many other alchemical processes he had seen time and time again.</p>
<p>Ukai shrugged. “We used to use this process to cleanse potion bottles, the sage neutralises any leftover effects of whatever was in the bottle before. I figured it would have a similar effect on the stone.”</p>
<p>Hinata looked at the water again. If the colour of the water correlating with the elements it had absorbed was anything to go by, he would say Ukai was onto something. He was a little concerned that the stone would be compromised by being submerged in hot water, but then he had to remember it had been in a volcano and survived.</p>
<p>They sat in silence for a while, the heated water continuing to simmer until the mist stopped swirling. Gradually the bubbles faded and the sage leaves became still on the surface. At the bottom of the pot the stone sat submerged. Ukai dipped his hand into the still warm water and fished it out, presenting it to Hinata.</p>
<p>As soon as the stone came to rest in the palm of his hand, he saw for himself that it was intact, not an imperfection in sight. It was clear and colourless as it was when he first got it. It faintly smelt of sage.</p>
<p>“So, it’s back to how it was before, now what?” Ukai asked as he began to fish out the sage leaves and lay them on the ground.</p>
<p>Hinata wasn’t sure, that uncertainty lined up with how unsure he was about what exactly was going to happen the next evening. He held the stone in his hand, rubbing the pad of his thumb over the smooth edge. Just having it ready to fulfil whatever role it could, gave him some comfort. He knew Kenma had toyed with the idea of using it to help Shirabu focus on the ear cuffs and the magic that came with them, but he also knew they had a sizable chunk of the purple stone leftover that would fit that purpose much better.</p>
<p>Which really meant this stone could, and probably should, remain with him until he figured out what to do with it.</p>
<p>“Can I ask you something?” He pocketed the stone.</p>
<p>Ukai raised an eyebrow as he set the last of the sodden sage leaves down. “Go for it.”</p>
<p>“If you…if you were told that you had to help someone else overcome something, like a trial or task, and you wanted to do whatever it took…how would you know when you’re ready? Like, that you’ve done everything to possibly prepare for it?”</p>
<p>Ukai gave it some thought, picking up the now cool pot and tipping the water out onto the grass behind him. As he set it down in front of him again, he hummed. “Well, I guess it would depend on the task. And whether the other person knows I’m supposed to help them. But aside from that?” He scratched his stubbly beard. “I’d just make sure I’m prepared to use any and all of my abilities, that I know what I’m supposed to do and what could happen…” he trailed off as he watched Hinata nodding. “Maybe get a new tattoo…”</p>
<p>Hinata perked up at the last remark. His hand flew to his chest where his runestone still hung. The scars had stopped burning as of late, they still itched occasionally but nothing compared to before. He swallowed as he thought about the idea of doing something more useful with them. He knew they were already capable of doing weird things when left unchecked by a runestone, now he wondered if he could harness that power in a more useful way. After all, Kei had similar tattoos that seemed to help him utilise his weird empath powers, Goshiki had them too - albeit forced onto him. It wasn’t like a foreign concept to him.</p>
<p>“Do you think I—”</p>
<p>Ukai chuckled. “How did I guess you were going to jump on <em>that</em> of all things.”</p>
<p>Hinata pouted at the idea he was so easy to predict. “I already have scars, might as well make them do something?”</p>
<p>Ukai hadn’t seen these scars, he had heard about them in passing; the shattering of runestones during the battle and how they had absorbed the runestone dust just as Goshiki’s had. He knew as soon as he mentioned it, Hinata was going to jump on it.</p>
<p>“…Are you sure about this?” Ukai asked. “Getting normal tattoos is enough pain for most people, getting <em>magic</em> tattoos are another thing entirely.”</p>
<p>Hinata chewed on his bottom lip. If he was really going to put his all into this, he needed to put <em>everything</em> to use. He wasn’t sure what part he’d play but if his last few adventures had been anything to go by this was going to be a big deal. He’d need everything he could give.</p>
<p>“Yes.” He met Ukai’s gaze with determination. “I’m sure.”</p>
<p>As much as Ukai knew he probably ought to consult with Kenma before granting Hinata any additional magic in his blood, time was of the essence and Kenma’s attitude when it came to Hinata was ‘let him do whatever’. Without knowing how extensive these scars were, he couldn’t really delay the process. They only had a day to do this and the tattoos would need time to heal over.</p>
<p>“Okay. Come with me then.”</p>
<p>Collecting up the pot and sage leaves, Ukai led Hinata back through the manor. As he thought, most of the manor’s occupants were in full preparation mode so many didn’t give them a second glance as they ascended to the upper floor. Kenma and the others were still in the storeroom doing gods only knew what so he took Hinata into Goshiki’s room.</p>
<p>This part was probably risky, considering the other’s history with stones and tattoos, but he wanted at least someone else around. After briefly explaining the situation to Goshiki, he wasn’t surprised that the other wasn’t exactly enthusiastic about it all. Goshiki did agree to stick around and be of ‘some help’, but he drew the line at doing any of the work himself. Ukai chalked it up to a small victory.</p>
<p>“Let me see your scars first and we’ll work out what comes next.” Ukai told Hinata. “And how many of them—”</p>
<p>“There’s like twelve.” Hinata said, pulling his shirt over his head. He sat on the edge of one of the beds and leaned back on his hands so Ukai could see all of them. “I can’t see some of them ‘cause they’re up by my neck.”</p>
<p>Ukai hummed in thought, craning his neck to look at each of them. There were twelve of them, jagged, roughly healed, some were wider than his thumb and others were small like the bite from a snake. Goshiki also came over to look, wrinkling his nose in thought at the sight.</p>
<p>“And five runestones did that?”</p>
<p>“Four.” Hinata held up the twine that held his last one around his neck still. “This one keeps them under control.”</p>
<p>Ukai nodded slowly, not necessarily understanding the latter remark. “Right. Given how little time we have, I don’t think we’ll be able to do massive detailed pieces of art—”</p>
<p>“I already thought about that.” Hinata interrupted. As soon as he had decided on this latest venture he knew how his scars should be transformed. “Feathers.”</p>
<p>“Feathers.” Ukai repeated, clearly confused.</p>
<p>“Just…go with it.” Hinata nervously smiled. “Feathers, like ones from a crow or owl.”</p>
<p>Goshiki shrugged. “Feathers. Simple enough and easy to make big and small.” He looked to Ukai. “What do you need from me?”</p>
<p>“Ink, a needle of sorts, lots of rags and a large pot of water.” He told Goshiki.</p>
<p>“Got it.” Goshiki immediately started rummaging around the room as Ukai gently took Hinata’s chin and made him tilt his head to get a better look at the highest scar.</p>
<p>“This one is gonna be the worst, pain-wise.” He told Hinata sternly. “So I’ll work up from the smaller ones. And if it gets too much, you tell me to stop.”</p>
<p>Hinata nodded as best he could with Ukai’s hand still holding his face. He was a little nervous at the entire process and the pain, but he kept reminding himself that a little pain now might prevent a great deal more in the near future. Besides, in the short time he’d had these scars, he never liked how they looked. He just hoped Tobio wouldn’t freak out about it. Which, if he was being honest, there was going to be <em>some</em> freaking out given how recklessly timed this all was.</p>
<p>As Goshiki returned with the things Ukai asked of him, the preparations were near complete. Hinata was told to lie down and try to relax. The runestone bumped against his neck as he did so, his heartbeat was in his ears as he tried to breathe normally. He could hear the sound of stone being ground up, flashing a glance over he saw Ukai had a collection of small runestones of varying colours and many of them were split into chunks already. Powder covered the small table as he used a small pestle on the smallest of shards.</p>
<p>“Oi.” Goshiki snapped his fingers and prompted Hinata to look his way. “Don't think about it.” He said. “Just think about other stuff, trust me, it helps.”</p>
<p>He nodded. His hands clenched the thin sheets on the bed as he waited for Ukai to do whatever final preparations. He hoped Kenma wouldn’t be mad at him. He could imagine Kenma saying there were other, better ways to deal with this scars but Goshiki had said so himself a few days ago; the only way to truly deal with the bizarre effects of them would be to get a permanent charm tattooed on him. Okay maybe getting individual tattoos <em>over</em> the scars was a bit extreme.</p>
<p>He wasn’t changing his mind though, even as the needle pierced his skin. He steadied his breathing, closing his eyes as he tried to keep himself yelling. The last thing they needed was anyone bursting in because they thought he was being tortured. It was a tedious process. The runestone pulsed against his chest as time wore on. Ukai had started with the smallest of the scars and as Hinata understood, he was going to do the basic inking first and then go back and add the runestone dust.</p>
<p>Which meant the entire afternoon was going to be spent laying there with his thoughts running wild.</p>
<p>“You’re doing good kid.” Ukai remarked after what felt like an age. “Already done three.”</p>
<p>“Yeah?” Hinata had started getting used to the dull throbbing. He was by no means happy about it but it was manageable. He had been alternating between closing his eyes to focus on breathing and having brief conversations with Goshiki who watched on in mild curiosity.</p>
<p>The light that streamed through the window gave him a vague idea how long it was taking. It had been mid-afternoon when they started, but as Ukai sat back with a sigh, the white light had turned yellow. The sun was starting to set. The manor had been quiet, well, no-one was <em>yelling</em>. There was loud conversation floating through walls, doors would open and close periodically, footsteps on the main stairs were easy to pick out when heavier members of the manor would ascend and descend again.</p>
<p>“Right.” Ukai wiped his hands with one of the rags. “So, you’ve managed not to pass out, which is great, but now comes the more…painful part.”</p>
<p>Hinata laughed weakly. “Yeah.”</p>
<p>“So,” Ukai looked to Goshiki, “I’m gonna start applying the ground up runestone dust, try and keep him distracted.”</p>
<p>“Got it.” Goshiki nodded, reaching out and taking one of Hinata’s hands. He didn’t seem happy about being a witness to the same process he had been subjected to, but as much as he distracted Hinata from the ordeal, he kept his own gaze from watching it.</p>
<p>With preparation complete, Ukai began the more volatile process of introducing runestone dust to each tattoo. He was more than aware of how quickly Hinata’s already overloaded body could react to the increase in resources. Mages were born with exactly enough energy to survive and not be overwhelmed with their own abilities. He had seen many fresh faces try to add far too much to themselves and pay the price for it. In many ways it was a miracle Goshiki had survived his ordeal.</p>
<p>“Ready?” He asked as he held the needle over the first feather.</p>
<p>Hinata squeezed Goshiki’s hand. “Yeah.” He remained still as stone as the first grains of ground up stone came into contact with the fresh wound. He felt a surge of <em>something</em> pulse through him from his neck to his toes. It didn’t feel <em>bad</em>. This sensation would come back in waves each time a little more was added to him. Goshiki kept him talking, mainly asking him things about the southern kingdoms, what the landscape was like, where the Brotherhood called home and other mundane things. It was a learning opportunity for him as much as a distraction technique.</p>
<p>Hinata was surprisingly okay with everything. There was a raw burning being felt over his entire chest, over each scar that was tended to. None of the pain compared to that he felt during the Battle of the Dynasty though. It was possible that that very thought was what kept him grounded as Ukai went through eleven of the scars without much effort.</p>
<p>“And now we’re at the big one.” Ukai stated, taking a moment to rest his hand. “How are you feeling?”</p>
<p>“…woozy?” Hinata offered. “Tired, and I sorta want to empty a bucket of water over myself…”</p>
<p>Goshiki chuckled. “We can arrange that after if you want.”</p>
<p>“Hah…” Hinata let out a heavy sigh. He didn’t feel all too different, then again his body was too busy being in mild pain to do anything outlandish. Nothing was glowing at least. He didn’t feel any sense of foreboding.</p>
<p>“So I’ve been alternating which colour I put in,” Ukai told him, “and I’ve inadvertently rotated around to red. So your fire element might be more potent after this.”</p>
<p>“Yeah ’cause we really need <em>more</em> fire.” Goshiki remarked half-heartedly.</p>
<p>“Of course.” Ukai coyly smiled, picking up the needle from the pot of water it had been soaking in. “Are you ready?”</p>
<p>“Ready as I’ll ever be.” Hinata murmured, squeezing Goshiki’s hand again. He found it a little odd and slightly concerning in a way how calm he was throughout all of it. Even with the idea that he had been through and felt much worse pain than a needle, having almost no reaction was unexpected.</p>
<p>Perhaps the reaction would come later when his body relaxed more.</p>
<p>As he felt the now familiar stinging that accompanied the needle, he closed his eyes. The last few times he had allowed himself to rest his eyes, he had seen darkness. This time however he saw lights, coloured lights. Coloured lights that were reminiscent of his visions about the elements bonding together, about conquering all of them of making them work together to save Tobio. In a way he was reminded of the Kirin’s dream, the birds flocking together as one force of nature to be reckoned with.</p>
<p>He sighed heavily, feeling Goshiki squeeze his hand. The lights were bright in his mind, swirling around one another. He couldn’t hear any other-worldly beings trying to tell him anything, not this time. He was content to watch the light show, the silent dance of elements.</p>
<p>“Hey, wake up.” Goshiki squeezed his hand harder.</p>
<p>“I’m not asleep.” He replied quietly, forcing his eyes to crack open. The soft glow of the sunset had faded, the world outside the window a lot darker now. Ukai wasn’t leaning over him anymore, rather he was sat back huffing in exhaustion. “Are you done?”</p>
<p>“Yeah.” Ukai smiled warmly.</p>
<p>Hinata’s brow furrowed. Had he fallen asleep? He didn’t feel like he had. Goshiki snorted, letting go of his hand now he was visibly with them.</p>
<p>“You seemed to put yourself in some sort of trance.” Ukai remarked, reading into his confused expression. “Not quite asleep but not awake. Made the last bits of work easy.”</p>
<p>“Oh.” Hinata brought a hand up to find bandages covering most of his neck and wrapped around his upper chest. “What…”</p>
<p>“You need to let them set.” Ukai said. “Maybe Shirabu will be able to speed up the healing process but he’s still with Kenma and the others.”</p>
<p>“Plus he’ll probably hit the roof.” Goshiki shrugged, having returned to his bed. “Be like ‘why would you do this the night before the ball’ and other such irritating things.”</p>
<p>“I’m sure it’ll be fine.” Ukai sighed, now focusing on cleaning up the supplies. “Just rest up and we can look at them tomorrow.”</p>
<p>Hinata nodded, slowly sitting up. A flare of pain ripped through him and made him wheeze. He got a concerned look from Ukai but waved it off. The dull throbbing was more noticeable now he wasn’t laying down and half falling asleep. It took him a few moments more than it should’ve to ease his shirt back on. He was already dreading going to bed later and having to explain it all to Tobio.</p>
<p>“I think I’ll go and see if the others are done.” He smiled, it was forced and both Goshiki and Ukai knew it. Neither sought to stop him.</p>
<p>He made it as far as the stairs before having to lean against the wall and breathe through the pain that was now coursing through his body. He held out a hand on front of him, waiting to see if any rogue elements would burst forth given half a chance. When none did, he breathed a sigh of relief.</p>
<p>So far, aside from the pain that would be there if he had a normal tattoo, nothing concerned him. As he remained leaning against the wall catching his breath, he heard footsteps before a door was yanked open.</p>
<p>Asahi gave him a confused look as he stepped out into the hallway. Hinata wasn’t sure what he looked like but he could imagine the scene; him looking dishevelled, exhausted and leaning against a wall for support with no one else around. It probably didn’t fill Asahi with an abundance of confidence.</p>
<p>“Are you okay?” Asahi asked hesitantly, the first time Hinata had seen him unsure of himself.</p>
<p>“…yes.” He replied, trying to force confidence. “A-And you?”</p>
<p>Asahi looked him up and down, eyes narrowing in further confusion. “Yes.”</p>
<p>“Great.” He felt another pang of pain as he inhaled too sharply. “Well, I should get going—”</p>
<p>“Hold on.” Asahi stepped close enough for Hinata to feel vaguely threatened by his large frame. “You look like you’re gonna pass out. You’re all pale.”</p>
<p>“I’m f-fine.” He tried to step back but found the wall unyielding, as a wall should be.</p>
<p>“You’re shaking like a leaf and you’re white as a sheet.” Asahi stated plainly, setting a hand on the shoulder that was bandaged up. Hinata winced at the firm pressure, something that didn’t go unnoticed. “What’s wrong?”</p>
<p>“Nothing’s wrong.” He murmured, not even trying to convince Asahi at this stage. He just felt woozy.</p>
<p>“Right. Like I haven’t heard that from Tobio a hundred times.” He remarked, chuckling slightly. “Come on, you look like you’re gonna hurl if you don’t lie down.”</p>
<p>Despite the reluctance, Hinata allowed Asahi to shepherd him into the room he shared with Tobio. Thankfully the king was downstairs still, meaning the room was cool and quiet, a single candle had been left lit for whenever someone returned and Asahi was quick to take it and light two of the wall sconces to give them some more light. The window was shuttered already. Then came the slightly problematic part as Asahi seemed to imply that Hinata should go to bed early which meant taking off his shirt.</p>
<p>Figuring it was only a matter of time before everyone knew anyway, Hinata sighed. “Okay, fine,” he toyed with the hem of his shirt, “nothing’s <em>wrong</em>, but I’m not…” he shook his head. “Just, don’t freak out.”</p>
<p>Asahi gave him another confused look, completely in the dark about what the heck he was talking about as he slowly, painstakingly so, took his shirt off to reveal the bandages. Asahi’s eyes widened in surprise and then narrowed in concern.</p>
<p>“What happened?”</p>
<p>“I got…my scars turned into tattoos.” He huffed, sitting in the middle of the bed. “I’m fine, well, mostly fine. They hurt, which is why I look…not fine.”</p>
<p>Asahi nodded slowly, folding his arms across his chest as he smiled slightly. “Let me guess, Tobio and Kenma don’t know about this.”</p>
<p>“No.” He picked at the edge of the blankets. “I was on my way to see Kenma when…I felt woozy.”</p>
<p>Asahi had made it a point not to get involved in mage-related issues. He had his job and that was protecting Tobio from threats. He didn’t need or <em>want</em> to know half of what Inuoka and the others were up to. All he had to know from them was whether any of it endangered Tobio. Except now, with Hinata in the picture by Tobio’s side and not leaving, things were more likely to directly involve Tobio, which in turn meant he needed to know.</p>
<p>He shook his head slightly. “So you were going to tell Kenma, but then you felt woozy.” He summarised. “And when were you gonna tell Tobio?”</p>
<p>Hinata didn’t have an answer. Truthfully he wasn’t sure how Kenma was going to react, let alone Tobio. He had intended to take it one step at a time.</p>
<p>“Later? Like, a lot later?”</p>
<p>“Or, I could go and tell him you—”</p>
<p>“No.” Hinata put up a hand. “No, he, he needs to focus on whatever planning is happening.”</p>
<p>Asahi chuckled. “Hinata, he and Tooru have had their plan nailed down for several days at this point. All they’re doing down there is being loosely told about the Brotherhood’s ideas and probably playing chess. You won’t be pulling him away from anything vastly important.”</p>
<p>“I’d still rather you didn’t bother him about it.” Hinata murmured.</p>
<p>Asahi could respect Hinata’s wish, but he didn’t feel comfortable leaving him alone either. “I need to return downstairs, but I can get Tadashi to come and sit with you? He was just finishing up polishing all the buttons on Tobio’s court attire so he’d appreciate the company for sure.” He smiled.</p>
<p>Hinata considered it. Yamaguchi was liable to give him a lecture and a half about getting tattoos done the night before such a big event, but he had always been friendly. They hadn’t spoken in depth many times without Tobio around and given the likelihood of him spending a <em>lot</em> more time in Hokubujōsai, getting closer to Tobio’s other friends was probably a good move on his part.</p>
<p>“Sure.” He made sure to return the smile to Asahi.</p>
<p>With a short nod, Asahi took his leave. He was left alone for a few minutes, enough time to get more comfortable within the blankets of the bed. The throbbing was more persistent now he was aware of it, the wooziness had faded a little though. He had just managed to get himself comfortable when the door opened. Yamaguchi didn’t say anything, merely nodding in greeting as he entered with a bundle of folded clothing that looked vaguely familiar. As he set the bundle down on a stool, he looked back at Hinata with a more curious gaze before moving to sit on the edge of the bed.</p>
<p>“So Asahi tells me that you’ve done something about your scars.” He spoke softly, no trace of judgement so far. “And I can see from the bandages that it’s something major.”</p>
<p>Hinata weakly laughed. “I uh…it’s a sorta long story.”</p>
<p>“Is it now?” Yamaguchi raised an eyebrow. “As with most things that relate to you.”</p>
<p>“Hey, it’s not my fault I seem to be the one who ends up in the middle of all this destiny stuff.” He huffed, leaning back into the plump pillows. “I just…do. And I deal with it.”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi was quiet for a moment, gaze travelling over the bandages that were neatly wrapped around Hinata’s upper chest and shoulder. He could see darker spots where the material was thin, exposing the general shape of what he assumed were the scars emboldened by ink.</p>
<p>“Let me guess, this was all part of a plan to be ready for whatever happens tomorrow.” He gestured to the bandages.</p>
<p>“Sort of.”</p>
<p>“Wanna talk me through it?” Yamaguchi kept a soft tone as he moved to sit cross-legged on the bed. “Your plan?”</p>
<p>“I would if I had one.” Hinata pouted slightly, tipping his head back. “That’s sorta the whole…problem.”</p>
<p>“Problem?” It was obvious that Yamaguchi was expecting him to actually explain things. He couldn’t just make remarks and tiptoe around the subject at least. Yamaguchi chuckled slightly. “Shoyo, I’ve dealt with Tobio for most of our lives trying to avoid talking about the things that bothered him. I apologise if it feels like I’m being suspicious—”</p>
<p>“No, it’s fine.” He huffed. “It’s just, hard to explain in some ways.” He met Yamaguchi’s gaze. “And the last few people I’ve tried to explain it to have been…sorta disbelieving.”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi nodded. “If it has anything to do with Hēishān and things on that level of abnormal, I can’t say I completely understand, but I’m not going to write you off as crazy either.” He shrugged. “I saw you summon Hēishān. I saw what you did to protect Tobio. I know you’ve put yourself under a lot of pressure both magically and emotionally. To sit here and say you’re crazy would be a disservice to the deeds you’ve done.”</p>
<p>That was an unexpected response. Hinata couldn’t help but smile at the sentiment. “I mean, it’s not exactly <em>H</em><em>ēishān</em>, more the Kirin.” He said. “She told me a bunch of stuff, it’s all a bit confusing. Stuff like, Akaashi is the one who has to take on Akiteru but I have to help him? But then she didn’t really say <em>how</em> to help him?”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi nodded along as Hinata explained the strange vision in more detail, complete with all the bird imagery and the colour symbolism. He then tried to explain how Akaashi was intending on going it alone and how he respected that, but he knew he had to hold up his side of the ‘prophecy’ as it were. How that led to him asking Ukai what he’d do as Kenma and the others were busy with their own side of the preparations for the ball, the talk about tattoos and so on.</p>
<p>“And so, considering I didn’t like how they looked anyway, I decided they might as well be put to use <em>and</em> look…nicer.” He finished. “I know Tobio has this weird fascination with them, but they just seemed ugly to me.”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi nodded, having kept quiet for the majority of Hinata’s storytelling. “I think what you did is fine, it’s your body and if you didn’t like how they looked then you have every right to change them.” He smiled reassuringly. “Of course I would have to argue doing it the night before such an important event was…”</p>
<p>“I’m sure it’ll be fine, like, Shirabu will be able to do something, I think.”</p>
<p>“I’m sure he can, but still. What do you think turning your scars into tattoos like Goshiki’s will achieve? You said that they had a certain affinity to magic anyway, what does this change?”</p>
<p>“Honestly, I’m not sure.” Hinata’s hand went to the runestone around his neck. “But I’m hoping once they’ve healed a little, I can take this off and they won’t go wild?”</p>
<p>“So you wanted to be more…” Yamaguchi trailed off as he tried to think of the appropriate word. “More in control?”</p>
<p>“Yeah.” Hinata nodded curtly. “I just…don’t want to be in fear of my own powers, y’know?”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi could understand that. He didn’t necessarily understand much else, but he could sympathise with the idea of feeling like he wasn’t in control of things that would affect those he cared for.</p>
<p>“I’m sure Tobio will understand.” He said. “And Kenma. If they react poorly at first it’s because they care about you. Just take the time to explain and I’m sure they’ll come around.”</p>
<p>Hinata was quiet as he let his eyes slip shut. Explaining everything all over again had taken a lot out of him. The throbbing across his chest wasn’t letting up as he lay there mulling over how he was going to explain any of it to Tobio. His stomach growled loudly, breaking the silence.</p>
<p>“Ah, I imagine you’ve not eaten if you’ve been busy all afternoon.” Yamaguchi remarked.</p>
<p>“No…not really.”</p>
<p>“I’ll go and fetch something for you, maybe bring Tobio with me?”</p>
<p>Hinata nodded. “If he’s not busy.”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi nodded, getting up and leaving without a word. The manor was starting to wind down, the idea that everyone needed to rest well that night was at the forefront of many minds. The dining room had quietened down considerably, either a plan had been settled upon or they had called it quits as the night crept in. Suga and Moniwa had made up a large pot of stew for anyone who was hungry, several people had already helped themselves so he quickly found a bowl and got Hinata a generous helping.</p>
<p>As he carried out this menial work, he couldn’t help but smile. Looking after Tobio as both his king and his best friend was always a role he took seriously, that he took pride in. It was more than a ‘job’ to him. Sure there was a sense of duty about everything he did because Tobio was the king but that wasn’t what kept him by Tobio’s side when they were in the wilderness. He may not be as open about his affection for Tobio, but he truly loved him as a brother. And to see Tobio’s journey from shy prince to confident king was more rewarding than any victory on the battlefield in his mind.</p>
<p>So if looking after Hinata was going to be a permanent extension to his duty, he was more than happy to deliver.</p>
<p>With bowl of stew in hand, he started making his way back to Hinata. Before he started up the stairs, he poked his head into the parlour. Sure enough Tobio was sat with Tooru talking candidly about the lack of a formal invitation as of yet. He cleared his throat which was enough to get Tobio to look over and catch his gaze. He nodded towards the stairs, Tobio nodded and excused himself. Tooru looked over with a curious gaze but was quickly distracted by something Yamamoto said.</p>
<p>“What’s up?” Tobio asked, taking note of the bowl in Yamaguchi’s hand. “Who’s that for?”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi kept his voice quiet so as not to alert anyone else to the situation. “It’s for Shoyo, he’s resting.”</p>
<p>“Resting.” Tobio’s brows furrowed. “From…what?”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi softly smiled. “He’s had a busy afternoon, but he’d like to see you if you’re not busy.”</p>
<p>The wording confused Tobio but he nodded quickly and gestured for Yamaguchi to lead the way. Several thoughts were running through his head as he considered what exactly Hinata needed resting from. He hadn’t been involved in the scheme the other mages were preparing for, and he certainly hadn’t been practising combat. In fact, Tobio hadn’t seen him since that morning.</p>
<p>Yamaguchi knocked on the door before entering, stepping aside once in the room to allow Tobio in. As soon as he took stock of the scene in front of him, Tobio wanted a more thorough explanation.</p>
<p>“I can explain.” Hinata stated before Tobio could so much as open his mouth to question why he was wrapped up in bandages.</p>
<p>“I hope so.” Tobio huffed, a half-smile on his face as he crossed the room and sat on the bed. Yamaguchi rolled his eyes slightly and handed Tobio the bowl as if to say ‘if you’re gonna sit there, you can be useful.’. Tobio took it without complaint, stirring the contents with the wooden spoon as he waited for this no doubt extensive story of what happened that afternoon.</p>
<p>“In short, I didn’t like how my scars looked.” Hinata stated plainly, eyeing the broth with hungry eyes. “So I did something about them.”</p>
<p>Tobio gave him a somewhat baffled look before handing the spoon to him and moving the bowl close enough from him to eat without spilling it. “Right. And what exactly did you do?”</p>
<p>Hinata, with a mouthful of stew, shrugged. Yamaguchi was stood at the end of the bed with his hands clasped behind his back, watching the conversation play out. “Well,” Hinata swallowed, “Ukai and Goshiki have tattoos. And so I figured, tattoos would be a cool way to cover them up.”</p>
<p>Tobio nodded slowly. “And they’re normal tattoos? Or are they—”</p>
<p>“Oh they’re magical.” Hinata said. “Kinda have to be.”</p>
<p>“Right.”</p>
<p>“Well there’s a lot more to it, but I told you about the Kirin’s weird vision already so,” he shrugged again before shoving another spoonful of stew into his mouth. “What else is there to say?”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi chuckled quietly as Tobio shook his head. The boyish smile that graced Tobio’s face indicated he wasn’t mad or disappointed at this new development.</p>
<p>“You…dumbass.” Tobio sighed. “So you got all of them covered up with weird magical tattoos?”</p>
<p>Hinata nodded.</p>
<p>“And you did this the day before arguably the most important night of our lives so far…because?”</p>
<p>Hinata took a moment to swallow before humming in thought. He had been thinking about how to spin it to Tobio, how talking candidly about how dangerous his powers could be if left unchecked may not bring much comfort to the other. Then again Tobio wasn’t likely to think any less of him for wanting to safeguard everyone around him. If anything, given what they were facing - or what <em>Akaashi</em> was facing - imminently, it was probably a sound suggestion.</p>
<p>“Basically,” he set the spoon down in the now-empty bowl and closed his hand around the runestone around his neck, “this thing is the only thing stopping my powers going wild.”</p>
<p>“That stone.”</p>
<p>“This stone.”</p>
<p>“Okay.”</p>
<p>Hinata could see Tobio was doing his best to comprehend the information, brows were furrowed in concentration, a slight frown of thought now gracing his face. He may not be well-read on magic and mages, but he was trying his best and that’s all Hinata could ask for.</p>
<p>“So, when I summoned Hēishān, my runestones exploded and cut me up, and the shards and powder residue seeped into those cuts.” He explained as simply as he could, gesturing to the bandages. “Over time, that same powder has…sorta made my magic more potent? More wild? And really the only thing that stops my scars glowing randomly is this single stone doing some weird stone magic that even <em>I </em>don’t get.”</p>
<p>Tobio nodded slowly. “So…if you weren’t wearing the stone, bad things happen.”</p>
<p>“Yes. Well, that was the case.” Hinata let the stone fall back against his chest. “I asked Ukai to give me tattoos sorta like his so that…I can control it better.”</p>
<p>“How does adding more magic to already magic scars help you control it?”</p>
<p>“I uh,” he scratched his head in thought for a moment, “well I guess in simple terms, they help balance the elemental energy. Like, sorta like baking a cake? Add too much sugar and it’s too sweet, too much flour and it’s all bitter. Magic in mages is like that.” He beamed. “And well, when my stones exploded, they put too much flour in me.”</p>
<p>Tobio burst out laughing at the analogy. “So, you’re a cake now?”</p>
<p>“No!” Hinata pouted, playfully shoving Tobio. “Take it seriously!”</p>
<p>“I am! You’re the one who just started talking about cakes.”</p>
<p>“Yeah because that’s the only way I can—whatever.” He scoffed. “My point is, the tattoos help balance it all, so yeah maybe I should’ve done it like days ago but oh well.” He sighed. “I just wanted to be sure that if I did end up facing Akiteru, or being anywhere near him at least, that I was as prepared as I could be…”</p>
<p>Tobio hummed in agreement. “I see, I think.” He set the bowl aside. “For what it’s worth, I never saw an issue with how your scars looked.”</p>
<p>“I know.” Hinata felt himself blushing. “You…seemed to like them.”</p>
<p>Tobio did a poor job of playing off his flushed face as he cleared his throat before changing the flow of conversation a little bit. “So what do these tattoos look like?”</p>
<p>“I told Ukai to do feathers. Just…seemed fitting.” Hinata shrugged, glancing between Tobio and Yamaguchi. “But I can’t unwrap them until tomorrow, or until Shirabu has time to look at them.”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi picked up the empty bowl. “Speaking of Shirabu, I can go and see if the others are done yet, if you like?”</p>
<p>“Sure.” Hinata wasn’t in a hurry to explain himself for the fourth time but putting it off wasn’t going to help anyone. “But it’s not hugely important, like it can wait ‘til tomorrow.”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi nodded, saying nothing else as he took the empty bowl away. As the door closed behind Yamaguchi, Tobio was quick to take advantage of the moment of privacy. He leaned in and pressed his lips to Hinata’s. Hinata, caught slightly off guard, leaned into the kiss out of habit. He allowed Tobio to coax him to lie down, mindful of his sore shoulder as he found himself looking up at Tobio’s flushed face.</p>
<p>“You don’t half worry me.” Tobio remarked quietly.</p>
<p>“Worry you?”</p>
<p>“Yeah.” Tobio leaned down and gave him a gentle peck on the lips. “Doing reckless shit all the time, only telling me hours later…”</p>
<p>“Well, get used to it?” Hinata chuckled somewhat nervously. “I mean, if you’re not used to it now after everything—”</p>
<p>Tobio silenced him with another gentle kiss. “I never said I wanted you to stop, dumbass.” He laughed against Hinata’s lips. “Just, give me some warning?”</p>
<p>“Didn’t wanna interrupt kingly stuff.”</p>
<p>“Sometimes I wish you would, it’d give me an excuse to leave the conversation.”</p>
<p>They shared a breathless laugh, Tobio pulled back a little to look at Hinata fondly. Bright brown eyes looked up at him, gaze darting around as a gentle smile graced his face. Tobio could stay like this for hours, just close to Hinata and enjoying the quiet. The world beyond the closed door felt miles away, completed disconnected from them.</p>
<p>“You’re doing that thing again.” Hinata remarked quietly.</p>
<p>“…thing?”</p>
<p>The soft smile widened. “You pause and don’t say anything.” He murmured. “You just stare at me.”</p>
<p>Tobio felt caught out but he couldn’t exactly claim he had no idea what Hinata was talking about. Often in these quiet moments he just felt struck by awe. Like if he broke the silence he’d wake up from whatever dream this all was, that everything good in the world would vanish. It was an odd thing to explain. He wasn’t entirely sure if it was the lingering fear leftover from everything he had gone through in his short life or something else. All he knew was that for just a few moments, he didn’t <em>want</em> to break the silence by saying something dumb.</p>
<p>“I mean, maybe I just like the quiet.” He mumbled.</p>
<p>Hinata didn’t laugh or tease him. He nodded in agreement. “It’s nice, the quiet.” He trailed a hand up Tobio’s arm and carded fingers through short black hair. Gently, he coaxed Tobio to lean down again into another slow, innocent kiss. This quiet felt different to most as shadows danced around the room from the candles. Within a day they’d be facing a momentous occasion that would define their legacies. No matter which way the cards fell, the realm would be changed by the actions of the next day.</p>
<p>But for now, the quiet was something to be cherished, to be revelled in.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0071"><h2>71. Anchor</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>LXXI</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Anchor</strong>
</p>
<p>Barely anyone was up and about when the courier arrived. It was almost by chance that Yamamoto had gotten up and ventured downstairs before most had even woken up. He accepted the sealed letter on behalf of Tooru and Tobio and curtly dismissed the courier from the porch. The white wax seal with a fox head imprinted onto it made him raise an eyebrow. It wasn’t the Tsukishima seal, that was for sure. He made his way upstairs to Tooru’s room. It was gloomy with only cracks of light being allowed in through the shutters, much like it had been when he got up a short while ago. Tooru was fast asleep still, Iwaizumi was blinking in the gloom, looking at him curiously from the nest of blankets and Tooru’s arms wrapped around him.</p>
<p>“Letter.” Yamamoto stated quietly. “Looks like that official invite.”</p>
<p>Iwaizumi nodded, rubbing his face. “Open it then.”</p>
<p>Now with granted permission, Yamamoto gently tore through the wax seal and opened the folded parchment. Inside the fold there were two pieces of parchment, one looked more official than the other. Scanning the less formal note, he figured out whose seal it was.</p>
<p>
  <em>‘Enclosed is the official invitation that Akiteru deigned to let us forward to you. We’re not sure if this is some sort of power play, getting us to do his work for him but whatever. The important thing is this; be cautious. We can’t confirm what he has in store for this ball, we have our hunches as we’ve already expressed to Tobio and the Brotherhood but really, we’re just as clueless as you are.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Kei dropped by and informed us of Kuroo</em>
  <em>’s slightly confrontational nature last night. As much as we trust the Brotherhood, and yourselves by extension, to get this done properly, please try to keep tempers from flaring. We need Kei on our side. He also said he went to see Yachi, she seems fine to him, whatever that means.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>This ball isn</em>
  <em>’t like the last, in the sense that masks are not mandatory. This isn’t an affair of gossip and drunken making out. This is a ball with a political purpose. We cannot stress this enough; do not take this lightly. And as for Hinata, it may be apt to keep him out of the focus. As much as he is Tobio’s consort, he was publicly arrested and then mysteriously got out. Just because the guards haven’t tracked him down, that doesn’t mean he’s safe.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>With all that in mind, we shall see you tonight.</em>
</p>
<p><em>Atsumu &amp; Osamu Miya.</em>’</p>
<p>Yamamoto let out a low whistle at the tone of the letter. This had clearly rattled the twins if they were being so forthright and demanding. He passed the letter to Iwaizumi who squinted at the cursive lettering in the gloom. Tooru didn’t stir much, burying his face in Iwaizumi’s shoulder as he continued to sleep.</p>
<p>Looking at the invitation, it was the usual pompous wording that Yamamoto had seen many times before; addressed to both kings and their ‘esteemed guests’, telling them what time the doors to the palace will open and what the general run of events will be. It seemed to him that there was a rather ominous gap in the itinerary between drinking and the ‘final address’.</p>
<p>Iwaizumi scowled at the letter before huffing a little louder than necessary. “Damn nobles.”</p>
<p>Yamamoto accepted the letter back from him to pass along to Tobio at some point. “So, they seem rattled.”</p>
<p>“You don’t say?”</p>
<p>“Reckon it’s gonna be…tense?”</p>
<p>Iwaizumi didn’t reply immediately, glancing at Tooru’s still slumbering form. “It’s a noble ball, of course it’s gonna be tense Tora.”</p>
<p>Yamamoto shrugged. “So I should sharpen my sword, gotchya.” He winked, Iwaizumi huffed, an amused hum leaving him as he rubbed his face again. Yamamoto took his leave, knowing better than to linger in the king’s chamber as he slept. As he closed the door quietly, he sighted Yaku and waved in greeting, prompting the other to stop. He showed Yaku both letters and watched the glower form on his face as he got to the end of the Miya’s ‘advice’.</p>
<p>“Pompous fucks.” He scoffed. “Acting like they’re better than us just because Kuroo nearly lost his rag at someone who hasn’t exactly inspired confidence.” He gave the letter back.</p>
<p>“Yeah well that’s nobles.” Yamamoto shrugged. “They’re all the same really.”</p>
<p>“You don’t need to tell me that.” Yaku sighed. “So, Tooru’s gonna rock up and play nice with them whilst the rest of us deal with the actual problem?”</p>
<p>“I mean, yes.” Yamamoto wasn’t sure what Yaku expected. “He’s got his own agenda, specifically stirring the pot of conspiracy.”</p>
<p>“Heh, some would say it’s ironic, Akiteru sowed the seeds of doubt in Tooru’s kingdom and now he’s going to get that treatment reflected back at him.”</p>
<p>Yamamoto had to admit, he hadn’t thought about it that way. Admittedly, he didn’t really think too hard into whatever Tooru was planning, he just understood his role was to offer additional protection and be a show of force. It wasn’t that he was unable to comprehend the plans, he just didn’t want to get tangled up in all the politics. He was the captain of the city guard at the age of seventeen. He was a prodigy in many ways. He just chose to stay <em>out</em> of politics.</p>
<p>“So what are you doing up so early—” He began before Yaku cut him off.</p>
<p>“I’m going to check the horses are in good health in case we need to make a quick exit. We as in the Brotherhood.” He curtly remarked. “I’m not exactly feeling optimistic that we won’t be regarded as rebels if this all goes to hell. Therefore, I want our horses ready to get us the fuck out of here.”</p>
<p>Yamamoto couldn’t fault him for that. “Need any help?”</p>
<p>“I don’t need it, but if you want to help I won’t turn you down.” He shrugged, continuing his original path to the stairs. “Unless you have other things to do.”</p>
<p>“Just gonna drop these letters off with someone of House Kageyama and then I’ll be down.”</p>
<p>Yaku chuckled to himself. “Best give it to Yamaguchi, gods only know what state you’ll find Tobio and Hinata in.”</p>
<p>Yamamoto really didn’t need that suggestive image in his head.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>What most would’ve seen as a blessing, Akaashi found unnerving. He had a dreamless sleep. As he and Kuroo had been some of the last to retire the night before, he had expressed his morbid anticipation of nightmares to haunt him through the night. Kuroo spent what felt like hours gently lulling him to sleep with soft kisses to his forehead, gentle fingers carding through his hair, and providing a safe, loving embrace.</p>
<p>He had expected all manner of horrific thoughts to flood his mind as soon as his eyes closed and as soon as he let his guard down. Yet nothing felt like it had happened as his eyes cracked open and daylight greeted him. Bokuto had woken up before anyone else in the room and gently nudged one of the shutters open to let in some light before promptly flopping back into bed and resuming his heavy snoring.</p>
<p>Akaashi wasn’t sure what to make of his uneventful night. It felt strange. A sense of foreboding hung over him as he considered all manner of reasonings for it. Had he subconsciously blocked them out finally? Had his body given him a break? Had his powers finally beaten back the irrational thoughts of failure? Kuroo was quick to stir as he sat up, the arm that had been wrapped around his waist loosening its hold on him.</p>
<p>“You okay?” the hushed murmur came.</p>
<p>Akaashi nodded. “Yeah.”</p>
<p>“Sure?”</p>
<p>Glancing around he saw Bokuto and Tanaka were asleep, the other bed in the room was empty and it was unclear if Kenma had even slept in it or crashed somewhere else. He rubbed the back of his neck as he turned his gaze to meet Kuroo’s. “Nothing happened.”</p>
<p>In any other situation Kuroo might have questioned why Akaashi seemed concerned about that. Given the conversation the previous night however, he too felt a sense of foreboding. “Do you want to get up and find Kenma—”</p>
<p>“I think Ukai might be a better person to ask.” Akaashi quickly cut in. “As much as Kenma…what I mean is he’s not really an empath. And I feel like this might be more of an empath thing.”</p>
<p>Kuroo nodded. “Of course.” He sat up swiftly. “Shall we?”</p>
<p>Akaashi held his gaze. “…it’s still early,” he brought a hand up to cup Kuroo’s face, “just, I want to keep calm, not get riled up.”</p>
<p>There was a pause as Kuroo considered the wording coupled with the gesture. He leaned into Akaashi’s hand before closing the gap between them. He felt Akaashi sigh into the kiss before the hand at his cheek moved to card through his hair. Quick and quiet movements led to Akaashi straddling Kuroo’s lap and keeping the intimate exchanges soft and slow. Kuroo’s hands stayed at his waist as he let Akaashi give and take whatever he needed to keep himself rooted in reality. He couldn’t begin to imagine how much mental stress he was under, how much pressure he had piled on his slim but firm shoulders. Noses bumped as hands came to rest at the nape of his neck, deft fingers tickled the sensitive skin as kisses slowed until Akaashi was sighing into his mouth and nothing more.</p>
<p>It had been quick, a more or less silent exchange, but one that Kuroo felt Akaashi needed more than he realised. There was a calmness about him as he buried his face in Kuroo’s shoulder. His breathing was slowing as Kuroo wrapped his arms around him once more, holding him close. For a while, there was only the sound of their breathing and Bokuto’s snoring.</p>
<p>“You remember something I said a while ago?” Kuroo murmured in Akaashi’s ear.</p>
<p>“You’ll have to be more specific.” Akaashi whispered back.</p>
<p>Kuroo smiled, kissing the shell of Akaashi’s ear. “Back in Hokubujōsai, when you decided to help Tobio, when you decided you and only you could fix it all, I said you were too kind for your own good.” He rubbed Akaashi’s back in a soothing manner. “And there was some metaphor about ships in a storm, but the point I made was that,” he gently coaxed Akaashi to pull back enough to meet his gaze, “no matter what storm is headed our way, I said we’d weather it together. And ship analogies aside, I still believe that.”</p>
<p>Akaashi smiled. “…so do I. Like I said last night, I’ll come back to you, no matter what happens.”</p>
<p>“I’ll do whatever I can to help you in the aftermath..” He pressed his lips to Akaashi’s. “I’ll be your anchor, Keiji.”</p>
<p>Akaashi smiled into another kiss. “Thought you said you were putting the ship analogies aside?”</p>
<p>“I couldn’t resist.”</p>
<p>“Of course, I wouldn’t expect anything less from you.”</p>
<p>Kuroo chuckled, trying to keep quiet considering they weren’t alone in the room after all. After a few moments of quiet hugging, they decided to get up properly and leave the others to sleep. It was going to be a long day.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Shirabu had enough to worry about that day without adding ‘sorting out impulsive tattoos’ to that list. He had the pressure of controlling a scarcely tested technique to communicate across vast spaces resting on his abilities. He didn’t need to be stood looking at angry red skin and raised black lines. The only small mercy about it all was the fact Hinata didn’t seem in agony. He still felt pressured as Tobio had insisted on being present, citing that he didn’t want to be out of the loop like normal.</p>
<p>“So they don’t seem to be bleeding.” He stated, gently taking Hinata by the chin and making him tilt his face away so he could look closer at the scar that rested at the base of his neck. “Which is good. I guess Ukai knows his stuff.”</p>
<p>“I’d hope so.” Kenma remarked. Hinata had been fearful that he’d be on the receiving end of a lecture from the other but he had been pleasantly surprised by how unfazed Kenma seemed. Maybe Kenma was just used to wild, impulsive actions at this point. “I’m more concerned about the added dosage of elemental power from the stones though.”</p>
<p>Shirabu hummed noncommittally, studying the neat line-work that crisscrossed over each scar. If one knew they were there, it was easy to see past the lines and see the lightened skin but at a passing glance, they did what Hinata desired. Of course, the black inked lines were only half the story. Hinata squirmed as Shirabu’s hold on his chin didn’t loosen.</p>
<p>“Alright from a normal person point of view,” he released Hinata’s chin, “you’re fine. I mean they’re gonna hurt like a bitch for a few days but nothing seems out of the ordinary.”</p>
<p>“And from a not-so-normal point of view?” Hinata asked.</p>
<p>Shirabu snorted, shrugging. “I don’t have experience with magic tattoos.” He glanced back to Kenma. “Got any ideas?”</p>
<p>“Not immediately. My first suggestion would be to take off your runestone and see what happens.”</p>
<p>Hinata looked down at the single stone. Despite going through so much to ensure he didn’t <em>need</em> to wear it, he felt strangely attached to it now he was being asked to take it off. He cradled it in his palm for a few moments before letting out a short breath. Slowly he slipped the twine over his head and gave it to Tobio. As the stone left his possession, the dull throbbing returned, but it felt different. It was like a rush of adrenaline. He remained still, balling his hands into fists as they rested on his knees. The tattoos he could see didn’t look any different and they didn’t feel like they were the source of the throbbing.</p>
<p>He could see the others watching him expectantly, waiting for him to say or do something. After a few moments of nothing untoward happening, he relaxed one of his hands and held it in front of him. No element burst forth unexpectedly, no prickling sensation began in his fingertips. Exhaling slowly, he willed his flames to come forth. Flashes of red rippled between black inked lines. Not quite taking form of flames themselves, but certainly correlating to the element as tiny floating flames burst into existence in his palm.</p>
<p>There was no rush of dread, no panic. He allowed himself to relax a bit more. Dispelling his fire, he focused on another element to see what would happen. As shards of ice were swirled in a vortex, another flash of colour passed through each feather, it was fleeting, like an arrow cutting through the air. He didn’t <em>feel</em> anything when these flashes rippled over his skin, they seemed to be merely visual indicators.</p>
<p>Of course, this was only basic summoning. If he had to maintain an element for a lengthy amount of time, say in a fight, then who was to say how they’d react. And if he wielded more than one at once, would that change anything? These were questions that only practice would provide answers to, and today was not a day they could afford to waste such time.</p>
<p>“Well,” He broke the silence, “nothing <em>bad</em> has happened. And they seem to be…under control.”</p>
<p>Kenma nodded approvingly, Shirabu merely raised an eyebrow. Tobio was the first to reply. “That’s good.”</p>
<p>“Yeah.” Hinata shot him a smile. “It means if somehow I end up losing that stone, I’m not completely…I won’t be out of control, or in pain.” He ran his fingertips over one of the larger feathers, appreciating the simple details Ukai had given each one. “So yeah.”</p>
<p>Shirabu looked to Kenma for his thoughts. Kenma was always impossible to read but now more than ever did his neutral expression not give anything away. He shrugged. “If you’re fine with it, then that’s that. I don’t think we need to do anything more.”</p>
<p>Hinata nodded. “Yeah, I mean, you got more important things to think about anyway.” He chuckled. “I’m sorry to be a bother—”</p>
<p>“It’s fine.” Kenma smiled. “You have your own role to play in today’s events after all.” He met Shirabu’s gaze. “Speaking of later, you should go and talk to Goshiki about—”</p>
<p>“Yeah.” Shirabu cut him off. “Can’t wait to see how he reacts to the idea.”</p>
<p>Hinata had next to no idea what they were specifically talking about. He knew of the idea to have Shirabu try to keep everyone else ‘focused’ through the ear cuffs, but what Goshiki had to do with it was a mystery to him. He watched as Shirabu left without another word, Kenma lingered for a few moments before excusing himself.</p>
<p>Tobio handed back the runestone, watching as Hinata slipped it on once more. As much as he appreciated the scars before, seeing them outlined with bold, black ink made them seem more alluring. He almost felt ashamed to find such a thing attractive, especially given Hinata’s displeasure at the scars that littered his skin, but he couldn’t help but admire the artistry on display. Ukai had transformed jagged, unclean cuts into smooth, almost seamless drawings of feathers. Some were more detailed than others, the smaller feathers were just outlines, the larger ones had short, sharp lines detailing the barbs, making each one unique in appearance.</p>
<p>He caught himself staring at them as Hinata nudged him playfully.</p>
<p>“Huh?”</p>
<p>“I <em>said</em>,” Hinata had a knowing smile on his face, smug almost, “should we go and get some food?”</p>
<p>“Yes.” Tobio answered quickly, acutely aware of how hot his face felt. “Do you need help getting dressed—”</p>
<p>Hinata laughed. “A king helping a commoner get dressed?”</p>
<p>Tobio felt vaguely insulted by the remark but the grin on Hinata’s face melted any irritation. “Well, I thought you were my consort, or did I misremember something?”</p>
<p>Hinata was already on his feet and picking up a loose shirt. “Hm? Oh so now I’m <em>actually</em> your consort?”</p>
<p>Tobio pouted slightly but couldn’t hold back his laugh at Hinata gave him a knowing smile. “Do I need to officially propose or something?”</p>
<p>Hinata pretended to be deep in thought as he held his shirt in his hands. “I mean, most people seem to think you <em>showering me with gifts</em> is a proposal enough.”</p>
<p>“Pft.” Tobio stood up from the bed. “Most people thought we were a thing before I even gave you that ring and title.”</p>
<p>That didn’t strictly answer Tobio’s question in the first place, but Hinata wasn’t going to deign him with a response. Not today at least. For now things were good. They were on the same page they just needed to survive today first. Talks about the future could wait for their return to the southern kingdoms.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Shirabu didn’t really want to have the conversation with Goshiki, but Kenma seemed oddly insistent. There was an understanding that Goshiki was too unstable to be part of the chain of ear cuffs, but Kenma had expressed his desire to keep Goshiki on hand <em>just in case</em>. In case of what, Shirabu didn’t dare to ask. He got the idea that if things really went to hell, Goshiki might know more about Akiteru than he realised. The other idea was that if push came to shove and it turned into a scrappy fight between Akiteru’s forces and the Brotherhood’s, Goshiki’s unstable magic might give them the edge.</p>
<p>Kenma didn’t say any of this aloud, but Shirabu had started to read between the lines a long time ago.</p>
<p>So he went along with it, seeking out Goshiki in the room he had barely left since arriving. He wasn’t surprised to find him alone, everyone else was either eating or already beginning to prepare. There were some last-minute armour adjustments being made to accommodate the guard sashes so there was an air of urgency downstairs. Not upstairs though, upstairs felt almost too peaceful.</p>
<p>He found Goshiki meditating, something he had been doing a lot of since Ukai had taught him how to do it properly. Shirabu didn’t know if he should interrupt or not as he closed the door behind him.</p>
<p>“Morning.” Goshiki spoke without opening his eyes. “Need something?”</p>
<p>Shirabu raised an eyebrow. “Not especially, Kenma wanted me to run something by you.”</p>
<p>Goshiki’s eyes opened slowly, his hands were still clasping his knees as he sat cross-legged on the bed, back straight so he could breathe deeply. He gave Shirabu a neutral look. “I see. I guess it’s got something to do with that empath nonsense.”</p>
<p>“Sorta.” Shirabu sat on the end of the opposing bed. “I’ll just cut to the point, he wants you to be with me whilst I’m trying to keep the chain from overwhelming everyone. I don’t really know why, I guess it’s because you’re the next—”</p>
<p>“I’m an elemental mage.” Goshiki stated. “I had empathic magic forced upon me. I can’t wield it like I wield elements even if I wanted to. It’s all fucked up.”</p>
<p>Shirabu nodded, slowly. “Okay, and I thought you’d say that.” He sighed. “So then the question is, are you gonna stay here or…” he trailed off momentarily. “Basically I think everyone, and I mean <em>everyone</em> is going to be in the palace. And given the fact Akiteru knows you’re alive and with us, there’ll be no protection here.” He wanted to try and get Goshiki to at least agree to be somewhere safe, even if he wasn’t going to involve himself. “I’ll be in the cellar of the Miya manor throughout all of this with Ennoshita and Semi, I imagine Ukai will be asked to join me just in case—”</p>
<p>“If you’re saying you want me by your side whilst you fuck about with magic that you don’t have much understanding of,” Goshiki scoffed, “then normally I’d say <em>fuck no.</em> However,” he let out a more annoyed sigh. “If the choice is to be with you in the cellar or be alone again, scared for my life, I guess I don’t really have much of a choice.”</p>
<p>Shirabu weakly smiled. “I get it, you feel like I’m twisting your arm but I mean it, you don’t have to do anything. You can sit in the corner and…do whatever. But I just, we don’t want you to get—”</p>
<p>“I get it.” Goshiki snorted, the flicker of a smile passing over his features. “You all sorta put me in danger so now you wanna keep me safe from the lunatic.”</p>
<p>“…essentially yes.”</p>
<p>Goshiki took a moment to mull it over, or at least pretend to. “Fine, I’ll join your camp out in the cellar. But don’t expect me to be any help to your crazy endeavour. I’ll just be there for…moral support I guess.”</p>
<p>“Try not to sound too enthusiastic.” Shirabu wryly remarked.</p>
<p>“Oh don’t worry, there isn’t much enthusiasm.” Goshiki retorted with a coy smile. “The sooner the idiot is in chains, the sooner I can think about fixing whatever’s left of my life.”</p>
<p>Shirabu could’ve made a comment about how nice the south is, but he didn’t. He relocated out of necessity. Goshiki at least had a fighting chance of remaining in a familiar place. He let the silence rest for a few moments, giving Goshiki time to say anything else before he decided he had the answer he needed. As he reached for the door handle, he paused and glanced over his shoulder.</p>
<p>“For what it’s worth,” he said, “I think you’re the perfect example of how strong mages are, going through what you did and still having enough fight left in you to stay alive.”</p>
<p>Goshiki chuckled. “Oh that has nothing to do with being a mage. My mother always said I was a stubborn child, never knew when to back down from a fight.”</p>
<p>Shirabu hummed in amusement, that remark reminded him of a few other people he knew.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0072"><h2>72. Last Minute Thoughts</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>(Important note regarding Update Schedule in End Notes)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>LXXII</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Last Minute Thoughts</strong>
</p>
<p>This felt different to the day before the battle. The day they stood in the wilderness staring down the forces of the northern territories, they knew what they should’ve expected. They knew that it was going to be a battle of brute force, of numbers, of split-second tactic shifts.</p>
<p>This was different. As much as they had spent over a week anticipating that evening’s event, they still didn’t know what exactly they were walking into. There was also the acute awareness that this wasn’t a case of them being able to stand together as one unit, not like their showdown in Kaiganzoimura, not like on that battlefield. No, this was a showdown between two individuals that put the rest of them on the sidelines for. As Akaashi walked through the manor in the early hours of the afternoon, he was aware of the glances, the side-smiles, the pats on the back and reassuring nods.</p>
<p>He appreciated their support, he couldn’t verbalise it exactly, but he did. He hoped they understood his silence was not him ignoring their gestures, that he was simply trying to keep his mind clear of distraction. He found himself watching Bokuto hard at work trying to adapt every individual’s armour to accommodate the guard sash without compromising the efficiency. Bokuto was too focused to be chatty, and Akaashi appreciated the quiet that didn’t feel forced.</p>
<p>Elsewhere in the manor, the floor plans were laid out on the table once more. Daichi was running through the final tweaks and contingency plans with Kuroo and Suga by his side. Iwaizumi and Asahi were taking note of it all even if they weren’t strictly involved. Many of the others were simply making sure all weapons were sharpened and accounted for. All the horses had been prepared just in case a quick escape was needed, Kindaichi and Yaku had been hard at work making sure each had new shoes were prepared to make for the city gates to the south and west. There was even a plan to split the guild if needed and a meeting point established.</p>
<p>As for the mages, Kenma was adamant his plan would work, that the ear cuffs and rings would be enough to keep them connected. Shirabu had the leftover chunk of the purple stone secured in a satchel along with the supplies needed to draw summoning circles, warding runes or even a portal if things got <em>that</em> bad.</p>
<p>And Lev was more than ready to play his part in all of it. The portal hadn’t activated yet, it wouldn’t be activated until Kei was confident that Yachi wasn’t going to be disturbed in her chamber for a considerable amount of time. That didn’t stop Lev sitting next to it just in case it activated early.</p>
<p>Outside, dark clouds were rolling in from the south. Nishinoya and Hinata stood in the walled garden looking up at them in a pensive manner.</p>
<p>“Reckon this is some sort of omen?” Nishinoya asked.</p>
<p>Hinata looked around, they looked threatening enough to be. “Maybe.”</p>
<p>Nishinoya inhaled sharply, closing his eyes for a moment. “It’s not magical in nature, as in, no-one’s summoning them.”</p>
<p>“Good? I think?”</p>
<p>He shrugged. “Seems coincidental, and I don’t like it.”</p>
<p>“Can’t you get rid of them?” Hinata asked.</p>
<p>“Technically yes,” Nishinoya frowned as he kept his gaze trained on the way the clouds moved slowly across the sky, “but part of me thinks if the gods want it to storm, to let it.”</p>
<p>Hinata could understand that, besides that, he knew it required a lot of energy to shift storms and there was no guarantee that they wouldn’t just return later anyway. He let out a hum as he gazed up at the turbulent sky. He didn’t feel a sense of dread over the presence of a storm, so he figured maybe Nishinoya was right in leaving it be.</p>
<p>“Can I ask you something Shoyo?” Nishinoya’s gaze was still trained up at the clouds as Hinata looked to him.</p>
<p>“Sure?”</p>
<p>“Are you really okay with letting Akaashi do all this by himself? Like, you’re the aura mage, the chosen one by Hēishān, the one blessed with all this power.” He listed off. “Akaashi is powerful in his own right, but surely it would make sense for you two to fight alongside each other against someone like Akiteru, right?”</p>
<p>Hinata saw the way Nishinoya’s frown deepened as he finished talking. “I get what you mean,” He replied, directing his gaze back up to the sky, “but I think a lot of us forget that whilst I saved Tobio during that battle by…doing what I did, there wouldn’t have been a Tobio to save if it wasn’t for Akaashi.” He looked back to see Nishinoya looking at him. “Akaashi and I have been fighting side by side a lot longer than we realise. He can do things I can’t, just like I can do things he can’t.” He smiled slightly. “And, well, don’t tell the others, but Tobio has said that if Akaashi needs me, I’m released from my duty. If Akaashi needs me, I’ll be there.”</p>
<p>Nishinoya was silent, regarding Hinata with a sombre smile for a few moments. “Akaashi doesn’t know this, does he?”</p>
<p>“Nope.” Hinata shook his head. “And I’m keeping it that way because if he did know, he wouldn’t be able to do what he needs to do. I don’t know much about empath magic from his side of things, but what I <em>do</em> know tells me that he needs as few distractions as possible. He needs to go all out and not hesitate.”</p>
<p>Nishinoya nodded. “I won’t tell anyone.” He reached out his hand, sparks coming alive. “I promise.”</p>
<p>Hinata reached out his hand, flames bursting forth as Nishinoya took it in a firm handshake. A jolt of energy coursed between them as the elements clashed. It was reminiscent of one of their first few conversations; the handshake that bound mages to an agreement. Back then Hinata had been on the receiving end of a somewhat painful jolt of energy, now it seemed they were on much more even footing.</p>
<p>Nishinoya smiled at the effortless gesture. “Y’know Shoyo, if you had told me the pipsqueak of a fire mage who wandered into our guild a year ago would end up being one of the realm’s most powerful mages…I’d have called you a liar.”</p>
<p>Hinata snorted. “Yeah, well, I didn’t exactly think it would pan out this way either…” He shrugged. “Sometimes I wonder if anything would’ve been different had I just stayed home.”</p>
<p>Nishinoya also shrugged. “Probably. Who’s to say eh? Dwelling on the past won’t do much for our present or future selves anyway. Just focus on the task ahead and deal with the rest later.”</p>
<p>Hinata could appreciate the sentiment, though thinking about what might’ve happened was something he could never truly escape. As much as he <em>could</em> rest a little easier knowing Kuroo and Iwaizumi were alive, that the battle had been won, there were many other loose ends that weren’t so set in stone.</p>
<p>Perhaps after they put a stop to Akiteru’s schemes he’d be able to find time to fully process it all, to meditate on what he had seen and done, what he had prevented and caused in the same brush stroke. Until then, he had to uphold his end of the prophecy the Kirin spoke of. Only two things mattered to him that night; protecting Tobio and helping Akaashi.</p>
<p> </p>
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<p> </p>
<p>Iwaizumi knew Tooru hated balls usually. Despite his reputation for being a slut for gossip - his words, not Iwaizumi’s - and eager to please people, Iwaizumi knew Tooru despised balls. His reasoning was usually a mix of ‘everyone is so fake’ and ‘it’s just hours of drinking and debauchery’. Of course that hadn’t stopped a younger Prince Tooru taking full advantage of the wine offered to him but that was a story only two people knew about, Iwaizumi didn’t dare ask Kunimi if he remembered the occasion. Knowing Kunimi, he remembered and had already started telling the Brotherhood. That was beside the point that day because this wasn’t a normal ball.</p>
<p>The letter from the Miya twins had made it clear that this ball might <em>look</em> like a regular ‘everyone get drunk and be merry’ deal, but it was so much more dangerous. It couldn’t be overstated that a fuck up tonight would spell disaster. That being said, Tooru still wasn’t exactly enamoured with the idea of playing nice with the nobles.</p>
<p>“I want this to be as quick and painless as possible.” Tooru stated to the other two. “I don’t want to give this empire the idea that we’re pushovers, nor that I particularly want to get involved with their politics.”</p>
<p>“Agreed.” Iwaizumi nodded. “We’re here to honour our alliance with House Kageyama, not to fix their problems.”</p>
<p>“Glad we’re on the same page.” Tooru smiled sweetly.</p>
<p>Yamamoto raised his hand. “So, the plan is to drink, spread some gossip and…not get killed?”</p>
<p>Tooru nodded. “Yes, yes it is.”</p>
<p>“I feel like that’s too simple.”</p>
<p>“Well,” Iwaizumi hummed, “we should also state that we support Yachi being empress, that we’re willing to work with her and forge a…friendship.”</p>
<p>Tooru shook his head. “I don’t necessarily want to declare that publicly. Not until I’ve spoken with her once we’ve got Akiteru in chains.” he curtly remarked. “But I can certainly express how I’d be much more <em>cooperative</em> with her than anyone else. That if she stays on Tobio’s good side, she’ll have no immediate challenges from us.”</p>
<p>“We should probably get something written up to make sure the empire doesn’t try to impede Kyoutani’s territory. As far as they know, it’s wilderness.”</p>
<p>Tooru snorted. “I’d love to see them take down that dragon. Or those weird ghost dogs of his.”</p>
<p>Iwaizumi gave him a pointed look. “Weirder things have happened Tooru. And don’t we owe it to Kyoutani?”</p>
<p>As Tooru glanced to Yamamoto for his thoughts, he shrugged. “I mean, Hajime’s got a point, Kyoutani did save our asses <em>and</em> had the grace not to challenge you for the throne even though he had the right to.”</p>
<p>Tooru scoffed. “Fine. I’m sure there’ll be time to negotiate such things after tonight is successful. Speaking of which,” he paused for a moment, “I gather Shirabu is playing some larger part with the mages.”</p>
<p>Iwaizumi nodded. “He is.”</p>
<p>“And I gather…he’s grown a little close to one of the Brotherhood’s latest additions.” A small coy smile spread across his face. “I <em>overheard</em> something.”</p>
<p>Iwaizumi rolled his eyes. “Oh <em>great</em>. Get to your point.”</p>
<p>“All I’m saying, is maybe we’ll be getting a visitor once this is all over.”</p>
<p>If Tooru knew something they didn’t, he wasn’t going to say it. Iwaizumi honestly wasn’t surprised that Shirabu had begun to make friends with the guild, he had been dragged into their shenanigans enough times by now. Though the implication Tooru was making sounded far too far-fetched if he was talking about the person Iwaizumi <em>thought</em> he was talking about.</p>
<p>“Focusing on the actual task at hand,” Iwaizumi steered the conversation back, “did you have anything else to discuss?”</p>
<p>Tooru shook his head. “I will go and talk to Tobio, see if he requires anything and the like.”</p>
<p>“Very well.”</p>
<p>Seeing the conversation was over, Tooru nodded in parting before striding out the door. Iwaizumi sighed heavily as he folded his arms across his chest. “Tora.”</p>
<p>“Hm?”</p>
<p>“Keep close to us tonight. As boring as it is to follow Tooru around a ballroom, I don’t trust anyone up here not to try and pull a fast one.” He stated. “I’m gonna need your eyes and ears to keep him safe.”</p>
<p>Yamamoto let out a low hum. “Sure thing. We treating this like someone’s threatened to assassinate him?”</p>
<p>Iwaizumi nodded. “Without a clear heir to the throne in the south, his death would cause chaos and chaos is exactly what the empire uses to seize power. So,” he paced over and set his hand on Yamamoto’s shoulder, “if you could, guard his life with your own. Don’t let anyone touch him, don’t let anyone offer him drinks without one of us tasting them. And above all else, if Kunimi tells you to get Tooru out of there, you do it.”</p>
<p>“Kunimi?” Yamamoto was a little lost. The rest of the order made sense, but Kunimi’s name prompted confusion.</p>
<p>“I’m confident that if he hears any murmurings of an attempt to kill Tooru, he’ll alert us. He may not be of our staff anymore, but he does have some loyalty left.”</p>
<p>Yamamoto wanted to ask how Iwaizumi reckoned that but decided against it. He nodded along, bringing his closed fist up to his chest. “Of course, I’ll protect Tooru with my life.”</p>
<p>Iwaizumi squeezed his shoulder, a faint smile on his face. “Thank you.”</p>
<p> </p>
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<p> </p>
<p>“So that’s that, does everyone understand the plan?” Daichi asked, setting his hands on his hips as he glanced around those gathered. The daylight was starting to wane, the sun already sinking lower in the sky. They had precious few hours left to weed out any hitches in the plan. He had called the entire Brotherhood together to run through the breakdown of numbers, the key positions, the warning signs they had to look out for and hear out any last-minute suggestions. Everyone had listened intently to his patient and thorough explanation, not one interruption had been made.</p>
<p>“Essentially it’s a case of hide in plain sight.” Kuroo added. “Of course, some of us may be recognised but we’re hoping that the general excitement of the ball will make us the least interesting people there.”</p>
<p>There were glances around the group. The floor plans lay on the dining table with various markers indicating points of interest. There was still a lot they didn’t know, like if there were going to be any restricted areas, if the guards would be more vigilant about letting strangers wander around. Tanaka was the first to speak.</p>
<p>“So, given we’re masquerading as guards, I’m assuming we need to keep weapons as low-key as possible?”</p>
<p>Daichi nodded. “I’d try your best to. Daggers and standard swords would be ideal,” he glanced to Suga, “do you have a blade? I heard your knife got—”</p>
<p>“I do.” Suga answered evenly. “It’s new so it should be as sharp as can be.”</p>
<p>Daichi didn’t miss the glance between Suga and Kiyoko at the latter remark. “Good. As for everyone else, Bokuto’s been hard at work making sure everyone, has one of the guard sashes incorporated. I know they’re a bit garish but—”</p>
<p>“Garish.” Yaku snorted. “Bright purple. Not exactly subtle.”</p>
<p>Kuroo chuckled slightly. “I mean, guards aren’t known for their stealth jobs. Just be thankful that we didn’t have to figure out how to make entire sets of ridiculously embellished plate armour.”</p>
<p>Bokuto groaned at the idea of such a task, Yaku merely chuckled in response. “I think I’d rather put a hole in the roof of the palace and sneak in if that were the case.”</p>
<p>Daichi appreciated the light-hearted conversation but he did need to confirm this was the plan they were going with. Given the fact no-one had immediately objected to it, he sensed it was fine. Of course he half expected the plan to be thrown aside at the first sign of trouble. And that’s precisely why they had their escape plan.</p>
<p>“Kindaichi,” he broke the flow of the back and forth, “the horses are ready, correct?”</p>
<p>Kindaichi nodded quickly. “All four of ours and the ones loaned by House Kageyama. I can have them all saddled up and moved across the city in time for any escape needed.”</p>
<p>Daichi and Kuroo both nodded in approval. Obviously everyone hoped that such a measure wouldn’t need to be taken but give how volatile the situation was, they couldn’t leave anything up to chance. After fielding a few more questions, it was concluded that everyone knew what role to play, what their priorities were and most importantly, what to do if it all went horribly wrong.</p>
<p>“Under no circumstances is anyone to antagonise the actual guards.” Daichi warned as the meeting ended. “They might say some nasty shit about the south, they might show they side with Akiteru, but only lash out if they make the first move. Is that clear?”</p>
<p>He was met with nods and numerous replies of ‘yes Daichi’. He let out a sigh, not quite in relief but many would take it that way. He dismissed them with a wave. There was still work to be done. Kuroo lingered by his side as the others filtered out, remaining silent until the door closed behind the last person to leave.</p>
<p>“You know,” he murmured, knocking his knuckles against the wooden table, “if we somehow pull this off, I’m expecting some sort of formal thanks from at least one of these royals.”</p>
<p>Daichi snorted. “Would you like a knighthood too?”</p>
<p>Kuroo made a face of disgust. “Ew, no, I’d have to hang around a palace all day.”</p>
<p>“And lemme guess, you’d much rather be by the coast with Keiji?” Daichi gave him a knowing smile.</p>
<p>“Why it’s like you know me so well.” Kuroo returned the smile, a smile that quickly faded as he dwelt on a different thought. “Y’know, apparently Keiji’s been on Akiteru’s hit list for longer than…well longer than we thought.”</p>
<p>Daichi quirked an eyebrow, smile fading slightly. “Yeah?”</p>
<p>“When Suga got kidnapped, apparently the order was to get Keiji.” Kuroo murmured. “Chikara told me last night, he saw the bounty Akiteru had out for him but didn’t really pay much attention at the time. Until Moniwa told him the full story of how we got here…then it seemed to make some sort of sense to him.”</p>
<p>Daichi folded his arms across his chest, considering the new information. “So this is really a personal vendetta? Or rather, a personal vendetta that’s fed into whatever political aspirations he has.”</p>
<p>“Yeah,” Kuroo sighed, “and Keiji is still determined to be…to take on Akiteru alone. He said he won’t be alone in the room but I really don’t see who—”</p>
<p>“I’m sure he’s got it handled.” Daichi reached out and put a hand on Kuroo’s shoulder. “I know a few days ago I was saying the opposite but, well, the closer we’re getting to the final hour, the more I’m starting to just trust in his own assessment of the situation and the god’s goodwill.” He squeezed Kuroo’s shoulder. “Not like I can convince him otherwise. Besides, I don’t entirely believe Hinata is going to keep himself from getting involved, do you?”</p>
<p>Kuroo had to smile a little. He hadn’t really heard first-hand what Hinata’s thoughts were, but he gathered he wasn’t able to or wasn’t prepared to get involved. Akaashi sure as hell hadn’t said anything. Though maybe having a quick word would provide Kuroo some comfort.</p>
<p>“True.” He hummed. “Well, can’t stand around talking, we have shit to do. And I’m pretty sure you need to brief two kings.” He wryly smiled.</p>
<p>Daichi rolled his eyes. “Dunno about you wanting an official thanks after all this, I want a plaque telling everyone how I’ve basically had to teach those two how to play nice over the last year.”</p>
<p>Kuroo laughed. “I’m sure one of them could oblige.”</p>
<p>“They better.” Daichi half-heartedly muttered, releasing Kuroo’s shoulder.</p>
<p>Deciding there was no time like the present, Kuroo sought out Hinata. It wasn’t that he doubted Akaashi or anyone’s judgement to not have Hinata play a role, but he wanted to know for himself why the most powerful mage in their company wasn’t getting involved. He found Hinata sat outside, the storm clouds had broken up enough to let the sun shine for brief periods but now they were swirling together once more and casting a dark, miserable feeling over the city. Hinata didn’t seem displeased by this, but he wasn’t exactly smiling either.</p>
<p>“Hey,” he greeted as he let the door close behind him, “you busy?”</p>
<p>Hinata shook his head. “No, just watching.” He glanced over. “What do you need?”</p>
<p>Kuroo wasn’t sure how to broach the subject gently so he figured just being blunt would get this conversation moving along quicker. “I heard that you’re not getting involved in taking down Akiteru, is there a particular reason?”</p>
<p>Hinata took a sharp intake of breath. “Well,” he exhaled, a hand coming up to pat his chest near enough where his runestone was still hanging despite the tattoos, “it’s complicated.”</p>
<p>“Is it really.” Kuroo remarked, moving to sit on the grass next to Hinata. “I’m guessing it’s to do with you being a part of House Kageyama?”</p>
<p>Hinata shrugged slightly. “Part of it,” he looked to Kuroo with more purpose, almost like he was searching for the reason behind this conversation, “but it’s also…like, in simple terms I can’t take the chance of putting myself in harm’s way.”</p>
<p>“Because of your powers.” Kuroo nodded. “Makes sense.”</p>
<p>“But I want to help.” Hinata’s voice lowered to a murmur. “Akaashi is…he’s strong but, I don’t want him to feel he and he alone has to do it.”</p>
<p>“That’s just how he is I’m afraid.” Kuroo chuckled, resting his arms on his knees. “Feels like he has to right all the wrongs in the world because he’s capable of doing so.”</p>
<p>Hinata knew that feeling. He couldn’t say it in detail of course, but as he and Kuroo sat there quietly he was reminded of why he strove so much to put himself through the ordeal he did. Sure he hadn’t been totally alone in the preparation but it had only been him in that volcano, it had only been him who could summon Hēishān. He could understand both Akaashi’s determination to succeed alone and the pull of everyone else to intervene. It felt like if he went back on his word, if he suddenly turned around and said that actually he could help take on Akiteru, he was being a hypocrite.</p>
<p>Kuroo didn’t seem in a hurry to make any further point, merely watching the swirling clouds in silence.</p>
<p>“If you were in my position,” Hinata broke the silence, “would you interfere?”</p>
<p>Kuroo quirked an eyebrow. “Possibly.” He met Hinata’s gaze once again. “Depends what I’d agreed with Tobio, depends how much of the bigger picture I was concerned about. I guess, if Akaashi told me in no uncertain terms that he was capable of handling it—”</p>
<p>“He’s…” Hinata began but stopped himself to rethink his phrasing. “He’s aware of the risks. Of how dangerous it is.”</p>
<p>Kuroo nodded. “Yep. He is. He knows he could…” he trailed off, letting out a shaky breath. “He and I both know it won’t be smooth sailing for a while. If what Ennoshita told me is true, Akiteru is really gonna try and…” another shaky breath. “Yeah.”</p>
<p>“What…Ennoshita said?” Hinata tilted his head.</p>
<p>Kuroo realised what he had said, regretting bringing it up now as Hinata waited for his reply. “Yeah, according to him, when Tendou, the guy who liked Suguru’s attitude, kidnapped Suga just before the battle, apparently Suga wasn’t the original target. Keiji was.” He sighed. “There was a big bounty. Akiteru wanted him alive, gods only know what for.”</p>
<p>Hinata’s brow furrowed. He remembered being told about this kidnapping in the aftermath of the battle but didn’t think much of it. Suga had been saved by Kiyoko and Tanaka’s efforts to rally the Wolves of the Waves and that was the end of it. If Ennoshita was telling the truth, that meant Akiteru knew about the Brotherhood for a while, that he wanted Akaashi for a lot longer than they figured. Hinata had always been under the impression Kei was the one with a problem, not that it went further afield.</p>
<p>“So…Akiteru really hates Akaashi?”</p>
<p>“Looks and feels like it.” Kuroo forced a smile, trying to keep the mood light. “I can think of a few reasons but…most of it is speculation. Unless Kei has any insight that he decides to mention, I don’t think we’ll find out before tonight.”</p>
<p>He knew full well Kuroo wasn’t into guilt-tripping people. However, now knowing this small piece of information, Hinata felt that he almost <em>had</em> to interfere with Akaashi’s plan. Part of him wondered if Akaashi had been a target in the previous timeline, if Akiteru would’ve still seen him as a threat after the original battle, if Akaashi unhinging would’ve changed anything.</p>
<p>He shook himself out of that train of thought. He had to focus on this time. He had to focus on what was real <em>now </em>and not a tragic memory. He could help fix this mess, a mess he hadn’t created but a mess he had aggravated in a way. He had no reason not get involved to at this point. Tobio had granted him leave from his duty, Akaashi himself had previously asked him to help, the Kirin had specifically told him that without him, Akaashi would fail.</p>
<p>He just needed to figure out <em>how</em> he could help.</p>
<p>“I see.” He murmured.</p>
<p>Kuroo shrugged. “I have faith in Keiji to come out on top. He’s been to hell and back with all the memory reading but he’s stronger than he realises.” Kuroo’s smile was more genuine as he glanced back to the sky. “Though after this I’m definitely making him take some time to rest.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, he deserves it.” Hinata remarked. “We all do.”</p>
<p>“Maybe we’ll be able to relax for more than two weeks before the next crazy adventure kicks off.” Kuroo chuckled, looking back at Hinata, “reckon you can go a few weeks without causing some chaos?”</p>
<p>“Me?!”</p>
<p>“Yes you, Mr ‘I summoned a dragon but it’s no big deal’, or ‘yeah I threw myself into a volcano one time’.” Kuroo nudged him in the side. “Don’t think the rest of us have forgotten about your shenanigans.”</p>
<p>Hinata pouted. “At least I didn’t steal a boat and get so drunk that—”</p>
<p>“Hey now that is <em>not</em> an apples to apples comparison!” Kuroo feigned offence. “And I was younger, stupider. And that didn’t exactly impact the entire freaking realm!”</p>
<p>Hinata laughed. “Oh I dunno,” he rubbed his chin in thought, “I heard something from Bokuto about a legend on that part of the coast surrounding a banshee hollering into the night just off the shore.”</p>
<p>“That’s a <em>siren</em> you’re describing and, wait— Bo said <em>what</em>?”</p>
<p>Hinata just laughed harder. He had missed these more candid conversations with those in the guild. Everything had been so serious and focused on them not dying lately. As Kuroo shook his head in mild dismay at the idea of Bokuto spreading false rumours, he stood up and looked back at Hinata.</p>
<p>“I don’t know how this is gonna play out, but I have faith our dumb luck will carry us through this.” He shoved his hands into his pockets, glancing up at the sky, “we’ve weathered worse storms.”</p>
<p>“Hopefully this will be the last? At least for now?”</p>
<p>Kuroo smiled. “Let’s hope yeah?”</p>
<p>With that, he nodded in parting and made for the door into the manor, leaving Hinata to mull over everything. Hinata could understand Kuroo’s conflicted feelings; he wanted to support Akaashi’s desires but he also worried for what the end result would be. It was a natural reaction. Wanting to help wasn’t a crime, but even the best of intentions needed to be weighed against the risks. Kuroo was known for being reckless, but recent events had curbed that trait slightly, now it was almost relieving that he wasn’t charging off to demand he be allowed to be involved. Though as Hinata understood it, Kuroo didn’t have a history with Akiteru like he had with Suguru, so maybe it was easier to distance himself from it all.</p>
<p>Hinata didn’t have a history with Akiteru either, but higher powers seemed to think he was more critical to Akaashi’s success than he wanted to be. He brought his hand up to rest against his chest, as fabric brushed against the still sore and healing tattoos he winced a little at the discomfort. He hoped they wouldn’t bother him too much that evening, the last thing he needed was to be distracted by them. Though as he mulled over this fact, he wondered if now having them meant that he would feel more at ease wearing one of Kenma’s ear cuffs. Now with this extra layer of protection for himself and the others, he should in theory be able to keep himself from overwhelming the others.</p>
<p>With one last glance at the stormy sky, he got up and made a beeline for the upper floor of the manor. For the first time since all the planning started, the door at the end of the hallway was open and he could see the other mages gathered in there with Lev. As he reached the door, Kenma looked up and met his gaze.</p>
<p>“Ah Shoyo.” He smiled. “Everything okay?”</p>
<p>Hinata glanced around and saw the second portal was propped up against some boxes, held in place by stacks of books on two of the corners of the parchment. It wasn’t active yet, but that didn’t stop Lev sitting in front of it waiting for the swirling mists to appear. Inuoka was telling Nishinoya how to activate it should he have to leave for the ball before Kei ‘got his shit together’. Shirabu was sat on the floor, back resting against the wall and appeared to be meditating, or maybe just resting his eyes.</p>
<p>“Uh, actually I came to ask about the ear cuffs.” He replied to Kenma’s question. “And if I could wear one?”</p>
<p>Kenma raised an eyebrow. “You can, sure.” He didn’t seem to want to question Hinata’s change of heart, at least not in front of the others. “All I’ll say is that we won’t be channelling elements through them, just thoughts.”</p>
<p>“Sure, makes sense.” Hinata nodded, watching as Kenma offered the single ear cuff to him.</p>
<p>“It’s merely because Shirabu won’t be able to handle both thoughts <em>and</em> elements without a ritual circle and I’m not sure how happy the twins would be about that.” He snorted. “Plus hopefully we’ll have no need to send elements.”</p>
<p>“Hopefully.” Hinata echoed, holding the trinket in his hand. “Anything else?”</p>
<p>Kenma glanced back at the others who seemed unaware of the conversation. “There is a slight…danger that if any of us get too close to the throne room and Akaashi, that we may pick up stray remnants of whatever is happening in there.” He kept his voice even. “So, if you end up near there, you might want to take it off. Shirabu isn’t an empath mage so I don’t know what would happen if…”</p>
<p>Hinata read between the lines. Kenma fully expected him to end up there one way or another and he was aware of how volatile that situation could become, how dangerous it could be for someone like Shirabu to be subjected to all of that. He nodded. “Got it.”</p>
<p>Another short smile. “Now it’s just waiting around for sundown.” Kenma sighed. “And that portal to activate so we can toss Lev through.”</p>
<p>“And you’ll be going to get Yachi right?”</p>
<p>“Yes, well, that’s the plan. At least Nishinoya and I can ascertain how much Akiteru has influenced her. From there it sort of depends on what she wants to do. We could easily get her out of the palace if we need to but I’m not ruling out her wanting to make a public declaration of sorts.”</p>
<p>Hinata nodded along. It sounded complicated, he never really liked politics and only paid attention to the stuff Tobio vented to him about really. He supposed he would inevitably learn more as time went on but today was not the day for that. Kenma turned his attention back to the portal, Inuoka had finished explaining everything to Nishinoya and stepped away, essentially doing one last check before he had to take his leave and begin his own preparations for the ball. Hinata waited by the door as Inuoka picked up a set of the ear cuffs and a ring on his way past.</p>
<p>“Well, I need to go and see how Tobio’s doing and no doubt be given some instructions.” Inuoka said, glancing around at the trio left in the room, Shirabu opened his eyes slowly and looked up at him from the floor. “If I don’t see you before we leave, good luck.” He smiled, looking to Hinata. “You coming with?”</p>
<p>Hinata nodded, looking back once more to the others. “I-uh, good luck!”</p>
<p>Nishinoya gave him a thumbs up and a grin. Shirabu nodded, offering a small smile. Lev turned his head to meet Hinata’s gaze and let out a short growl that he interpreted as a sound of support. Kenma reached out and put a hand on his shoulder, before pulling him into an abrupt hug.</p>
<p>“This could get ugly,” he whispered to Hinata, “remember that just as Akaashi isn’t alone in this, neither are you.” He pulled back and gave Hinata another smile, this one was more reassuring but there was a glimmer of sombreness in his gaze. “Together we persevere through the darkness.”</p>
<p>Hinata nodded. “Same goes to you,” he whispered back, “don’t forget that you’re smarter than most people. Oh and I wouldn’t be anywhere close to the mage I am now if it weren’t for you.”</p>
<p>Kenma cuffed the back of his head playfully. “Don’t get all sentimental on me Shoyo, you’ll make me sob like a baby.”</p>
<p>Hinata laughed, accepting the rough affection. “Good luck Kenma. Get Yachi out of Akiteru’s grasp.”</p>
<p>“I intend to, now you get going and be where you need to be.” Kenma released him and gestured to the doorway where Inuoka was patiently waiting. With a final glance and a nod in parting, Hinata turned and fell in step with Inuoka.</p>
<p>There was a heaviness in his chest, but it wasn’t sombre, it was the weight of expectation. The weight of the situation they were facing was making itself known more and more as the hours ticked by. Inuoka didn’t say anything as he led Hinata to Yamaguchi’s room. Inside, Tobio was sat on one of the beds, Yamaguchi next to him and Asahi stood leaning against one of the walls. At their arrival, Tobio looked up and gave them both a short nod before going back to listening to what Yamaguchi was saying.</p>
<p>“So obviously, if the nobles from the court know Hinata is a wanted criminal, what are we going to do about having him accompany you? The twins said—”</p>
<p>“I don’t care what the twins said.” Tobio curtly replied as he extended his hand to Hinata to encourage the other to sit on his other side. “Shoyo is my consort, therefore an invitation for me and my entourage is an invitation for him. And if anyone wants to argue about it, they can, by all means, prompt a war over it.”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi looked past Tobio to Hinata as if to plead him to talk some sense into the other. Hinata linked his fingers with Tobio’s and waited for him to glance his way. “Y’know, I’ve heard murmurs from the others that the guards don’t <em>really</em> care about me and Ukai breaking out of the dungeons. Like, Akiteru will just use it for leverage against Yachi? Arresting me was never about…<em>arresting me</em>, y’know? It was about,” he wanted to choose his words carefully, “causing tension.”</p>
<p>Tobio nodded along. “Right. So you’re saying you agree, that I should have you on my arm tonight?”</p>
<p>The wording as a little peculiar but Hinata nodded. “Besides, everyone saw us at the first ball, so they’d find it more weird if I <em>wasn</em><em>’t</em> with you.”</p>
<p>Inuoka nodded in agreement. “I have to side with Shoyo here, and given that our role in this is to make everyone think Akiteru is the batshit crazy one, it’s almost a perfect catalyst. People might question how Hinata got pardoned and we could spin it like ‘Yachi pardoned him’. And make Akiteru look like a fool.”</p>
<p>“Considering Yachi did promise to rip up whatever treaty we ask her to.” Asahi chipped in. “It’s not exactly stretching the truth, just…pre-empting it.”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi wasn’t entirely convinced it wouldn’t backfire, but he could see the point they were making. “Alright.” He nodded slowly. “So, are you going to <em>really</em> make a show of him?”</p>
<p>Tobio quirked an eyebrow. “As in?”</p>
<p>“The jacket of Yukio, the ring of your mother, the circlet you had made <em>for </em>Shoyo,” Yamaguchi listed off, “got anything else you want to slap on to make it more obvious?” He wryly smiled.</p>
<p>Tobio snorted, squeezing Hinata’s hand. “No, but combining all of them…” he smiled at Hinata. A soft, calm smile that Hinata couldn’t help but mirror. “And maybe we’ll dance again.”</p>
<p>“Oh gods help us.” Inuoka joked. “You caused enough chatter last time. I was stood near some serving girls who were all starry-eyed and swooning.”</p>
<p>There was a shared laugh before Yamaguchi brought the conversation back to the important matter. A loose plan was concocted, it was less of a step by step plan and more of a ‘things to bear in mind’. As much as this was going to be an intense night, they did have to keep up appearances, which would mean mingling with nobles, entertaining their dumb questions about the south and so on. There was the notion that the guests that night would be slightly different to the usual ones; the kings and queens who used to rule individual kingdoms had been invited, as much as they didn’t officially rule anymore, they were still respected by their people as leaders even if orders came from higher up. That meant they held some sway in the courts, not necessarily enough to stage a coup or anything rebellious like that, but enough to ask questions, to prompt thought from those who did hold such power.</p>
<p>“So, mingle and talk badly about Akiteru.” Hinata summarised.</p>
<p>“Not explicitly.” Yamaguchi said. “You have to be more tactful, think of how Tooru’s nobles are. Underhand remarks, veiled insults. Just drop small pieces of information.” He looked to Tobio. “You understand, don’t you?”</p>
<p>“Unfortunately, yes.” Tobio rolled his eyes. “Be all ‘yes the empire is great’ but make remarks about how free the south is, how we get things done quickly and so on.”</p>
<p>“But you also need to voice support to Yachi.”</p>
<p>“But we don’t know her.” Hinata tilted his head. “I get she’s the ‘rightful’ heir but…” he trailed off. “I mean, I haven’t met her apart from those two court sessions.”</p>
<p>Tobio nodded. “From my limited talks with her, she seems young and confused, but I can’t say I was much better two years ago when I claimed my throne. And I know it seems unorthodox, supporting a leader we don’t know much about, but think about it this way; if she’s not on that throne when we leave and Akiteru <em>is</em>, we’re going to be facing another Battle of the Dynasty.” He sighed slightly, squeezing Hinata’s hand again as he met Hinata’s gaze. “Our priority, for our people’s sake, is to make sure we avoid another war.”</p>
<p>Hearing Tobio refer to the kingdom’s residents as ‘their people’ gave him a strange feeling. The subtle implication made his heart flutter slightly. He was just as part of House Kageyama as the others in the room, he was Tobio’s partner. Thus, his actions would not just affect him and those immediately around him, they would shape the future of the kingdom as a whole. It was a lot to process in a short span of time.</p>
<p>“Agreed.” Asahi stated. “Akiteru is bad news and we don’t need to give him or any of his allies a foothold. We need to make sure the empire’s nobles know that the south supports their current empress. That as long as she’s on that throne, we won’t have an issue with them. Even if we haven’t totally agreed she’s capable at the moment.” He paused. “After all, she seems like the type who’d grow into the role given half a chance.”</p>
<p>Hinata was hearing their points loud and clear. This was the other side of that night’s battle, the more subtle but long-lasting side. Taking Akiteru out of the picture would only do so much, they had to be sure they were leaving the empire in safe hands.</p>
<p>“So, everyone is in agreement and knows what is expected of them?” Tobio asked, looking around at his four companions. He got four nods in return. He smiled. “Then let us pray the ancestors grant us the strength and wisdom to make the right choices tonight, to leave our mark on this empire and show them why we’ve never been conquered; because we’re too damn stubborn to go quietly into the night.”</p>
<p>It sounded like a battle speech he would’ve made before the Battle of the Dynasty, the reality was this was just as much of a battle as that was. After years of House Kageyama lurking in the shadows, Tobio felt he was ready to bring his fiery determination to the public eye once more. He had won on the battlefield, now he was going to win in the noble courts. The empire was going to be reminded why they left his kingdom alone in the first place.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So, I'll be real with ya, the climax (finally) starts next chapter and uh, it's long as fuck so it's split across <b> seven </b> chapters. <br/>So here's the deal; from Monday 26th - Sunday 1st there'll be <b> daily </b> updates. I'm doing this mainly because I don't want to leave y'all hanging too much, 'cause let's be real, this is gonna be chaotic as fuck :'D</p>
<p>The normal 3-day  update schedule will resume following chapter #79. ✌</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0073"><h2>73. The Bonds Of Brotherhood</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Reminder: There will be daily update this week as we're finally at the climax of the story!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>LXXIII</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>The Bonds Of Brotherhood</strong>
</p>
<p>Pale orange light bathed the parlour in warmth, the sun had broken through the swirling storm clouds as it set. It felt crammed to the brim, all sixteen members of the Brotherhood, both royal entourages and their three additional allies were all present. There was barely a clear spot of floorspace to step between them. Everyone was dressed in their respective armour, the embers in the fireplace reflecting off chainmail, plating and circlets alike. The red phoenix and orange dragon stood out proudly against silver. The bright purple sashes of the empire’s guards had been expertly incorporated into the leathers and chainmail of the Brotherhood, an exercise in hiding in plain sight was their chosen method of attack that night.</p>
<p>The feeling in the air was heavy but oddly calm. Everyone had made peace with the risks. Everyone knew what was expected of them, what role they’d play in the upcoming hours. It wasn’t a foreign sensation for many, just one month previously they had faced a similar feeling. The muddy fields of the wilderness had stretched into the fog and hidden their foe from sight. Tonight, their foe was also shrouded in mystery but of a very different kind.</p>
<p>Daichi had been mulling over how to address any of this, in many ways it wasn’t necessary. Speeches had been made before, words of encouragement had been spoken between them. Yet as he stood in the doorway, he felt the expectation on him to say <em>something</em>. He had mulled over what made this different, what made this more personal to them. They had been scorned by Kei’s involvement, they had offered shelter to a victim of Akiteru’s handiwork, Akaashi was the one target Akiteru cared about above all else it seemed.</p>
<p>That’s what made it personal; Akiteru had threatened one of their own, had been involved in the attempted kidnapping of another, had taunted them into making many moves against him. And that was without considering what he had done to both southern kingdoms.</p>
<p>He was a threat to the realm as a whole, but he had directly challenged the Brotherhood. And whilst many strides had been taken to move away from their criminal past, one thing had remained and thrived throughout everything. The bonds of brotherhood held fast, regardless of which side of the law they operated, it was the thread connecting them all.</p>
<p>He cleared his throat, breaking off the murmur of conversation. His heart was thundering in his chest as eyes turned to look to him for his words of wisdom, for his rallying call to arms.</p>
<p>“I guess you’re expecting me to make a long speech worthy of the bard tales.” He smiled, clasping his hands behind his back. “And most of you would know that’s not my style. And I did already make a speech like that a month ago to some of you.”</p>
<p>His remark got a few smiles and slight chuckles. The crackling of the fire filled the silence as he cast his gaze around his companions. He could easily defer to one of the kings, tell them to make a speech but he had led these friends of his from the beginning. He had created the Brotherhood with Kuroo. He had a duty to them to be the one to send them into danger, to ask them to follow his lead one more time.</p>
<p>“But I will say is this: we come from different walks of life, some of us have been criminals from the get-go, others just simple farmhands and stable-boys. Some of us have royal blood, some of us have sworn oaths and some have broken them.” He paused. “But I prefer to look at what makes us similar, not what makes us different. I look around this room, I see a group of people, barely old enough to be considered adults,” he glanced to Ukai, “well, most of us.”</p>
<p>There was more quiet laughter as Ukai snorted and shook his head.</p>
<p>“I see a group of people who have been through hell,” Daichi continued, adopting a softer tone, “we’ve seen battlefields, we’ve seen dragons, both alive and dead, we’ve seen the destructive forces of magic at play.” He paused for a moment, glancing around. “But we’ve seen so much more. We’ve seen what happens when kings forgive each other and forge alliances to stand against a common threat. We’ve seen magic be used for good, to better the lives of those around them. We’ve fought both against and with one another, we’ve forgiven each other for mistakes of the past, we’ve grown as a family.”</p>
<p>There were a few moments of silence as his words resonated amongst them. Daichi had to keep himself from tearing up as he looked to Kuroo and received a nod of approval and agreement rolled into one.</p>
<p>“We all know the saying of the Brotherhood,” Daichi turned his attention back to those gathered, “Through the shadows we persevere. It’s short but sweet, but there’s a bit more to it than that line. I always thought the extended version was a little…over the top for a group of thieves and murderers.” He weakly laughed. “But over the last year, as we’ve tackled bigger and stronger foes, found ourselves cornered time and time again. I’ve thought about it a bit more and it feels more fitting by the day.”</p>
<p>He looked to Kuroo again. “Do you remember the words we wrote on the wall of the old guild before we covered it up with trophies and old contracts?”</p>
<p>Kuroo nodded, not moving from where he was leaning against the doorframe. “You bet I do; ‘<em>Through the shadows we persevere, to the light beyond the darkness. We do not fear the end, for we have seen it all before. So when death comes for us all, we shall meet it with our swords</em><em>…</em>”</p>
<p>There was a pause as Daichi held Kuroo’s gaze. The last line spoken together like the end of a sacred chant. “’<em>For we are the Brotherhood, together we rise and together we</em><em>’ll fall.</em>’”</p>
<p>There was another pause as Kuroo smiled and decided to step forth to pick up where Daichi left off. “We wrote those words in jest mostly, a thought of what our little ragtag bunch of misfits and maniacs could become if we had more honour and less murderous tendencies.” He scanned the room for reactions; most were giving him and Daichi mystified looks of awe and adoration. “I guess sometime between then and now, we’ve grown into it.” He said before chuckling. “Still sounds over the top as fuck though.”</p>
<p>“No it doesn’t.” A voice spoke up. Hinata had stood up from where had been sat next to Tobio. He met Kuroo’s gaze with bright eyes, fists balled by his sides. “If anything, it fits us perfectly.”</p>
<p>“Does it really?” Kuroo gave an amused hum, he wasn’t surprised that Hinata was the one to speak up.</p>
<p>“It’s like you said earlier,” Hinata retorted, “we’ve weathered storms together. We tout our bonds of brotherhood as a factor in our success. It’s going to matter tonight more than ever.”</p>
<p>Tobio was giving Hinata curious glance. “The Kirin.” He murmured.</p>
<p>Hinata nodded. “The Kirin showed me a vision, sort of. She said, we have to flock like crows.” He gestured to the room. “Everyone here has a part to play, no matter how small they think it is. Hēishān told me the same thing before the battle,” he pointed at Tooru. “Your father said something similar about you and Tobio. Don’t you all see it?”</p>
<p>Tooru hesitated for a moment before nodding. “The Phoenix and Dragon rise together, or not at all…”</p>
<p>As Tooru trailed of, Nishinoya got to his feet with a grin on his face. “We threw everything we had at that battle, we gotta do it all over again now. Together.”</p>
<p>Daichi couldn’t help the smile on his face as there were calls of agreement from everyone, nods and even the pounding of chests from a few individuals. The heavy feeling in the room was lifting as calls of unity were banded around. As much as he appreciated the energy, he still had one final thing to say. He cleared his throat once more to summon their attention.</p>
<p>“So, as we enter that palace to put an end to the danger that is Akiteru, remember to look out for one another, that we’re a team here tonight.” He looked to Akaashi pointedly, “And Keiji, no matter what he tells you, what he tries to make you believe; you are our brother. You are loved. Don’t believe anything else.”</p>
<p>Akaashi’s cheeks flushed red as Bokuto threw his arms around him and gave him a bear hug. There was nothing more to say, nothing else <em>needed</em> to be said. Daichi could carry on talking but really they all knew that words couldn’t convey the true depth of the bonds they had. Akaashi wasn’t getting let out of the bear hug anytime soon even if time wasn’t plentiful. With the sun setting, they needed to begin moving across the city.</p>
<p>Moving in one big group was asking for trouble, so Daichi had already outlined an order of departure. Those like Ukai, Goshiki and Ennoshita who weren’t involving themselves in the infiltration were going to be with Shirabu in the Miya manor cellar. It was the next safest place in the city. Kindaichi was going to be gradually moving the horses from the stables to the small yard of the blacksmith shop Bokuto had been working at, just so they were close to hand without being obvious.</p>
<p>As Daichi watched the first group leave, he had mixed feelings. Gradually, the manor emptied until only Daichi himself remained waiting on Nishinoya with Kenma. They had been holding out on the portal to activate but they couldn’t wait much longer. Both royal entourages had left by carriage and time was catching up with them.</p>
<p>Lev stared at the parchment. Daichi watched as the purple wisps began to swirl around the lion, willing the portal to come alive with smoke. Kenma was starting to doubt his decision to trust Kei when the smoke appeared. It parted quickly to show the ornate wooden panelling and purple drapes of the Empress’ quarters. Kei looked rattled as he took in the sight of the four of them before he moved out of the way for Yachi to observe. As she saw Lev, she relaxed a little, though she still seemed visibly confused and troubled.</p>
<p>Daichi could see what the others had said about her youthful look. The fleeting glance he got at the ball hadn’t given him much to go on but now he was seeing her with his own eyes; the short, slim girl who really didn’t seem the same age as Tobio, he understood how easily Akiteru had manipulated her.</p>
<p>“Your Imperial Majesty,” Kenma nodded, breaking the silence, “I apologise for how ridiculous this evening is about to become, but we wouldn’t be doing it if we didn’t think it was necessary.”</p>
<p>Yachi nodded, clasping her hands in front of her lilac robes. She didn’t seem fearful, just confused. Who knew what Kei had told her before now, but they really didn’t have time for explanations. Lev took his cue, standing up on all fours and sniffing around the edge of the portal. The black inked lines pulsed purple as he put his right front paw forward and through the invisible barrier. Nishinoya watched the portal carefully for any signs that it was going to break. Lev slowly passed through into the chamber, purple wisps clinging to his fur, nodding in greeting to Kei before seeming to bow - though it looked more like any over-sized house cat stretching.</p>
<p>“Lev is trained.” Kenma explained in the bluntest way possible. “He will protect you until myself and Nishinoya get there.”</p>
<p>“Okay.” Yachi was cautious as Lev sat at her feet and nudged her hand with his head. Kei didn’t really care to let her know Lev was gifted with magic or the ability to talk. “Uhm, are you—”</p>
<p>“The Brotherhood is on the way.” Daichi said with a curt nod. “We have a plan and we’re going to do whatever it takes to stop Akiteru.”</p>
<p>She cautiously reached out her hand and patted Lev’s head. “Thank you, for everything you’re risking.” She smiled weakly. “We will be in your debt.”</p>
<p>Kei was aware time was ticking. “We need to close this portal now.” He gently told Yachi. “I need to find Akiteru.”</p>
<p>“Of course.” Yachi looked back through the portal to the trio. “Good luck.”</p>
<p>“You too.” Daichi replied as Nishinoya held out both hands and closed his eyes. The clear picture of the chamber dissipated into the swirling mists before they too faded away. The black inked lines returned to their mundane state.</p>
<p>“I’ll roll this up and we can get going.” Nishinoya stated. “With any luck, we’ll make it there before things kick-off.”</p>
<p>Daichi and Kenma both nodded. They would have to weave in and out of the streets in a quick but calm manner to get there before anything crazy happened. Daichi had already given orders to the others to get into the palace and begin their infiltration into the guards. Ushijima and Aone were to meet them in the cellar of the Miya manor and give any further instructions on how to carry that out. All in all, the cogs were starting to turn, the elaborate mechanisms starting to move.</p>
<p>They were past the point of no return.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p> Lev would like to think he was pretty well versed in talking to nobles and kings. Though as he was left with Yachi in her chambers, he wasn’t sure what to say. He decided to keep up the charade that he was just a well-trained lion, to see what she’d reveal if she believed he was a simple animal without the blessings of an old being. As Kei left with a curt bow, Yachi sighed heavily.</p>
<p>“…I’m not sure what to believe anymore.”</p>
<p>Lev perked up as she stepped over towards a vanity table. The entire room felt more pompous than Tobio’s chamber back in the south, but that was to be expected from the dwellings of the empress. Great lengths had been taken to make it as homey as possible, to cover up the cold stone walls with wooden panelling and drapes. The main feature of the room was a four-poster bed, the linens and sheets bearing the regal purple colours that everyone was associating with the empire now. Each of the wooden posts had intricate carvings of feathers, further compounding the eagle motif. Around the rest of the room were coffers and tables made of dark wood, elaborate designs carved into them just like the bed.</p>
<p>What Lev noticed more were the rugs that covered the floor; soft under his paws and practically begging for him to roll over. He remained focused on his job though, pacing over to where Yachi now sat at the vanity looking at her reflection in the mirrored glass. He sat down next to her, not quite able to see what was on the table but he figured it was probably an array of powders and trinkets humans had an affinity for.</p>
<p>He wasn’t a mage by any means, but he could sense a heavy feeling in the air. She seemed relieved but a sadness was clear in her eyes. He could understand it; the last few weeks must’ve been anything but easy for her with all the commotion Tobio had brought with him. Lev had heard the way she opened up to Kiyoko in that first meeting, how she confessed Akiteru had been pulling the strings without her realising until recently. She had been through hell, her life turned upside down and torn apart.</p>
<p>And now a group of strangers from the southern kingdoms wanted to save her. It would be a conflicting time for anyone, let alone an empress who was supposed to be in control of everything but clearly wasn’t. Lev tilted his head, prompting her to reach down and pet his head.</p>
<p>“I hope your friends know what they’re up against.” She murmured, glancing down at Lev. “He won’t go quietly.”</p>
<p>Lev leaned into her touch. He knew that they hadn’t set off on this crazy plan without serious consideration for how bad it could get. It was in the back of everyone’s minds that there could be casualties. He couldn’t do anything in that moment to really alleviate her troubles. All he could do was sit and wait. He hoped Kenma and the others weren’t going to take too long.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>The palace had always seemed so daunting to Hinata. Even before he was ‘arrested’ it seemed so much bigger than Hokubujōsai and even the Blue Palace. Spanning two floors for the most part and several more in certain sections like the towers. White stone and timber framing gave off a sense of grandeur. Tall windows and multiple doors split off from the grand entranceway and made it feel like building carried on forever. Paintings and statues decorated the place to an almost gluttonous degree. The ballroom still felt larger than any throne room in the south with its domed stain-glass window in the ceiling and chandeliers hanging down over the sunken dance floor. Pillars held up the ceiling and had both real ivy and stone carvings of flowers encircling them as braziers sat at their bases providing light and warmth.</p>
<p>Last time he had been here, he had been wearing a mask and barely anyone knew him. Now, whilst he was wearing the same blue jacket of Yukio’s that he wore last time, he was wearing the circlet Tobio had made for him. He was also still wearing the Kageyama family ring which seemed more obvious now as he looped his arm around Tobio’s. Tobio was the picture of serenity, a calm, well-rehearsed smile graced his face as they were shown into the ballroom. There was no declaration of their arrival this time, much to Hinata’s relief in a way. He felt like everyone noticed them anyway.</p>
<p>There was a minor difference in the way House Kageyama presented themselves this time around. Weapons were present. Asahi had bluntly told the guard at the door that due to the tensions still present, they were refusing to come unarmed. The guard had tried to argue but a helpful interject from the twins put the matter to bed, the southern kings still felt hostility in the air due to the unsolved tensions and thus, were allowed to be armed.</p>
<p>Which meant curious gazes were directed at them for more than Hinata’s presence, but the large battle-axe on Asahi’s back and the sword knocking against Tobio’s thigh. Not that such attention lasted long as Tooru made his much more unexpected entrance. Many of the guests from further afield didn’t know he even existed, let alone that he was visiting the empire. His bright white attire with pale blue embellishments caught many eyes, as did the red phoenix embroidered on the cape that hung from his shoulders. And that was before even taking his sword into account.</p>
<p>Safe to say, the guests took notice of the visitors and the gossiping was quick to begin. Hinata felt out of place as Tobio and Tooru stuck together to begin with; an agreed plan of action until they found their footing. Tooru was boastful about the south’s accomplishments, talking about the beauty of both kingdoms and how hard working the people are. Tobio was quieter but fed off Tooru’s boasting, correcting his comments concerning his kingdom and remarking how the Battle of the Dynasty had <em>two</em> kings involved and it was that alliance that saved them.</p>
<p>Of course, as the drinks flowed and the other guests pressed for more details on what they had heard about the empire, the kings split up. Each of them took one of the twins with them on their mingling, partly to have someone who knew names and titles and partly to stay relatively safe from the less pleasant nobility.</p>
<p>Atsumu had opted to stay with Tobio, casting glances between him and Hinata as they spoke with the kings and queens of the former kingdoms that House Kageyama had called once allies. Tobio had been slightly fearful of one thing; facing these rulers whose lasting memory of his family was that they couldn’t stop the empire digging their talons into them. He felt misplaced guilt over it, he felt responsible despite it happening long before his birth.</p>
<p>“Ah,” Atsumu smiled as they came upon a man with dark ginger hair, his scowl indicated he seemed displeased at something but when he met Atsumu’s gaze he smiled. “Fancy seeing you here Taichi.”</p>
<p>Tobio raised an eyebrow, waiting for Atsumu to explain. The man nodded in greeting to Atsumu as they approached him. He was dressed similarly to many of the other noblemen; dark robes that weren’t too flashy or intricately embellished. The only standout feature was the subtle embroidery of leaves near his collar but even they were dark against navy blue fabric.</p>
<p>“Taichi is one of the, ahem, regional lords.” Atsumu explained to Tobio. “But you might know him as the current figurehead of the Kawanishi family.”</p>
<p>“House Kawanishi.” Tobio remarked, meeting the other’s gaze. He remembered that name from the stories his father had told him of the former kingdoms. Kawanishi didn’t react poorly to it, merely chuckling slightly.</p>
<p>“It’s been a while since my family was anything like that.” He sighed, looking Tobio up and down before looking to Hinata and then back to Tobio. “And you, I assume you’re one of these southern kings I’ve heard about.”</p>
<p>“Tobio Kageyama.” Tobio stated. “Dragon of the East, King of the Southern kingdom.”</p>
<p>Kawanishi nodded slowly. He was quiet for a few moments, like he was mulling over what to say. “It’s been a while since we’ve heard from the shadow of Akumanokuchi.”</p>
<p>Tobio coyly smiled. “Well, I think we both know the history well enough, right?”</p>
<p>Kawanishi mirrored the smile. “Yeah, Battle of the Black Mountain caused quite a stir up here, and the resounding silence afterwards.” He glanced around to confirm no-one was eavesdropping. “Can’t say I blame your ancestors. All I’ve been taught on the matter is that you had a mage tame a beast of the skies and stood your ground against the empire.”</p>
<p>Tobio glanced to Hinata briefly before chuckling. “What can I say, we’re a stubborn bunch.”</p>
<p>“I heard.” Kawanishi followed his gaze to Hinata. “So, is this your…”</p>
<p>“Consort.” Tobio supplied. “Yes.”</p>
<p>A raised eyebrow preceded another chuckle. Atsumu shrugged, almost as if he could tell what Kawanishi was thinking. “So the rumours are true.”</p>
<p>“Rumours? Do tell.” Tobio smiled. “I’m eager to hear what the empire <em>really</em> thinks.”</p>
<p>“Oh I can indulge you in that, but only if you indulge me with why you’re really up here in the empire after all this time. As nice as it is to catch up with the south, it <em>has</em> been a while.”</p>
<p>Tobio inhaled sharply. Atsumu gave no indication if this was a trap or not, by the lack of interjecting, Tobio guessed it was safe to answer how he pleased.</p>
<p>“In short, one of the…nobility here in Hinode has a lot to answer for down south.” He curtly replied. “And it’s an <em>incredibly</em> long story, but I’d be more than happy to trade information for information.”</p>
<p>Kawanishi seemed surprised if his wide eyes were anything to go by. Atsumu nodded encouragingly. He glanced around again. “I see, well, if it’s the person I think you’re referring to, I’ll be willing to listen and perhaps, we can work out some loose…ally-ship of sorts.”</p>
<p>Now that was what Tobio wanted to hear.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Tooru had been walking around the ballroom with Iwaizumi and Yamamoto, escorted by Osamu. He wasn’t sure what to make of Osamu. He was quieter than his brother, but there was this underlying feeling that he was just as irritating. It almost infuriated Tooru how unassuming he was and how easily he mixed with the nobility. Maybe it’s because he reminded Tooru a little too much of Kei.</p>
<p>They took a pause from mingling with the guests, many of whom were intrigued by Tooru’s presence but not quite open enough to divulge any secrets. Osamu summoned a serving boy to fetch drinks and watched as Iwaizumi pointedly took the glass and gave it a taste test before allowing Tooru to drink. It was a minor gesture, but not one that went unnoticed by those around them.</p>
<p>“So,” Osamu spoke to him evenly, no hint of arrogance, “the general feeling around the court is that someone is going to make a public address. Obviously, many believe that’ll be Yachi. We believe Akiteru is going to step up and make some excuse about her being unable to be here.”</p>
<p>Tooru wrinkled his nose at the fanciful wine. It wasn’t to his taste, too sharp for a start and almost far too sweet. “So what do we do then? Let him ramble on or?”</p>
<p>Osamu shrugged. “Atsumu had indicated staging a coup isn’t ideal.”</p>
<p>Iwaizumi snorted at the remark but said nothing else, Tooru raised an eyebrow. “Aw, pity, Tobio and I thought that would be a genius idea.”</p>
<p>Osamu smirked briefly, expression fading back into one of indifference. “I got the impression Tobio intended to appeal to his kingdom’s former neighbours.”</p>
<p>“Sounds like something he’d do.” Tooru uttered, taking another sip of the strange wine.</p>
<p>“So what does House Oikawa want? Other than Akiteru’s head, what do you want from the empire? What are you doing up here?”</p>
<p>Tooru held Osamu’s gaze. “I want to put the record straight. That Akiteru had a hand in my father’s death, that he orchestrated the demise of House Kageyama, that he used his own brother to try and start a war.”</p>
<p>Osamu raised his eyebrows as he took a generous sip. “Those are rather…big claims.”</p>
<p>“And you think that no-one will believe me? They seemed ready to believe Tobio’s mage conjured a dragon despite no evidence being brought forth.”</p>
<p>“This is true.”</p>
<p>“So it’s not disbelief that will stop them, it’s willful ignorance.”</p>
<p>Osamu set his empty glass down on a passing serving boy’s tray. “Well, shall we start curing that ignorance? I have a place in mind to begin.”</p>
<p>“Lead on.” Tooru handed off his half-drunk wine to Yamamoto as he fell in step with Osamu.</p>
<p>The ballroom wasn’t the only place that the ball’s guests were permitted to mingle. The covered balconies either side of the ballroom were alive with conversation and drinking. Many of the noble ladies were grouped together as Osamu gestured for Tooru to follow him towards a pair stood off to the side.</p>
<p>The two women took notice of Osamu striding towards them and exchanged a glance before the taller of the two nodded in greeting. Both had light coloured hair that was swept back in intricate braids, detailed with small flowery pins. They wore long robes like many other guests of the ball, differing in shade slightly but both wearing light blue with various floral detailing. They didn’t seem timid in nature as Tooru almost expected them to be, given the nature of things. Osamu exchanged pleasantries before gesturing for Tooru to join the conversation.</p>
<p>“Ladies Suzumeda and Nametsu.” He gestured to them both in turn. The taller one nodded in greeting to Tooru first with the other offering a polite wave. “I’d like to introduce his majesty King Tooru of the Southern kingdom.”</p>
<p>At mention of his title, both ladies seemed taken aback before the one introduced as Suzumeda smiled sweetly, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. Freckles dotted the rise of her cheeks and across her nose.</p>
<p>“Ah, might I be right to assume you are of House Oikawa?”</p>
<p>“You are indeed right milady.” Tooru nodded, returning the smile. “Though I must confess, your names do not ring any bells to me.”</p>
<p>Suzumeda laughed, it wasn’t the dainty giggle Tooru had come to expect from noblewomen but he found that an exciting change. “I would not expect you to know who we are, your majesty.”</p>
<p>“Well, care to inform this ill-formed king of what lies beyond his borders?”</p>
<p>Iwaizumi rolled his eyes slightly at the phrasing, Yamamoto snorted quietly, trying to hide how ridiculous Tooru’s way with words was. It wasn’t anything they hadn’t heard before during balls but it didn’t make it any less awkward to stand and listen to.</p>
<p>Suzumeda didn’t seem fazed, she looked to her companion with a quirked eyebrow. “What do you say Mai?”</p>
<p>Nametsu shrugged at first, eyeing Tooru with an air of suspicion almost. “Depends what this ill-informed king wants that information for.”</p>
<p>Osamu smirked at the blunt wording. Tooru chuckled, waving off the frosty feeling. “Well, I’ve been so busy dealing with bandits and backstabbing scouts that I’ve not had the time to read into this empire’s inner workings.” He spun the tale with ease. “I know the big players, the empress and the Tsukishima family, and even the Miya’s I understand. But I don’t know everything.”</p>
<p>“And so you accost two ladies at a ball to spill the secrets of our lands?” Nametsu remarked. “How kind of you.”</p>
<p>“Accost? No, no,” Tooru smiled sweetly, “I have no interest in trading secrets. Believe me, I have <em>enough</em> problems.” He clasped his hands behind his back, looking between the two ladies as he thought for a moment. “I just have two questions for you both.”</p>
<p>Nametsu didn’t seem entirely convinced but she held her tongue, shrugging again. Suzumeda took that as a reluctant acceptance. “Ask away, we shall do our best to answer.”</p>
<p>“My thanks,” Tooru nodded, “firstly, what do you know of Akiteru Tsukishima?”</p>
<p>Suzumeda’s calm smile wavered slightly, Nametsu’s unimpressed scowl deepened. Tooru was somewhat hoping that would be the reaction. It meant Akiteru had a reputation and maybe the Brotherhood’s findings were all correct.</p>
<p>“Well,” Suzumeda glanced around, Osamu did the same just to check no-one was approaching, “he’s not well-liked by the newer regions. Whether it is because their kings still harbour grudges from being…” she lowered her tone, “annexed, or whether there’s more to it.”</p>
<p>Tooru hadn’t heard of the empire taking more kingdoms under its belt. Maybe Tobio had received word from the city-state but he personally didn’t realise they had been busy all this time. It wasn’t a particularly pleasant discovery.</p>
<p>“What don’t they like about him?” Osamu pressed, either playing up his ignorance or legitimately unaware of this latest news. “My brother and I simply don’t care for his attitude.”</p>
<p>Suzumeda looked to Nametsu for input but got none. “Uhm, well, my brother, Lord Suzumeda of the northern fringe, he has seen letters flying back and forth talking about how Akiteru was ‘absent for nearly three years and then waltzed into a position of steward like it was nothing’.” She held her chin in thought, “he was quite upset to hear of Akiteru’s apparent rise to superiority. Come to think of it I had seldom heard the name before he arrived.”</p>
<p>Tooru hummed in thought. “So do many share your brother’s sentiment?”</p>
<p>Suzumeda clasped her hands in front of her. “I would say a good number do. They…”</p>
<p>Nametsu cut in. “Most of the families who saw the abrupt rise of the Tsukishima name think there’s something rotten about it.” She uttered. “I don’t recall my mother ever mentioning the name before Akiteru showed up. Maybe they were a great family once before but it takes generations to reclaim the sort of position he has now. It stinks of something foul that’s for sure.”</p>
<p>Tooru looked between them. He didn’t want to reveal his cards too early. “This sort of ties into my other question, humour me if you will,” he made an effort to smile, “were either of you two aware of the unrest four years ago in Hinode?”</p>
<p>The mention of the specific time seemed to spook Suzumeda, she took half a step back and clutched Nametsu’s arm. Osamu smiled at them both.</p>
<p>“Milady’s, it’s okay, we will not repeat anything you say to anyone.” He calmly stated. “We are trying to get to the bottom of something.”</p>
<p>“The bottom of something.” Nametsu repeated. “Like how an entire district burnt down?”</p>
<p>Tooru kept his immediate thoughts to himself, merely exchanging a glance with Iwaizumi before deciding how to answer. “So you know of it, at the very least?”</p>
<p>“I know of it, yes.” Nametsu curtly replied. “My mother was appalled at the treatment the mages got afterwards.”</p>
<p>“Ah, arrests and—”</p>
<p>“Executions.” Nametsu hissed, stepping forward to lower her tone before glancing to Osamu. “Your father dragged us into it, did you leave that part out?”</p>
<p>Tooru was now confused. He knew the Miya family had played a part in getting some mages out but anything wider than that was news to him. “Uhm, what?”</p>
<p>Osamu sighed, evidently not expecting this to come up in conversation. “Your court mage, Kenjirou, he was one of many we helped escape.”</p>
<p>“He said the others died.”</p>
<p>“Of that particular group, yes,” Osamu didn’t miss a beat, “we sent many more to other regions of the empire, including to Lady Nametsu’s region. It was a hasty effort to prevent revenge murders by either the people of Hinode or the supposed rulers.”</p>
<p>Nametsu seemed to calm down a little as Suzumeda patted her arm. “My mother accepted those mages into her care, hid them from the loyal lapdogs of the empire. Many of them have managed to live decent lives but there’s still animosity between them and the non-magical folk over it all.” She directed her gaze to Tooru. “So yes, we are aware of the events four years ago. Just because no-one talks about it, doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. So why do <em>you</em> want to know?”</p>
<p>Tooru straightened his posture. “Well,” he looked to Osamu briefly before meeting Nametsu’s gaze, “we know who did it, and more importantly, we’re going to hold them accountable. But we need your help,” he nodded to Suzumeda, “we’ll need voices within the empire who are respected and trusted to lend their voices.”</p>
<p>“You know who did it?” Suzumeda murmured, still clutching Nametsu’s arm.</p>
<p>“Why do I get the idea I’m not gonna like what I hear.” Nametsu uttered. “Go on then, enlighten us.”</p>
<p>Tooru glanced to Osamu again, giving him one final chance to interrupt. Osamu nodded. That was all Tooru needed to proceed.</p>
<p>“It is our belief that it was masterminded by none other than Akiteru.”</p>
<p>There was a split-second pause as the remark set in. Suzumeda paled slightly, looking to Nametsu for her reaction. The unamused scowl was back as she looked to Osamu accusingly.</p>
<p>“Is this a sick joke? Are you—”</p>
<p>“From what evidence Atsumu and I have seen, it is true.”</p>
<p>“What evidence is this then? I can’t lobby for a noble’s arrest if—”</p>
<p>“You don’t need to.” Tooru cut in. “We are handling that, or rather, a skilled group of individuals are. What we need from you and whomever else you can convince, is your pledge of loyalty to Yachi when the time comes.”</p>
<p>“Pledge of…what are you talking about?”</p>
<p>Iwaizumi rolled his eyes, stepping forth. “What my king is trying to say in a very loose way, is that we believe Yachi is about to be accused by Akiteru of not doing enough to find out the cause of the destruction. Destruction caused by Akiteru before her time on the throne. She effectively has her hands tied on the matter. We’re trying to stop a coup.”</p>
<p>Nametsu went from being unamused to being outright furious. “He’s going to do <em>what</em>?!”</p>
<p>Osamu stepped forth and set a hand on her shoulder. “Milady I know it sounds—”</p>
<p>“The nerve of that son of a bitch.” She seethed, shrugging Osamu’s hand off. “Alright, you have my attention. You want us to spread that around this ball I imagine?”</p>
<p>Tooru was a little surprised how quickly she seemed to get on board. “Uh, sort of. In a tactful way? We anticipate that he’s going to make some grand address—”</p>
<p>“Perfect.” Nametsu looked to Suzumeda. “You remember that lord who was pining after you earlier? We’re gonna start with him and then tell your brother.” She looked back to Tooru. “This will take some time, and we may not get to everyone but we will certainly not let that bastard waltz any higher up the hierarchy.”</p>
<p>Tooru was starting to take a liking to this lady, she was spirited and spoke her mind freely. “I uh—”</p>
<p>“No need to thank us.” She smiled coyly, fury still bubbling away but it wasn’t directed at him mercifully. “Just don’t get in the way.”</p>
<p>She nodded in parting to both Tooru and Osamu before gesturing for Suzumeda to accompany her back inside. As soon as they were out of earshot, Yamamoto burst out laughing.</p>
<p>“Did…did you just get told to not—ack!”</p>
<p>Iwaizumi harshly nudged him in the side. “Quiet.”</p>
<p>Tooru let out a long exhale, flashing a glance to Osamu who wryly smiled. “What can I say, the ladies of the empire aren’t docile. They can start and end wars without lifting a sword.”</p>
<p>“Huh.” Tooru looked to the doorway they had passed through and caught a glimpse of the duo talking to some other nobles.</p>
<p>“Don’t get any ideas.” Osamu raised an eyebrow. “You’ll have time to mingle properly after all this is over.”</p>
<p>Tooru scoffed at his assumption. “I was merely appreciating how quick they are to get to work.”</p>
<p>“Time is of the essence after all.” Osamu shrugged. “We should go find Atsumu and Tobio.”</p>
<p>Tooru nodded, letting him step away first before catching Iwaizumi’s hand. “Thank you for stepping in.” He murmured.</p>
<p>Iwaizumi nodded in return. “You were taking too long.”</p>
<p>“I got caught up in the sway of things.”</p>
<p>Iwaizumi raised an eyebrow. “I could tell. Focus on solving one problem at a time, please?”</p>
<p>Tooru glanced around briefly before pressing his lips to Iwaizumi’s cheek. It was short, sweet gesture but one that Iwaizumi heard loud and clear. He squeezed Tooru’s hand before letting him step away to quickly follow Osamu. Yamamoto gave him a curious gaze.</p>
<p>“Probably thinks I thought he was getting too distracted.” He shrugged as they walked behind Tooru and Osamu. “No need to be alarmed.”</p>
<p>Yamamoto wasn’t sure if he was supposed to believe that or not.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Being the first of the Brotherhood to enter the palace had its fair share of risks. Kunimi didn’t feel too rattled though, he just fell back on his old habits and tried to keep his wits about him. Following Aone through the passageway from the Miya manor had given the group time to form a loose plan; he and Yaku would remain patrolling the hallways and parlours with Aone whilst Suga and Kiyoko would make for the ballroom. As they understood it, there was going to be an address of sorts sometime after all the guests had arrived. Given that there were carriages still arriving, that meant they had some time to kill.</p>
<p>“Take care.” Suga told him and Yaku as they reached the hallway they had to split off at. “I imagine the others aren’t far behind.”</p>
<p>“You too,” Yaku replied with a small salute, “and try not to get distracted by dancing this time yeah?” He smirked.</p>
<p>Kiyoko giggled but didn’t reply, merely glancing down the hallway that led towards the ballroom. With another curt nod, the party split. Kunimi didn’t feel overly happy about being so blasé about everything. He was used to skulking in the shadows, avoiding being seen entirely, here they were in plain sight. It was risky in far too many ways. All it would take is them to cross paths with Akiteru and for him to recognise Yaku before all hell would break loose.</p>
<p>“Ease up.” Yaku nudged him. “You seem far too tense.”</p>
<p>Kunimi snorted, making a conscious effort to relax his shoulders and walk in step with Yaku. “Can’t help it.”</p>
<p>Yaku nodded. “It’s weird, I know.”</p>
<p>Weird was one way to put it. At least with Aone, they could trust him to alert them to any danger they might not be aware of. The hallways were far from empty, the palace was a lot more open than the last time a ball was held. Neither Yaku nor Kunimi were sure what to make of this fact. Aone loosely explained that there were two parlours that would be in use and that it was probably ideal to post themselves in one of them for a while to get a feel for the company.</p>
<p>Being a guard in the palace seemed like a pretty dull job in many ways, at least to Kunimi it did. All his time in the Blue Palace, he never really saw the guards doing anything but stand at doorways and keep watch. Sure, once or twice a drunk guest would need to be escorted outside to get some air or vomit into the rose bushes, but there were seldom any fights. Which is probably what made it such a coveted promotion for some of the city guards. As they entered the parlour furthest from the ballroom, the overwhelming smell of cinnamon hit them both.</p>
<p>“…that’s some strong incense.” Yaku murmured as he took note of the small incense burner atop a marble fireplace.</p>
<p>“Potent.” Kunimi agreed. Aone gestured for them to stand with him at the side of the room between the door they just arrived from and a door leading out to a covered balcony. Three other guards already in the room nodded to them as they passed, taking their arrival as a sign they could take a break. “Now what?”</p>
<p>“We stand here and listen for chatter.” Aone murmured. “Try not to draw attention to ourselves.”</p>
<p>They fell into silence. The nobles in the room were spread around, some sitting on benches lined with supple leathers, others stood up. Most had glasses of wine in hand or placed beside them on low tables. The room itself felt like a more upmarket version of the parlour in the manor they had been staying in; oil paintings depicting wild forests and mountain views adorned the wood-panelled walls, the marble fireplace was decorated with carvings of eagles and foxes, small statues lined the mantelpiece beneath a large piece of mirrored glass.</p>
<p>Once or twice a guest would approach and ask them how to get back to the ballroom, Aone would politely give them instructions and get a silver piece in return for his help. Kunimi had to smile slightly as he wondered how much the guards made in tips from such things. After a while, things felt like they were going nowhere, the guests in the room weren’t particularly lively and very few new ones joined.</p>
<p>That was until a tall, young man strode in. He commanded attention with his presence along with the way the heels of his boots struck the stone floor. Light brown hair and a freckled face gave him a youthful look about him, but he seemed to have a few summers on Tooru and Tobio, as he smiled in greeting and strode up to one of the groups.</p>
<p>Yaku listened intently as one of the group greeted him. “Ah, Lord Suzumeda, we had wondered where you—”</p>
<p>“Nice to see you too old friend.” He placed a hand on the other’s shoulder. “I must bend your ear about something my sister just informed me about.”</p>
<p>“Your sister?”</p>
<p>A curt nod. “Her and Lady Nametsu met one of the kings from the south along with one of the Miya twins, they told her some alarming things about the state of the empire right now.”</p>
<p>Yaku glanced to Kunimi to see if he had heard it too. There was a subtle nod as the nobles lowered their tones. Evidently, someone was already sowing the seeds of doubt, and by the flustered reactions they were seeing glimpses of, it was going down as they hoped. The nervous chattering from the group got more frantic as the gravity of the situation seemed to dawn on them. To anyone who hadn’t heard the greetings, they could interpret the conversation as some juicy gossip. Yaku found observing the entire thing rather interesting. It was nice being in the know for once.</p>
<p>“So, your kings have made their move.” Aone murmured as Lord Suzumeda seemed to finish conveying whatever he had been told and stated he was going back to the ballroom to talk to ‘the others’. “I suppose we shall have to wait and see if they are successful.”</p>
<p>Kunimi raised an eyebrow. “If they aren’t, I know a mage or two who’ll solve the problem quicker than words and treaties ever will.”</p>
<p>Aone chuckled, spooking both Kunimi and Yaku in the process. “Your mages are rather spirited. There’s a fire about them that doesn’t seem to exist up here anymore.”</p>
<p>“Well maybe after all this, someone can relight that fire hm?” Kunimi glanced to the door where some new guards were entering. “Ah, time to go?”</p>
<p>Aone followed his gaze and nodded. “So it is.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0074"><h2>74. Meeting An Empress</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>LXXIV</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Meeting An Empress</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The twins hadn’t exactly been enamoured with the idea of letting a load of mages sit in their cellar, but Shirabu was insistent. Ushijima watched over the final preparations the Brotherhood made, correcting their armour, sheathing weapons and agreeing on their objectives. Between him and Aone, they had agreed to try and assist the Brotherhood where they could but still adhere to whatever orders were given out to the guards across the palace. Whilst they sympathised with the cause, they still had oaths to fulfil.</p>
<p>Shirabu remained calm as he set up the small protection circle. After talking in depth with Ukai and Goshiki about empath magic, they had concluded that he needed to sit within one to try and have some additional element of control over it. Semi had watched on as Yaku, Kunimi, Suga and Kiyoko left with Aone. Footsteps on the stairs preceded Daichi, Kenma and Nishinoya arriving before Ushijima got too impatient.</p>
<p>“So,” Kenma dished out the remaining ear cuffs and rings to Nishinoya and Shirabu, “Lev is with Yachi. Kei is working on finding his brother.”</p>
<p>“So we have a finite amount of time.” Shirabu supplied. “Fun.” He slid the thin silver cuff over his outer ear. “Better get to work then.”</p>
<p>Kenma nodded, turning to meet Akaashi’s pensive gaze. The hustle and bustle in the room seemed to fade a little as they silently regarded one another. Kenma glanced down at the ring he had yet to put on. The purple stone was smaller than that of the other rings in the set, but the vibrant hue glimmered in the dim torchlight. He held it up, offering it to Akaashi.</p>
<p>“Just in case?”</p>
<p>Akaashi considered it. There had been this unspoken agreement that it would be too dangerous to try. But now they were here, this was the last chance to change his mind. Simply possessing the ring wouldn’t mean anything if he didn’t put it on, there was really no reason <em>not</em> to have it. Slowly, he reached out and gingerly took it, closing his fingers around it.</p>
<p>“Just in case.” He echoed back, a small smile on his face.</p>
<p>“I believe in you.” Kenma said, returning to adjusting the ear cuff he wore. “We all do.”</p>
<p>Akaashi didn’t need to reply with words. He nodded, slipping the ring into his pocket. Expecting Kenma to move on and join Nishinoya and Tanaka waiting by the passageway, he was surprised when Kenma instead closed the gap between them and hugged him.</p>
<p>“I mean it Keiji.” He murmured as he was quick to let go again.</p>
<p>Akaashi hummed in agreement, watching Kenma quickly nod in parting to Shirabu before joining Nishinoya and Tanaka at the entrance to the passageway to get on their way. The only ones left now were Daichi, Bokuto, Kuroo and himself. Shirabu sat down within the quickly drawn protection circle and took up a relaxed meditative posture. The ring on his finger pulsed immediately as if confirming Kenma’s theory was working. Goshiki and Ennoshita had retreated to one of the far corners of the rooms with Moniwa, the latter agreeing to sit with them and tell them both more about the southern kingdoms to pass the time.</p>
<p>Semi was lingering near the entrance to the passageway, glancing into the dark depths in thought as Ukai kept a careful eye on Shirabu.</p>
<p>“Well,” Bokuto broke the silence that had fallen, “I guess this is it.”</p>
<p>Daichi flashed Kuroo a glance, expecting him to make a wisecrack but none came. “Yes.” He then turned to Ushijima and nodded. “We’re ready.”</p>
<p>“Very well.” Ushijima said.</p>
<p>A hand slipped into Akaashi’s. Kuroo shot him a reassuring smile and squeezed his hand. Akaashi mirrored the smile and returned the hand squeeze. There was nothing more to say that hadn’t been said already. Akaashi had come to terms with the danger he faced, and Kuroo was ready to accept whatever outcome, or at least that’s what he said anyway. With final weapons and armour check, the last of the Brotherhood entered the passageway into the palace, following Ushijima’s lead.</p>
<p>It wasn’t a particularly tight tunnel, but their large frames made it feel that way. The limited light of the candles on the walls did little to alleviate this feeling of claustrophobia that seeped into them with each passing moment. After a few minutes of walking, they came to a staircase leading up.</p>
<p>“From here onward,” Ushijima said, “we are liable to come across Akiteru’s guards. They are dressed exactly like the rest of the palace guards so be alert.”</p>
<p>“How do we know who is who?” Bokuto asked.</p>
<p>“The regular guards will probably be stationed in certain areas. Akiteru’s guards I imagine will be the ones patrolling around. I’m not entirely sure, so just assume everyone is a potential foe unless they express otherwise.”</p>
<p>“So our usual agenda, got it.” Kuroo nodded. “So where’s the throne room from up there?”</p>
<p>Ushijima glanced to Akaashi. “There are three entrances: the front and most obvious and then two side passages. How do you wish to proceed?”</p>
<p>Akaashi considered it. If Akiteru was waiting for him, the side passages might give him the element of surprise which was obviously preferred to walking into a potentially rigged room. “One of the side passages?”</p>
<p>Ushijima nodded. “Very well.” He glanced between Kuroo and Akaashi. “Might I suggest you…exchange affirmations now in case we end up trapped in a corner.”</p>
<p>Kuroo would’ve laughed at the way with words if the situation wasn’t so tense. He met Akaashi’s gaze. He cupped Akaashi’s face before kissing him softly. As he rested his forehead against Akaashi’s he forced a smile.</p>
<p>“Remember what Daichi said earlier,” he whispered, “we love you. <em>I</em> love you.”</p>
<p>Akaashi covered Kuroo’s hands with his own. “I love you too.” He pulled back enough to glance to Bokuto and Daichi. “Whatever happens, I’m glad to be a part of the guild, I would rather call no-one else my family.” He forced a smile. “I’m intending to come out on top tonight, but just in case—”</p>
<p>Bokuto was perilously close to bursting into tears of denial. “You’re gonna be fine Keiji!” He cut in. “You’re gonna kick his ass and meet us in the tavern for drinks after all this.”</p>
<p>Kuroo laughed to try and hide his own teary eyes. “Yeah, Bo’s right, you’re gonna be fine.”</p>
<p>Daichi was a little more accepting of this situation, nodding along but giving Akaashi a solemn smile. “Whatever happens,” He said as Kuroo finally let Akaashi go, “we consider you our brother.”</p>
<p>It had been said before, but Akaashi appreciated everyone wanting to reiterate it. To hammer the point home. He was loved. He had a family in them.</p>
<p>“I’ll be seeing you in the tavern afterwards then,” he remarked, catching Bokuto’s eye, “drinks will be on me.”</p>
<p>Ushijima didn’t want to hurry them along, but they <em>were</em> on a time limit. He cleared his throat, gesturing to the stairs. “Shall we?”</p>
<p>“Yes.” Akaashi answered for everyone else. “Let’s get a move on and put this to bed once and for all.”</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>As soon as Kenma, Nishinoya and Tanaka were in the narrow hallway that the staircase led up to, Kenma saw it fit to test the ear cuffs before they stepped out into the main hallway. He closed his eyes for a moment to try and calm his thoughts.</p>
<p><em>‘Shirabu, you hear me</em>?’</p>
<p>There was a pause as Nishinoya nodded in confirmation that he had heard the same question. A faint chill settled in Kenma’s mind as Inuoka’s voice came through.</p>
<p>
  <em>‘I can hear you from the ballroom if that’s any help. It’s bizarrely calm here at the moment.’</em>
</p>
<p>“Well that’s something.” Nishinoya murmured, shifting weight from one foot to the other.</p>
<p>Tanaka looked between them, waiting to be given the go ahead to open the door to the main hallway. Kenma waited patiently for an indication that Shirabu was okay and hearing them. He wanted to be sure this was going to work before they proceeded.</p>
<p><em>‘Alright. I got it. Had to grab the leftover purple stone. Ukai is muttering something about drawing runes around the circle.</em>’</p>
<p>Kenma raised an eyebrow. ‘<em>Do whatever you need to do. We</em><em>’ll be in touch when we get to Yachi.</em>’</p>
<p>There was a feeling of understanding as the chill in the back of his mind remained. Kenma shook it off as Inuoka just being acutely aware of the other moving parts of the plan. There was still a lot about void magic they didn’t understand, things that would need to be investigated long after the dust here settled. For now, the purple stones bent to their will and passed thoughts to one another. That was all Kenma needed them to do. With a nod to Tanaka, the trio left the narrow hallway. The almost blinding light of the main hallway was only overridden by the aroma of cinnamon. Kenma wrinkled his nose and saw Nishinoya snort like he had caught some of it up his nose.</p>
<p>“Weird choice of incense.” Tanaka remarked as they began walking. “Would’ve thought they’d pick a more floral scent.”</p>
<p>“Maybe it’s cheaper up here than normal incense.” Nishinoya shrugged. “Or someone <em>really</em> likes the smell of cinnamon.”</p>
<p>Kenma chose not to get tangled up in the conversation, focusing more on remembering the route to the empress’ chambers that he has mapped out in his mind. They could easily make a direct trip to it through the main hallways but that felt like it was too easy to end up being challenged. He remembered the narrow hallways that connected one of the storerooms to the chambers, so he just needed to work out where that storeroom was.</p>
<p>Whilst the majority of the Brotherhood had taken up the appearance of guards, that simply wasn’t going to be convincing when it came to Kenma and Nishinoya. They didn’t look like fighters. At least the likes of Kunimi and Yaku could pass on the slightly aggressive auras they gave off, neither mage had the look nor feel of a guard. So, Kenma had begrudgingly accepted Kuroo’s slightly more eccentric idea of pretending to be servants. Kunimi had given them some pointers on how to address any nobles they came across but for the most part Kenma ignored him. If he was going to have any say in it, no nobles would be spoken to. Tanaka could and did pass muster as a guard, his broad frame and obvious muscles gave no question about his ability to slice a man open. To any passer-by, it simply looked like Tanaka was accompanying two servants through the palace.</p>
<p>Which is exactly what Kenma wanted. He wanted as few reasons as possible to be waylaid on their mission. They were relying on his memory of the floor plans to get them to the empress’ chambers without arousing suspicion and being disrupted wasn’t ideal. They had managed to make good progress through the unfamiliar parts of the palace, the less crowded areas gave them a slight break from having to keep the act up.</p>
<p>But that also meant when they came across some guards who didn’t seem as gullible as most, they had to try and think creatively.</p>
<p>“All I’m saying is it’s weird for two serving boys to have an armed escort.” The guard narrowed his gaze at Tanaka. “I don’t recognise you. Whose banner are you under?”</p>
<p>Saying he was part of the Miya family guard could blow up in his face given that they had no proof, Tanaka thought quickly. “I’m just a mercenary brought in to help bolster the ranks.” He shrugged. “Just got told to keep an eye on the nobles and make sure no-one got too carried away y’know?”</p>
<p>The guard didn’t seem entirely convinced, looking Tanaka up and down momentarily. He turned his gaze back to Kenma and Nishinoya. “And what are you two doing? I don’t see drinks in your hands so what are you doing this far away from the kitchens?”</p>
<p>Nishinoya took liberty. “Ah, well, we’re new and we got…lost?” He gestured to Tanaka. “So we asked this dude for directions and we just…”</p>
<p>“Lost.” The guard repeated back to them before glancing at his patrolling partner. “Huh. Should probably make sure whoever is in charge of hiring the servants gives them the full fucking tour next time.”</p>
<p>Nishinoya chuckled slightly. “Aha, yes, so uh, we’re supposed to find a storeroom on the western side of the palace—”</p>
<p>“A storeroom?” The guard raised his eyebrows. “They sent two greenhorns to find a ‘storeroom’ and didn’t even give you directions? Sounds like you two should’ve remained in the kitchens.” He scoffed. “Come on, I’ll take you back and as for you,” he glanced to Tanaka, “they need someone to relieve the guard at the empress’ chamber, go down this hall and take a left. You’ll know it when you find it.”</p>
<p>Kenma shot a glance to Tanaka and nodded slightly before smiling at the guard. “Ah, apologies for the trouble.”</p>
<p>The guard shrugged. “It happens, come on.”</p>
<p>Tanaka watched as Kenma and Nishinoya fell in step behind the two patrolling guards going the opposite direction. He then looked down the hallway, paintings hung on the walls most were ink drawings of the countryside and mountain views. He paid little attention to them as he proceeded. Alone, he wasn’t sure what he should do. Should he wait for the others to come and find him after they shake off the guards? Should he enter the empress’ chambers and see if he could help her himself?</p>
<p>As he rounded the corner, he caught sight of the large man who he was being sent to ‘relieve’. He rivalled Asahi in size, broad shoulders holding his impressive frame up. His chainmail glinted in the light of the wall torches, his helmet obscuring his face from view from a distance. Tanaka swallowed, summoning his bravado as he strode up to the man-mountain.</p>
<p>“Yo,” he saluted, “got sent to give you a breather.” He stated.</p>
<p>The other titled his head slightly, a stony expression set on his face. “Hmph. Very well.” He brought a large hand up and saluted in return. “Don’t fall asleep, whelp.”</p>
<p>Tanaka exhaled through his nose at the remark, standing aside to let the other past. He stood in the same spot the other had been, hands clasped behind his back as he watched the other slowly walk down the hallway and turn right. The sound of his boots striking against the stone floor echoed off the walls, fading slowly.</p>
<p>It was quiet in this part of the palace. A distant murmur of conversation could be heard if he concentrated, but it seemed this was a deserted part of the palace. He let out a small sigh as he calmed down from his rush of adrenaline. Turning to the door, he considered how he should handle this change in plan. Deciding that the least he could do was check Yachi was okay, he struck his knuckles against the wood.</p>
<p>A moment passed before a voice called from within, soft but with an air of confidence. “Enter.”</p>
<p>He lifted the latch and opened the door slowly. The first thing he saw was Lev ready to pounce. At catching each other’s gaze, Lev relaxed and nodded in greeting. Tanaka got the door closed before he properly took in the room; wood panelling and purple accented but more importantly, the empress herself. Tanaka didn’t remember much of the night they arrived, but he did remember how the others spoke of her dainty appearance and youthful face. Wide eyes regarded him as she stood behind Lev, lilac robes brushing against the wooden flooring. Her blond hair was pinned back with a simple clip fashioned in the shape of a pure white feather. He was surprised at how short she was.</p>
<p>Not sure what else to do, he instinctively sunk to one knee like many knights would. “Your Imperial Majesty.” He babbled out. “I uh, I’m with the Brotherhood.”</p>
<p>She was silent for a moment, he wasn’t sure if she was aware the Brotherhood were pretending to be guards or not.</p>
<p>“Your name?” She spoke softly but with authority.</p>
<p>“Ryuunosuke Tanaka, though my friends call me Ryuu or just Tanaka—”</p>
<p>“Ryuunosuke.” She nodded. “You may stand up.”</p>
<p>He got to his feet sharply, not wanting to waste time by awkwardly waiting for permission to speak. “I, uh, so I was meant to have two others with me but they got…waylaid.”</p>
<p>She weakly smiled, glancing him up and down. “Are you all dressed like guards?”</p>
<p>“No, that’s…why they got waylaid.”</p>
<p>“Ah, I see.” She glanced around the room for a moment as if searching for something to talk about before her gaze fell on Lev. “Your lion is very well trained, when Kiyoko brought him to me once before I thought he was merely docile but, no he’s actually trained.”</p>
<p>Tanaka laughed nervously. “Yeah he’s…” He scratched the back of his head. “Lev is special.”</p>
<p>Yachi didn’t seem nervous at Tanaka’s presence as she turned toward the vanity and sat down once more. There was a beat of silence as she adjusted the robes so not to crease them. “Tell me something Ryuunosuke,” she fixed her gaze on her reflection, “what is the next step in your plan?”</p>
<p>“As in…”</p>
<p>“Are you about to smuggle me out of my own palace?”</p>
<p>Tanaka knew Kenma was open to letting Yachi make her own choice on the matter. The twins were adamant that Yachi needed to be kept safe, the safest place for her wasn’t necessarily the palace. Daichi had been sat on the fence about it and simply said it was up to them to decide what to do in the moment depending on what Yachi’s state was. Presently, she didn’t seem as visibly shaken as he expected.</p>
<p>“If that’s what you want,” Tanaka strode over and stood by her side, watching her reflection in the mirror, “I’ll escort you out. However, if you wish…to remain, we’ll protect you the best we can.”</p>
<p>“You’re letting me decide?” She raised an eyebrow. “A girl who has been manipulated by a mage and who has barely been able to make her own choices in the last few months?” She glanced up at him, expression sombre. “Why?”</p>
<p>Tanaka swallowed, he was just following orders of the others, he knew there was split opinion on what to do. His gut told him to let her decide for herself. “Because you’re entitled to decide what happens next.” He stated. “If I take you against your will, I’m no better than Akiteru, right? Plus I know we’ve done some crazy shit in our time but I’m not about to add ‘kidnapping the empress’ to that list.”</p>
<p>The latter remark made her giggle slightly. Tanaka hadn’t intended to be amusing, but he felt a weight lift off his chest as she smiled and glanced back to her reflection. A comfortable pause rested between them as she thought it over. Tanaka didn’t know what to think, by all accounts she seemed like an intelligent girl, like she could grow into the role of empress with the right advisers around her to guide her. It was unfortunate that someone like Akiteru existed in her empire. He wasn’t sure on the details of what Akiteru had put her through, he couldn’t say if she had come off worse or better than Tobio.</p>
<p>“Do you know what he’s planning?”</p>
<p>“Not entirely.” Tanaka replied. “Tooru and Tobio reckon he’s going to stage a coup.”</p>
<p>“Using the treaty nonsense as fuel for that fire no doubt.” She sighed. “I knew I should’ve torn it up the moment Tobio arrived.”</p>
<p>The remark indicated she was more aware of the sticky political situation than many gave her credit for. The remark also made him wonder, he couldn’t help but ask. “What stopped you?”</p>
<p>She shook her head. “Akiteru said it would make the empire look weak. That ripping one treaty up would cause a ripple effect. But without a grand council to oversee such matters, there isn’t anyone to mediate negotiations. And so this situation arose.”</p>
<p>Tanaka hummed. “I’ll admit, I know nothin’ about politics. I’m just a mercenary.”</p>
<p>She smiled again, finding his honesty refreshing no doubt. “So you say Tooru and Tobio are convinced he’s going to stage a coup tonight.” She met his gaze. “If I ask you to take me to that ballroom to reveal him for the traitor he is, will you?”</p>
<p>Tanaka didn’t know how much of Akiteru’s antics Yachi knew about. He straightened his posture and puffed out his chest. “Of course I will.” He brought a closed fist over his chest. “But I need to inform you of some things, specifically things Akiteru has kept from you.”</p>
<p>She inhaled sharply. It was hard to tell if she was surprised that Akiteru had kept things from her or not. “Very well,” she turned in her seat to face him, “tell me everything Ryuunosuke, spare no detail no matter how horrific.”</p>
<p>Tanaka grimaced. He would take no pleasure in this, but without Kenma here, it was up to him to be the bearer of bad news.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Suga and Kiyoko had made it to the ballroom without incident. They felt much more at ease this time around than last, they could carry themselves as the mercenaries they were and not interact with any of the nobles directly. They had spotted Tobio and Hinata talking to a noble off to the side, the conversation seemed intense and the lord they were talking to was shaking his head a lot. The rest of House Kageyama’s staff were stood nearby, close enough to their king to be of service but not involved directly with the conversation.</p>
<p>So far, things were calm. They hadn’t seen any of the others yet, only catching glimpses of Tooru moving through the ballroom with Osamu and stopping to talk to nobles every so often.</p>
<p>“You reckon Kei has drawn Akiteru away yet?” Kiyoko asked Suga as they posted themselves near the staircase down to the dance floor. Gentle harp music was filling the air as couples danced gracefully, robes brushed against the polished floor as they twirled around.</p>
<p>“Doubt it.” Suga hummed. “But I don’t think we’ll be waiting long.”</p>
<p>The reason he thought that was largely down to how little had happened since they had arrived. No-one seemed aware that the empress potentially wasn’t going to be making this address that the invite spoke of. They hadn’t seen Akiteru yet either. They watched the room silently, checking the entrances for any signs of the impending arrival of either Yachi or Akiteru. It was getting a little unnerving how calm everything was. Like the calm before a storm.</p>
<p>“Walk with me.” Kiyoko told Suga. He fell in step with her, walking out of the main entrance to the ballroom in time to come across Kenma and Nishinoya being led towards the kitchens by two guards they didn’t recognise. Thinking fast, Kiyoko stepped in, halting them with her presence alone.</p>
<p>“Aren’t you meant to be posted in the west wing?” She asked, confidence in her voice as she glanced at Kenma and Nishinoya. “Who are these two?”</p>
<p>The guard snorted. “Lost servants apparently.” He looked between her and Suga, brows furrowing momentarily before disregarding any question he had. “You headed towards the kitchens by any chance? Captain will have our balls if we’re away from our post for too long.”</p>
<p>“Ah, yes, we were headed that way.” Suga nodded. “We can take them.”</p>
<p>“Good.” The guard scoffed, looking back to Nishinoya. “Try not to get lost again you hear?”</p>
<p>With that, he and his patrolling partner took off back down the hallway. Kiyoko waited until they were firmly out of earshot before looking to Kenma. “Explain.”</p>
<p>“They caught us, they sent Tanaka to relieve the guard outside Yachi’s chambers.” He uttered. “Our hands were tied.”</p>
<p>Hearing that Tanaka had gone on ahead gave them a small sense of relief. Kiyoko glanced around and tried to think of a way to get back to that part of the palace and quickly without causing suspicion. The palace was far too big to go all the way back through the multiple hallways and grand rooms. She voiced this aloud in the hopes one of the others would have a suggestion.</p>
<p>“Don’t most palaces have servant passages?” Nishinoya murmured. “Like, a way for them to pass through without being seen? Pretty sure Kunimi mentioned the Blue Palace having something like that.”</p>
<p>“Of course.” Kiyoko was annoyed it hadn’t occurred to her. “Perhaps there’s an entrance in the kitchens.”</p>
<p>Suga was acutely aware they were stood out in public and could be seen to be suspicious if this continued. “Let’s go, before we’re spotted.”</p>
<p>Kiyoko took the lead, the kitchens weren’t hard to find, simply following the smell of food was a sure-fire way to get there. They were the typical kitchens of a royal residence; long tables were ladened with platters waiting to be carried out and offered to guests, cauldrons sat above fires in the hearths, meat roasted on spits. It smelt good but satisfying their hunger would have to wait. Servants and cooks bustled about not paying much attention to them other than to avoid walking into them. There were no other guards in sight.</p>
<p>“Think fast someone.” Nishinoya muttered.</p>
<p>Suga took it upon himself to collar one of the young boys on his way to collect water with a bucket. “Hey, got a moment?”</p>
<p>He didn’t look a day over thirteen but he nodded. “What?”</p>
<p>“We need to get to the other side of the palace without…making any of the guests panic. Just need to collect some stuff from a storeroom—”</p>
<p>“Go through the door,” the boy gestured behind him, “down the stairs, follow the torches on your left until you see a crate of potatoes. Take a right then a left and follow the tunnel.”</p>
<p>Suga wasn’t going to question it. “Thanks.”</p>
<p>The boy nodded before hurrying along with his empty bucket. They passed through the door and found the staircase. At the bottom of the wooden stairs, torches illuminated the dusty stone tunnels that gave the servants passage under the palace. They kept the talking to a minimum just in case they weren’t alone but that didn’t stop Kenma reaching out to the others.</p>
<p>
  <em>‘Minor hiccup got diverted. On our way to Yachi now. Has anyone seen or heard about Akiteru’s whereabouts yet?’</em>
</p>
<p>The torches lining the left wall gave them enough light to see they were passing doors, some were storerooms but others were rudimentary bedrooms. There was a strong smell of cinnamon but no sacks of it in sight for it to be coming from. Kenma wrinkled his nose as they came across the crate of potatoes and took a right.</p>
<p><em>‘Not yet. Akaashi and the others have probably only just entered the palace.</em>’</p>
<p>It was a short walk later that the first left turn appeared and they took it. The tunnel widened a little and the smell of cinnamon eased a little. The torches continued to light their way as footsteps echoed off the stone floor.</p>
<p><em>‘Tobio’s been talking to a Lord Kawanishi, he seems to think something is about to happen given how restless some of the nobles are getting. Can’t say I’ve seen either of those brothers though.</em>’</p>
<p>They came to another wooden staircase, Kiyoko set her hand on the hilt of her blade as she went first and pulled the handle of the door. It swung open to reveal another small hallway like the other they had first entered the palace in. Kenma halted as he got to the top of the stairs, a chill running down his spine and it wasn’t just because Inuoka was talking.</p>
<p>‘<em>A steward has called for the attention of the guests</em><em>…Akiteru is here.</em>’</p>
<p>Kenma and Nishinoya shared a glance. Kiyoko and Suga waited to be enlightened on what they had both been told.</p>
<p>“Akiteru is in the ballroom.” Nishinoya said. “So let’s find Yachi and…prepare for whatever is about to happen.”</p>
<p>Kiyoko nodded, opening the door and finding a grander hallway. It was silent. Kenma glanced around and saw the door at the end of the hall, remembering there was only one room in the floor plans that led off of a hallway like this. He nodded to Nishinoya before turning to Suga and Kiyoko.</p>
<p>“You should get back to the ballroom, the others might need you.” He told them. “Don’t worry about us.”</p>
<p>Even if they wanted to disagree with the latter, they both nodded. “Good luck.” Suga said with a forced smile.</p>
<p>“And to you.” Kenma replied.</p>
<p>The two duos parted ways, Suga and Kiyoko strode down the hallway as Kenma walked up to the door and knocked loudly. Once the door was open he saw Lev, relief washed over him that they had the right door.</p>
<p>“Your Imperial Majesty,” he greeted with a short bow as Nishinoya closed the door behind them, “sorry for the delay.”</p>
<p>Yachi nodded, seeming unfazed by the situation. “Ryuunosuke has told me what I need to know about Akiteru.” She said. “So I assume you want to know what my desire is?”</p>
<p>Kenma and Nishinoya exchanged a glance. Had Tanaka told her enough already in the short time they had been parted? Yachi seemed confident in herself which surprised both of them. Nishinoya looked to Lev who had made himself quite comfortable on one of the many soft rugs. There was no indication there was any residual magic at play. There were no strange feelings in the air, neither mage felt uneasy. They could safely assume there were no charms on the room itself.</p>
<p>“What do you want to do?” Kenma asked. “Akiteru is in the ballroom right now addressing your guests.”</p>
<p>“And you think he’s going to stage a coup, both your kings are confident in this?”</p>
<p>Kenma nodded, appreciating how quickly this conversation was moving. He had anticipated a long-winded explanation. “We also think he’s trying to kill one of our friends for meddling in his wider schemes. That all of this is a large ploy to both steal power and kill the one mage who could challenge him.”</p>
<p>Yachi nodded slowly, clearly she had been told all this by Tanaka but in less blunt terms. “Seems like he’s been planning this for a while then.” She glanced around at the trio. “And what of Kei Tsukishima? Is he involved?”</p>
<p>“He’s…” Kenma trailed off, thinking for a moment. “He’s assisting us. He’s going to lead Akiteru to your throne room where Akaashi will apprehend him.”</p>
<p>“My throne room.” She raised an eyebrow. “I suppose that makes sense, it’s usually locked up during balls so inebriated guests don’t vomit on the artwork.” She snorted. “And you mentioned Akaashi. He’s the one who helped Tobio, right?”</p>
<p>Kenma nodded. “The very same.”</p>
<p>She sighed quietly, clasping and unclasping her hands in her lap. “He’s brave. Assuming he succeeds, I’ll have to make sure he’s adequately rewarded for it.”</p>
<p>Kenma smiled slightly, he could imagine Akaashi snorting at the idea of being given awards for doing what he figured no-one else could do. Being touted as a hero wasn’t Akaashi’s style. Brushing those thoughts aside for now, they had other more important things to focus on.</p>
<p>“So what do you want to do? We can take you to the ballroom or we can take you to the Miya family’s manor until this is—”</p>
<p>“What kind of leader abandons their people?” She uttered, rising to her feet. “No. I will not hide away until this all blows over. I’m <em>done</em> with hiding.” She glanced around at them all. “Take me to the ballroom, it’s time I took back control of my empire.”</p>
<p>Kenma smiled. “And when we get to the ballroom?”</p>
<p>She gave him a stern look. “Ryuunosuke tells me that your kings have been rallying allies with the twins. Time to see how effective they’ve been at swaying public opinion.”</p>
<p>Tanaka folded his arms across his chest, raising his eyebrows at her remark. He had to admit, she had a fire about her. Regardless of whatever insecurities Akiteru had preyed upon, she hadn’t let it crush her spirit. In many ways, she reminded him of Tobio, just Tobio with a less sour mood.</p>
<p>Tanaka felt like they were ready to go. “Should we wait for Inuoka to give us more information or—”</p>
<p>Nishinoya put up a hand to stop him, closing his eyes momentarily to focus. <em>‘Yo, Sou, what’s Akiteru saying?</em>’</p>
<p>There was no response from Inuoka, prompting Shirabu to chime in. <em>‘I’m getting some weird vibes, like he’s confused, possibly fearful. Can’t say more than that. I’d say sit tight until—</em>’</p>
<p>A shiver ran down Nishinoya’s spine as Inuoka cut Shirabu off. <em>‘He…he said Yachi is on her deathbed?</em>’</p>
<p>Nishinoya and Kenma exchanged a confused look.</p>
<p>Tanaka clicked his tongue. “Uh, I’m guessing shit’s gone down?”</p>
<p>Kenma snorted. “You could say that.” He looked at Yachi. “Akiteru has just claimed you’re on your deathbed.”</p>
<p>Her eyes widened, then her brow furrowed in confusion. “He…what?”</p>
<p>Inuoka hadn’t said anything else, confusion was the main emotion being passed through. Kenma wasn’t sure what to do. This wasn’t one of their hypothesised reactions. He mulled it over for a few moments, trying to work out where that accusation could’ve come from, what truth it could be a warped retelling of. In all of Akiteru’s antics, there had only been one death and it didn’t seem that Yachi was suffering in the same way Hayato Oikawa had before his death.</p>
<p>“Yachi,” he spoke softly, “what was the last interaction you had with Akiteru?”</p>
<p>She still seemed confused. “I haven’t spoken to him in days. Not directly. I showed Kiyoko the letters he kept sending me informing me of…” she waved a hand dismissively. “All his ‘desires’ and ‘recommendations’ have either come in those letters or through guards.”</p>
<p>“So he hasn’t toyed with your mind recently?”</p>
<p>“No.” She answered earnestly. “He has not.”</p>
<p>Kenma hummed in thought. He didn’t know what to make of this. It went without saying they couldn’t make a hasty decision whilst information was scarce. They had to wait it out for now, for someone to tell them more or for something extreme to happen. If Akiteru was in the ballroom, that meant Akaashi hadn’t confronted him yet. They had to kill enough time for Kei to get Akiteru into the throne room, only then could they hope to move safely.</p>
<p>“If I may,” he gestured for Yachi to take a seat again, “would you mind telling me in more detail what Akiteru has said to you? I get he’s toyed with your recollection of events but to what extent?”</p>
<p>Yachi gingerly sat on the stool once more, folding her hands in her lap. “Uhm, well, he…” she frowned in thought. “He’d always come and personally escort me to court meetings. He acted more like a chambermaid sometimes, helping fix my hair and making sure I was ‘giving off the best impression’.”</p>
<p>Kenma nodded, encouraging her to continue.</p>
<p>“I’d catch his gaze in the reflection of the mirrored glass…” she gestured behind her to the vanity. “And then it would be all hazy until after the court meeting.” She closed her hands into fists. Tanaka exchanged a glance with Kenma before kneeling beside her and offering his hand to hold. She hesitantly took it and let out a shaky sigh. “I only really started becoming aware of it when I’d read over letters that Osamu sent after those meetings. He’d question decisions I didn’t remember making.”</p>
<p>“So you don’t remember those meetings?”</p>
<p>She shook her head, squeezing Tanaka’s hand. “Maybe, maybe at first it was…he did it because I was always nervous. Maybe I let it happen—”</p>
<p>“Hey.” Tanaka cut in. “You didn’t ‘let’ anything happen. He’s a conniving asshole.”</p>
<p>She gave him a half-hearted laugh in return. “I guess. But no, I don’t remember most of those meetings. I don’t remember arresting Hinata.” She glanced up at Kenma, the sombre expression back in her eyes. “I never wanted to blackmail Tobio.”</p>
<p>“We believe you.” Nishinoya affirmed. “You don’t seem like that type of leader.”</p>
<p>Kenma nodded in agreement. “But it happened, and we already had our theory it was an Akiteru-influenced job. This just confirms that.”</p>
<p>She nodded. “I remember the meeting Tooru arrived in the middle of. I remember feeling Akiteru’s influence in the back of my mind. He wanted me to throw Tooru out, to throw both of them out but—” she cut herself off with another shaky sigh, squeezing Tanaka’s hand again. “I refused. I-I could tell that Tobio wasn’t going to budge and once Tooru was there it was like…I remember thinking that if anyone could stand up to Akiteru it would be them.” She weakly smiled. “Contrary to what you’ve been told, I’ve heard a great many things about your kings working together.”</p>
<p>“Heard many things about a heroic band of lunatics?” Tanaka asked coyly.</p>
<p>She laughed more genuinely. “A few things…but only what Kiyoko has told me.”</p>
<p>“Ah Kiyoko.” Tanaka sighed, a content smile on his face. “She’s so cool. Terrifying with a sword, but cool.”</p>
<p>“Don’t forget how she hunted down one of the Serpents after they kidnapped Suga.” Nishinoya remarked.</p>
<p>“I was <em>there</em>.” Tanaka pouted. “Don’t think I’d forget that crazy shit, do you?”</p>
<p>Yachi giggled quietly. “That sounds like a story.”</p>
<p>“Oh it is.” Tanaka grinned. “The story of how we dragged a guild of pirates into the Battle of the Dynasty? Man it was so cool in a way, we just sailed right up to the battlefield and there were drums banging and <em>everything</em>.”</p>
<p>Kenma rolled his eyes at the over-dramatic storytelling as Tanaka continued to indulge in explaining how Kiyoko had rallied a pirate’s guild to save her ‘one true love’ and then sail straight into battle. It was only <em>slightly</em> embellished. He was content to let it happen, if it kept Yachi calm and feeling safe in their presence, he could let Tanaka and Nishinoya’s skills as storytellers shine through.</p>
<p>It gave him time to think, and that was precious time right now.</p>
<p>As he walked away from the conversation, he decided to see if he could get a better understanding of whatever Akiteru had been saying. He closed his eyes.</p>
<p><em>‘Sou, talk to me</em>’</p>
<p>There was a pause, he wasn’t sure what to think as Inuoka’s slightly panicked voice echoed in his thoughts. ‘<em>We have a problem.</em>’</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0075"><h2>75. Accusations And Assumptions</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
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</p>
<p>
  <strong>LXXV</strong>
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<p>
  <strong>Accusations &amp; Assumptions</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Hinata had tried to keep himself focused on what the noble in front of him was saying. Lord Kawanishi wasn’t a boring person, more the topic of conversation was boring given everything else happening. Tobio had asked what he had been taught about the Battle of the Black mountain and the events of a few years ago, it had been a long-winded conversation about what lies and rumours were spread around the empire so soon after Tobio’s parents died.</p>
<p>It could’ve been interesting stuff to learn about, but Hinata was distracted. Atsumu had been switching between listening and glancing around the room. As the conversation drew on, the nobles around them seemed to get more restless. Snippets of overheard conversations indicated many were wondering what was taking so long to get to the official address and what it could be about. Hinata too wondered when things would kick-off. He kept glancing to Inuoka who seemed deep in thought, probably listening to the others through the ear cuff. Yamaguchi and Asahi were focused on keeping an eye on everyone who passed by Tobio, conversation was kept to a minimum.</p>
<p>“So what do you think of Yachi?” Tobio asked, bringing Hinata back to the conversation at hand. “Think she’s a good leader?”</p>
<p>Kawanishi raised his eyebrows. “I think she has the potential to be. Gods I don’t envy her though. Too many people trying to sway her judgement, trying to get her to be more aggressive with expanding borders and forcing the Northern Territories to join us.”</p>
<p>“Yeah?” Tobio had kept cool throughout the entire conversation, something Hinata was admittedly proud of him for. “And what do you say?”</p>
<p>“I say she needs to sort out the internal rot first.” Kawanishi remarked curtly. “Too much bickering and squabbling. Some of the newer regions are still trying to tug free of their alliances. I don’t blame them of course, if I was in their position—” he stopped himself. “Basically, there are a lot of unhappy lords and ladies. Some of the regions don’t mind being part of this larger force, but they’re the ones who have been there the longest. They’re used to being told what to do.”</p>
<p>Tobio raised an eyebrow. “You think the empire should cut some of them loose?”</p>
<p>“I think if they want to keep hold of them without a rebellion sparking, they need to either address the concerns of those in regional power or…resort to some unsavoury tactics.”</p>
<p>Tobio hummed. “And are you particularly rebellious?”</p>
<p>Kawanishi snorted, taking a generous sip of his drink. “I actually don’t mind being part of a larger force, brings a certain amount of security. However,” he took another sip, “I’d prefer it if we had a confident leader who made decisions for herself and not under the influence of people just looking to gain more gold or land for themselves.”</p>
<p>Tobio couldn’t fault him for that. He caught Hinata’s eye and smiled, squeezing his hand. “Are you okay?” `</p>
<p>Hinata nodded, sensing both Kawanishi and Atsumu looking to him expectantly. “Fine.”</p>
<p>Tobio quirked an eyebrow before leaning close enough to whisper in his ear. “If you want to get some air, Tadashi can accompany you.”</p>
<p>“I’m fine, really,” Hinata squeezed Tobio’s hand, “just…getting nervous about Akiteru.”</p>
<p>Tobio pulled back a little and nodded. “I see.” He murmured, kissing Hinata’s cheek before looking back to Kawanishi. “Any idea when this address is going to happen?”</p>
<p>Kawanishi shrugged. “Empress doesn’t tend to keep up waiting this long, it’s a bit odd but not unheard of.”</p>
<p>Atsumu had remained quiet for a while, but seemed to perk up as he spotted a guard disappearing behind the curtain near the balcony. He cleared his throat to attract the others attention before nodding towards the balcony where the guard in full ceremonial armour now stood.</p>
<p>“I think we’re about to be informed.” He stated. He glanced across the room where Osamu and Tooru had been wrapped up in talking with another group of nobles and saw they had taken notice too.</p>
<p>The guard on the balcony overlooking the ballroom cleared his throat and began addressing the room. “Lords and Ladies, we must make an unprecedented announcement. Unfortunately Her Imperial Majesty won’t be able to address you personally, in her stead, I present Lord Akiteru Tsukishima.” He bowed to the room before stepping aside. From somewhere behind the curtain Akiteru stepped out. He was dressed in form-fitting robes that were deep blue in colour, tiny diamonds were stitched into the fabric around his shoulders and winked in the light as he stepped up to the edge of the balcony and set his hands on top of the low wall.</p>
<p>He appeared to scan the room with a neutral expression, a far cry from the smirk Hinata imagined he’d be wearing. Something didn’t sit right with him as Akiteru cleared his throat.</p>
<p>“Unfortunately, I must inform you all of some grave news,” his voice carried over the quiet murmurings of the guests, “Her Imperial Majesty will not be able to make this ball tonight for she has been taken ill. She expresses her regret at the events that have transpired. And, I do not take joy in informing you all that this sickness that has taken hold is not anything we believe can be cured.”</p>
<p>Atsumu cursed under his breath. “Son of a bitch…he’s lying, he’s got to be lying.”</p>
<p>Hinata swallowed, feeling Tobio squeeze his hand tight. There were shocked murmurings rising up in the ballroom before Akiteru put out a hand to quieten them down.</p>
<p>“The palace healer has been tending to her, he has concluded that it is poison, poison that does not originate from our regions.”</p>
<p>Tobio inhaled sharply. “He better not be about to say what I think he’s about to—”</p>
<p>“So what I’m saying is,” Akiteru sighed, shaking his head, “this poison originates from the south.”</p>
<p>“We had nothing to do with this.” Tobio told Kawanishi as he felt the gazes of those around him turning to him in suspicion. “I swear to you Taichi.”</p>
<p>Kawanishi seemed in a state of confusion and mild shock. Hinata felt all sorts of conflicted, stepping back slightly and finding the rest of House Kageyama’s staff had closed ranks. Asahi was glaring at some of the nearby guards who seemed ready to try and arrest them at Akiteru’s word.</p>
<p>“I do believe,” Akiteru continued, “that there may be an assassin’s guild within the palace. Now I can’t say who may have hired them, but I implore you all to be vigilant as this evening progresses. I know this news has dampened spirits but let us at least try to enjoy each other’s company. We shall update you on Her Imperial Majesty’s health as we hear more.”</p>
<p>Akiteru was quick to leave not just the balcony but the ballroom as a whole. Leaving in his wake both kings of the south to deal with the accusation levied towards their kingdoms. Sure, he hadn’t outright said they were involved, but the inference that the so-called poison was from the south was enough for some people. Tobio turned around and took Inuoka by the shoulders.</p>
<p>“Sou. You need to tell Kenma. He needs to know.”</p>
<p>Inuoka nodded, scrambling to calm himself down enough to focus on sending such a piece of news. He hoped Shirabu wasn’t getting overwhelmed by all of this.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>For most of the evening so far, Shirabu had felt calm. The murmurings that passed through the stones hadn’t been too taxing to deal with. The circle around him glowed a soft white light, pieces of parchment that bore inked focus runes lay spaced intermittently around the boundary of the circle, some of them were active, others were not. Ukai had been adamant about keeping them clean of elements, they were merely a ward of sorts. It was to ensure everyone else’s safety as well as Shirabu’s. Semi sat next to Ukai on the floor, watching the pulsing circle and Shirabu’s tense posture.</p>
<p>It had been a slow night on their end, as soon as the last group left, the cellar had fallen quiet. Moniwa was letting Goshiki read through all his journals to get him up to speed on the history of the southern realm and all the chaos that had been happening the last two years. Moniwa himself was quietly jotting down the current events and asking Ukai to explain random things about Hinode to him. Ennoshita was sat next to Goshiki reading over his shoulder but not nearly as invested as the other.</p>
<p>Semi found himself almost falling asleep at one point, the dullness of the task he had assigned himself finally catching up to him. That was until Shirabu broke the silence.</p>
<p>“He said <em>what</em>.”</p>
<p>Semi’s eyes flew open. “Who?”</p>
<p>Shirabu had been in a state of deep meditation, the purple stone was still sat in front of him within the circle to keep him from becoming too tired too quickly. It seemed to give him added energy when the conversations appeared to put him under more strain. This was the first time they had heard him speak since all this began. His breathing had quickened, hands were clutching his knees as he seemed in minor discomfort. The ring on his finger was shining brightly. Ukai frowned as the large stone lit up momentarily.</p>
<p>“…wait he knows? How the fuck does he…he accused us of <em>what</em>? Slow the fuck down Sou.”</p>
<p>Semi inhaled sharply. “Sounds like something just went tits up.” He muttered to Ukai.</p>
<p>“Poison?!”</p>
<p>Ukai wasn’t sure if he should break the ward to try and calm Shirabu down. Semi was hugging his knees tightly, actively resisting the urge to crawl forward and at least place a reassuring hand on his shoulder. He had been told sternly by Ukai not to break the circle whilst there was void magic happening.</p>
<p>“Okay, okay,” Shirabu shook his head, “so lemme get this—shut <em>up</em> for a second<em>,</em> he just said the empress has been poisoned and it’s been done with a poison from…but she’s fine? What is he—”</p>
<p>Semi was trying to piece together what the hell was happening. All he could gather was Akiteru was throwing accusations around. The wider implications weren’t obvious currently.</p>
<p>“So he’s gone? Any idea if Akaashi is in—no they left ages ago.”</p>
<p>Semi was sort of thankful he wasn’t in the palace right now, it sounded like a lot of chaos was about to erupt.</p>
<p>“Okay, listen to me carefully,” Shirabu was giving out orders audibly, whether this was a case of actually speaking was easier than trying to listen and speak all in his mind, Semi wasn’t sure. He just appreciated that he got to hear some of what was happening. “Kenma, is Yachi okay?” A beat of silence fell as Shirabu nodded in understanding. “Do you want me to check? Alright. Put your hand against her forehead— yes I know she’s the empress but it’s easier this way—”</p>
<p>Shirabu went quiet abruptly. Semi and Ukai exchanged a glance as the stone in front of him shone a little brighter. His fingers dug into his knees, fingertips turning white as one of the focus runes activated. The ring continued to shine like a star in the sky. The silence from him was almost more concerning than before. Shirabu tilted his head, brows furrowing as his uneven breathing continued. He didn’t seem disturbed by whatever he was seeing or feeling, more confused.</p>
<p>“She’s fine.” He murmured, letting out a sigh of relief. “I can’t—yes I’m <em>fucking</em> sure. I’d like to think the fucking healing mage can sense some god damn poison—”</p>
<p>Semi wanted to laugh at the incredulous tone in Shirabu’s voice but thought better of it.</p>
<p>“Anyway, she’s fine.” Shirabu muttered. “He’s lying. But still, be careful.”</p>
<p>There was a pause, then silence. Shirabu opened his eyes for the first time in a while, blinking rapidly as he relaxed a little. He scoffed, muttering something under his breath as he tried to loosen tense muscles. He glanced over at Semi and Ukai.</p>
<p>“So Akiteru straight up said the empress was poisoned by an assassin’s guild.” He stated. “So yeah, it’s all about to kick off there. Gods have mercy.”</p>
<p>Semi didn’t have anything sensible to say, he let out a low hum as Ukai rubbed his chin in thought. “Lying about the empress’ health. He’s really going for it.”</p>
<p>Shirabu shrugged. “Hopefully Tooru and Tobio won’t fly off the handle. Things sound tense. Anyway, I need to refocus.” He sighed, rolling his shoulders before settling back down to slip into his meditative state once more.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Ushijima had taken them to one of the side passages into the throne room only to find the door locked tight. Not one to be stumped by this, he decided they’d go to the guard captain’s quarters and pick up the key. After all, they were all dressed as guards, and who was to question if they needed to check the throne room for something?</p>
<p> Akaashi was eerily calm. The ring in his pocket felt warm, the stone reacting to its siblings that were in use across the palace. Once in the captain’s quarters that doubled as a rest room, Ushijima took his time to find the right set of keys, even making idle chitchat with one of the guards who had been relieved of duty for now and was sat down near a brazier. The huge man wasn’t the most talkative, his chainmail glimmering in the firelight as he rested his sword across his legs. Bokuto was keenly checking out his armour from afar, wondering how heavy it must weigh given how large the warrior was.</p>
<p>Before they could leave however, another guard burst in. “Oi, everyone get out there, apparently there are assassins in the palace.” He curtly told them all. “They’ve poisoned the empress and Akiteru wants them caught dead or alive.”</p>
<p>Ushijima kept his cool, offering the keys to the throne room to Bokuto. “You continue what we were doing beforehand.” He stated, looking to Daichi and Kuroo. “Will both of you accompany me?”</p>
<p>Kuroo didn’t like the fact he was being separated from Akaashi like this, but he nodded. “Of course, better root out these scummy bastards.”</p>
<p>“Exactly.” Daichi echoed the sentiment.</p>
<p>Bokuto saluted Ushijima. “We’ll handle the rest.” He nodded, gripping the keys tightly. Akaashi nodded wordlessly, glancing to Kuroo.</p>
<p><em>‘Remember what I said, I’ll come back to you. I promise.</em>’</p>
<p>Kuroo inhaled sharply as the unknown guard got to his feet and slung his sword across his shoulders. He nodded to Akaashi.</p>
<p>With nothing else to say, verbally or through magic, Kuroo turned on his heel and rallied Daichi and Ushijima to hurry up. Bokuto put a hand on Akaashi’s shoulder and gently squeezed. They followed the others out but took off back towards the side passage to the throne room. There were many questions rising in Bokuto’s mind, but he tried to brush them aside as they rounded a corner. He froze in his tracks before abruptly shoving Akaashi back around the corner and covering his mouth with his hand.</p>
<p>“It’s them.” He breathed.</p>
<p>Akaashi wasn’t in any position to take on Akiteru in a hallway. Bokuto stole a glance around the corner and saw that Kei was stood talking to Akiteru, he was frowning but otherwise calm. The two weren’t making it obvious which direction they’d be heading in, merely stood talking as guards moved around them. As Bokuto caught Kei’s gaze, he pointed down the hallway towards the second door. Kei showed no visible sign of taking note, however he tilted his head and said something that made Akiteru laugh a little before nodding. Bokuto watched as they started walking away and then turned off towards the passage into the throne room.</p>
<p>He assumed they had a key.</p>
<p>He turned back to Akaashi and sighed. “Right. So, I guess…you’re going in the front.”</p>
<p>Akaashi closed his eyes, exhaling heavily. “…so be it.”</p>
<p>Bokuto felt bad, he was effectively sending his best friend to his doom. They made their way towards the front entrance to the throne room. There were probably meant to be guards stood there but the chaos of trying to root out the Brotherhood had displaced many guards. Bokuto accompanied Akaashi right up to the large double doors and unlocked the door with an audible click.</p>
<p>They paused. Akaashi let out a heavy, shaky breath. “Well, this isn’t how I…” he shook his head. “We’re here now.”</p>
<p>Bokuto gave him a sombre smile. “You got this.” He put a hand on Akaashi’s shoulder. “I know you do.”</p>
<p>Akaashi forced a smile, looking at Bokuto. “Thank you Koutarou,” he spoke softly, “for everything.”</p>
<p>Bokuto could feel himself tearing up again. “No need to thank me Keiji,” he squeezed Akaashi’s shoulder, “just do me one favour yeah?”</p>
<p>“What?”</p>
<p>“Go in there and fuck his shit up.” Bokuto told him. “And remember that you’re buying first round in the tavern later.”</p>
<p>Akaashi gave in a genuine smile. “Only if you do me a favour in return.”</p>
<p>“You bet.”</p>
<p>He inhaled sharply. “Make sure Tetsurou is okay in the aftermath. It’s not going to be pretty and if I’m not there…someone needs to be.”</p>
<p>Bokuto sniffed. He didn’t want to think about that outcome but he nodded fervently. “W-Will do.”</p>
<p>“Alright.” Akaashi abruptly closed the gap between them and hugged Bokuto. “I love you Kou, I couldn’t ask for a better brother.”</p>
<p>Bokuto was too close to losing it, squeezing Akaashi tightly as his shaky breathing was loud in Akaashi’s ear. “I love you too Keiji.”</p>
<p>Akaashi let himself dwell on the feeling of being held for a few moments before coming to terms with the situation in front of him. He let go and stepped back, giving Bokuto one final smile before stepping up to the doors. As his hands closed around the handles, a call from the guards threatened to spook him.</p>
<p>“Ignore them.” Bokuto said, drawing his sword, steel zinging against leather. “I got your back bro.”</p>
<p>Akaashi couldn’t bear to look behind him. He yanked the doors open and stepped through into the throne room. It was dark, only the wide unshuttered windows allowing moonlight into the room prevented it being pitch black. His footsteps echoed off the stone walls as he slowly walked further into the room, the doors slammed shut behind him as more calls to halt rang out. His gaze was immediately drawn to the throne in the centre of the wall, nestled between the tiered seating that the nobles occupied during the summons and against the backdrop of soaring eagles who looked more sinister in the gloom.</p>
<p>The throne was not empty. In the silvery light he saw Akiteru sat poised on the throne that he intended to swipe from Yachi’s control. He appeared to shimmer as he shifted his sitting position, a chuckle came from him as he raised his gaze to meet Akaashi’s.</p>
<p>“So, we meet at last.” He remarked. “Keiji Akaashi.”</p>
<p>A wave of uncertainty washed over Akaashi as he halted halfway between the doors and the throne. In the silence, he heard Akiteru snap his fingers, a pulse of purple light flashed but nothing visible happened. Akaashi wasn’t sure if there was meant to be some sort of binding enchantment. It wasn’t until he glanced behind him and saw the doors he had just walked through were blocked off with a thin wall of swirling purple tendrils that he realised what had happened. Wards. Wards made of void magic.</p>
<p>In a way, Akaashi wasn’t upset about this development. It meant this was truly going to be a one on one affair. No guards, no mercenaries, no assassins. Just him and Akiteru, just as the other wanted.</p>
<p>He let out a short exhale as he turned back to face Akiteru. He wasn’t sure what to say, where to start this confrontation. He needed to show he wasn’t intimidated. This wasn’t the time for mental weakness.</p>
<p>“I wouldn’t get too comfortable on that throne.” He brought his hand up under the purple sash that covered his armour, fingers found the clasp that kept his whip-blade coiled around his waist. “You won’t be sitting on it again after tonight.”</p>
<p>Akiteru chuckled, even as Akaashi released the clasp and took the hilt of the whip-blade. The sharpened edges tore through the purple sash, shreds fell to the floor as steel shimmered in the moonlight. As the end coiled near Akaashi’s feet, he waited for a reaction.</p>
<p>“I must applaud your efforts.” Akiteru didn’t move. “You’ve managed to annoy me more than most.”</p>
<p>Akaashi snorted. “If by annoy, you mean I’ve stopped your ridiculous plans, then I’ll take that honour.”</p>
<p>“I wouldn’t say <em>stopped</em>, more…prompted revisions.”</p>
<p>“The Brotherhood isn’t going to roll over and let guards arrest them on false crimes.” Akaashi gripped the hilt of the whip a little tighter. “And once your part in the destruction of the old district is exposed, you’re going to have a nice bounty on your head, one we’re going to collect.”</p>
<p>Akiteru laughed, his voice echoed around the large room, bouncing off the stone walls. “Ah yes, you spoke to Goshiki, my dear little Tsutomu.” He sighed. “He had so much potential.”</p>
<p>Akaashi felt indignant at the way Akiteru spoke. “You <em>tortured</em> him.”</p>
<p>“Aye, some would call it that. I call it realising true power.” Akiteru stood up but didn’t make a move to step forward. “Tell me Keiji, do you realise your true power? Or are you caught up on being cursed still?”</p>
<p>He wasn’t surprised that Akiteru would hone in on that so quickly. He inhaled sharply as the faint ripples of uneasiness settled. He actively pushed them away as he tried to remain in a calm, neutral frame of mind. “True power, you say.” Akaashi repeated back to him. “What great tell do you mean by that? Goshiki isn’t an empath. He shouldn’t have been able to speak through that ward to me.”</p>
<p>Akiteru stepped forward, taking the steps down from the throne slowly but not out of caution. “You’re avoiding my question.” He smiled too sweetly, it reminded Akaashi of how Tooru approached troublesome nobility. “Do you still see yourself as cursed?”</p>
<p>“Why would I?”</p>
<p>“Because we are.” Akiteru shrugged, halting at the bottom of the steps. “The world is never ready to accept our powers, so they make up the stories to terrify children, to warn them that there are people out there who’ll twist their words.” He clasped his hands behind his back. “How many empaths do you think buried their powers because of those stories?”</p>
<p>Akaashi narrowed his gaze. He swallowed as Akiteru geld his gaze but there was no onslaught of pain or terror. It almost felt like Akiteru wanted to have an actual conversation about it. It felt unsettling, like a lion stalking its prey. He took half a step back, still prepared to defend himself.</p>
<p>“When people like you give us that reputation, can you blame them?” He replied. “The stories hold some truth.”</p>
<p>“So you admit it, we’re cursed?”</p>
<p>“Only by the actions of idiots like you.” Akaashi uttered, willing himself not to dig up the memories of long ago.</p>
<p>Akiteru laughed. “I was trying to prove a point, that just because we don’t shoot fire from our fingertips or summon lightning storms doesn’t mean we aren’t powerful.” He brought a hand out from behind him, purple wisps swirling around fingertips. “It’s not <em>my</em> fault that they forced my hand.”</p>
<p>“They did no such thing.”</p>
<p>“Didn’t they?” Akiteru raised an eyebrow. “So you’re saying they didn’t bully and humiliate my younger brother for being different?”</p>
<p>Akaashi gritted his teeth. “That doesn’t mean you had to burn down an entire fucking district. Kei didn’t want you to kill people for childish remarks and wounded pride.”</p>
<p>Akiteru’s smile faded as he tutted. “An assassin with a moral compass, what a freak you are.”</p>
<p>Akaashi brought the pad of his thumb over the runestone in the hilt, there was a series of loud grinding noises as the segments of steel clashed together to form the solid sword. Akiteru didn’t seem surprised at the show of aggression, merely raising an eyebrow.</p>
<p>“I’d rather be a freak than a monster like you.” Akaashi uttered.</p>
<p>Bringing his other hand out from behind him, Akiteru drew a concealed sword from within his robes. From the brief glance Akaashi got, it didn’t seem particularly unique in design but the steel winked in the moonlight all the same. What he didn’t expect were the purple wisps to begin emitting from the hilt and weave around the blade like vines. Noting his confusion, Akiteru smiled again.</p>
<p>“You’re not the only one with tricks.” He raised his blade to challenge Akaashi. “So what’ll it be, a battle of swords or a battle of wits?”</p>
<p>Akaashi knew in his gut that any enchanted sword spelt trouble. He exhaled through gritted teeth. Surrender wasn’t an option now. He stood his ground, watching the wisps glow in the darkness, wondering how they worked with the steel and how to use that to his advantage. Akiteru seemed oddly chivalrous, not moving to strike as he remained silent.</p>
<p>“What would killing me prove?” He raised his blade across his chest, feeling the thrumming of the runestone keeping tension in the core of the sword. “Or is it just the fact you and I both know that if anyone can best you, it’s me and you don’t want the competition.”</p>
<p>Akiteru’s smile faded into a scowl. Akaashi felt a malevolent feeling wash over him as he dared to smirk slightly. He was right. He had always been right in that regard. Akiteru may be powerful, but Akaashi had undone empath magic before, he had proven that he was capable of taking whatever magic was hurled at him, no amount of trauma and pain had made him crumble yet.</p>
<p>“I think we’re done talking.” Akiteru tilted his blade. “Once you’re dead, no-one will stand in my way.”</p>
<p>Akaashi smirked. “Good luck. I’m awfully stubborn about not dying.”</p>
<p>“Let’s test that then.” Akiteru lunged forward, sword coming down to strike him.</p>
<p>Akaashi brought his blade up as he ducked, parrying the hit but ultimately focusing on rolling out of the way and regaining his footing. He wasn’t sure what effect the wisps of void energy would do if he caught them with his hand, he decided it would be best not to find out.</p>
<p>Blows were parried, neither landing a hit. But that was only half the battle, each fleeting moment of eye contact brought bursts of energy along with emotions surging through him. Images of places he didn’t recognise would flash in his mind, fear and sorrow rose unexpectedly, confusing and distracting him in equal measure.</p>
<p>The dimness of the room provided a decent amount of shadows to slip into, only the glowing rune in his sword and the purple wisps encircling Akiteru’s were the sources of light beyond what spilt in from the window. It was far from ideal, but he wasn’t about to start a fire just to give himself away even more. He would say he was used to duelling, but not alone like this. With the wards in place, there was little hope of anyone rushing to his aid, whether he had asked them to or not.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0076"><h2>76. Moving Parts</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>LXXVI</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Moving Parts</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Yaku and Kunimi had heard the commotion before they realised what had happened. The guards had been spooked, gone were the passive looks of boredom and now a sense of urgency was gripping them as they moved throughout the palace. Neither Yaku nor Kunimi could say they were enamoured by the idea something had gone wrong. They had been milling around in one of the hallways taking a short break from their acting when they saw Daichi approaching. The fact he was alone didn’t sit right with them but they waited until he was closer before saying anything.</p>
<p>“What’s happened?” Kunimi asked. “All the guards look like they shit themselves.”</p>
<p>Daichi glanced around to make sure they weren’t being seen. “Akiteru has apparently told the court that ‘an assassin has poisoned the empress’.” He murmured. “So Bokuto has taken Akaashi to the throne room and the rest of us…are winging it.”</p>
<p>The news sunk in, Yaku let out a heavy sigh. “Of fucking <em>course</em> he has.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “So now what?”</p>
<p>“Well <em>obviously</em> now we get good at pretending to hunt for ourselves.” Kunimi shrugged. “Seriously, why should we do anything? Unless Ushijima and Aone sell us out, no-one is gonna know we’re not actually guards.”</p>
<p>Aone raised an eyebrow before shaking his head. “I do not know the formal procedure, but I imagine the captains of each unit of guards will call their men back and it’ll be fairly easy to see who is and isn’t a legitimate guard.”</p>
<p>“Shit.”</p>
<p>“So then there’s only one thing we can do,” Daichi sighed, glancing over his shoulder again and sighting a patrol, “we have to find the others and we have to—”</p>
<p>“If you fucking say we run away, I’m not following that order.” Kunimi hissed. “We’d be leaving Hinata and the others to fend for themselves.”</p>
<p>“And if we stay, we’ll be seen as rebel forces.” Yaku quipped.</p>
<p>“So? We <em>are</em> rebel forces. We’re rebelling against the empire being taken over by a fucking lunatic!”</p>
<p>Daichi looked back and forth between them. In his gut, he knew they should cut their losses and leave, grab the horses and bolt for the border whilst they still could. This was a game of numbers they couldn’t win, and no dragon was going to save them this time. Even if Yachi could regain control, there was no saying the guards would listen to her. They’d still be seen as rebels. But as he met Kunimi’s gaze he saw the fiery determination that had been kindled in recent months. The Brotherhood had their creed, he had recited it himself with Kuroo.</p>
<p>Together they rise and together they’ll fall.</p>
<p>“Akira’s right.” Daichi stated, grabbing the hilt of his sword. “We haven’t come this far, we haven’t sent Akaashi to his doom just for the rest of us to abandon him. He’s playing his part, so we must play ours.” He looked to Aone. “Are you with us or against us?”</p>
<p>Aone appeared to consider it for a split second as the patrol neared and called for them to identify which family they serve. “Atsumu and Osamu told me and Wakatoshi to help you in any way we could.” He stepped around Daichi and reached into an inner pocket under his armour. Slowly, he brought out a pendant with a bright white fox head painted onto the silver medallion. He stood firm as the guards halted and made to draw weapons, still barking for identification. He held the medallion up to them. “We serve the Miya family. Stand down.”</p>
<p>The guard at the front scowled, clearly put out they hadn’t found their target. “Have you not heard? Her majesty has been poisoned—”</p>
<p>“By an assassin, according to Lord Tsukishima. Yes.” Aone nodded, still holding the medallion. “Does his lordship have any idea what they look like? Or if they’re even here?”</p>
<p>The scowling continued. “Well, he seemed pretty confident—”</p>
<p>Aone snorted, lowering his arm and putting the medallion back within his armour. “Move along already. We’re not involved in treason.”</p>
<p>There was a pause as the other guards seemed ready to challenge Aone but his stern gaze convinced them otherwise. They continued past the group, not even glancing their way as they made for the second parlour. Aone shook his head as he turned back to Daichi. “We better find some of your associates, or even better, get to the ballroom and make sure your kings are safe.”</p>
<p>“Agreed.” Daichi nodded, looking back to Yaku and Kunimi. “Let’s go.”</p>
<p>They tried not to think too hard into what could be happening in the throne room. They had to find Kuroo and make sure both Tobio and Tooru were safe.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Hearing Inuoka relaying the details of what Akiteru was accusing them of, Kenma had acted quickly under Shirabu’s instruction. He knew that some poisons took a while to work, that many didn’t show any signs until it was too late. Yachi had remained calm as Kenma allowed Shirabu to make a distant check. He didn’t feel anything untoward himself and he couldn’t see any obvious signs she had been poisoned.</p>
<p>They concluded that Akiteru was indeed lying, not that it helped very much.</p>
<p>As he loosely explained not just what Akiteru was saying but also how the ear cuffs worked, Kenma started asking more about what Akiteru did and said to her.</p>
<p>The chamber was silent as Yachi finished telling Kenma the broad details of what she had gone through at the hands of Akiteru. It was all eerily reminiscent of Tobio’s story with Kei. Granted, there weren’t as many false memories of trauma, but the whispering on her thoughts, the gradual manipulation over time, the coaxing her into making choices she didn’t agree with through complete mind control. It all sounded far too similar for Kenma’s liking.</p>
<p>What puzzled him was how she didn’t seem as scorned by it all. Tobio had come to loathe everyone around him, yet Yachi seemed willing to trust complete strangers to ensure her survival and help reclaim control. It either spoke to her mental fortitude, or how desperate she had become to be rid of Akiteru.</p>
<p>“So yeah, I feel…fortunate that he hasn’t completely broken me in the same way I hear Kei hurt Tobio…” She sighed, fidgeting with her hands in her lap. “But he’s made a mess of things. I’m not sure how my court views any of this, how they think of me as a leader, how likely they’ll be to trust me again.” She glanced around at them all. “But I meant what I said, I’m done hiding. I want to fix it all, not just up here but I want to fix the generations of hurt that my family has done to everyone around us. I can’t do that with him still here.”</p>
<p>Kenma nodded slowly. There was still a lot to unpack, even getting rid of Akiteru wouldn’t make an easy road ahead for her. It would require determination and patience, like most political journeys. It wasn’t impossible though.</p>
<p>“I see.” Kenma sighed. “Well, whilst tonight may be a turbulent night to begin such an endeavour, the journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step.” He smiled. “And you asked for the Brotherhood’s help, so we’re here to fulfil that request.”</p>
<p>He looked down at his hands, at the ear cuff sat in his palm. He had taken it off so he didn’t get distracted by Shirabu or Inuoka’s chatter. Nishinoya had been restless throughout the conversation, pacing the room and muttering quietly, recounting to Shirabu what was happening and hearing Inuoka’s panicked thoughts about whatever chaos was breaking out in the ballroom. Tanaka had moved to keep watch outside with Lev, sensing that something big was coming.</p>
<p>Lev remembered his promise he made to Akaashi. Knowing that Akiteru had made his move now meant Akaashi was probably on the cusp of dealing with him. He felt drawn to somewhere, elsewhere, a different door of the palace than the one he sat outside with Tanaka. He wasn’t sure if he should explain, if Akaashi would want him to explain.</p>
<p>“You’re oddly quiet.” Tanaka murmured. “What’s bugging you?”</p>
<p>Lev chirped quietly, the chirp melting into a low growl as he heard footsteps approaching. “…now you’re here to protect her, I need to…do something.”</p>
<p>“Do something.” Tanaka echoed, looking down at him. “Let me guess, it’s mage stuff?”</p>
<p>Lev glanced up, tail thrashing against the floor. “…sort of.”</p>
<p>Tanaka chuckled slightly, shaking his head. “Lev, I’m not gonna argue with mage stuff. I’m just gonna follow Kenma’s orders. Kenma didn’t tell me to keep you here.”</p>
<p>Lev took that as Tanaka’s blessing. He stood up and began prowling down the hallway, glancing back and seeing Tanaka give him a thumbs up. Sniffing the air, he could feel the tug stronger. Footsteps were still approaching but he felt confident he could slip by. The many alcoves he was passing could provide excellent cover. He was about to dart into one of them when he recognised the scent on the air.</p>
<p>He froze as they rounded the corner. He readied to pounce, only getting a sharp noise of surprise.</p>
<p>“Fucking hell it’s just you.” Kei cursed.</p>
<p>“…yes.” Lev growled, still ready to pounce.</p>
<p>Kei huffed. “Where are you going?”</p>
<p>Lev didn’t move. “What’s it to you?”</p>
<p>“Let me list off the <em>many</em> reasons—” Kei scoffed, “you’re a fucking <em>talking</em> <em>lion</em> in the <em>imperial palace</em> during a time of crisis where my dumb brother just said the empress is on her <em>deathbed.</em> So excuse me for being more than a <em>little </em>suspicious of your intentions right now.”</p>
<p>“So what are you gonna do, stop me?” Lev crept forward.</p>
<p>Kei scowled. “Where are you <em>going</em> you dumb cat?”</p>
<p>“To help Akaashi stop your brother.”</p>
<p>Kei’s scowl wavered, he adjusted his glasses. “I see. In that case, may I suggest you find the side entrance? The main one is blocked.”</p>
<p>Lev found his quick change of heart amusing. “Feel free to take me there.”</p>
<p>“You little…” Kei scoffed again, “fine.” He turned on his heel and beckoned Lev to follow him. “This has got to be the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever done…”</p>
<p>Lev didn’t rise to the remark. He had a job to do. He wasn’t sure what he was going to do against Akiteru, but he was good at improvising. The journey to the side door was quick, Kei taking him through lesser-used hallways and rooms that should’ve been locked up tight. Clearly the declaration of assassins in the palace had spooked the guards.</p>
<p>“I don’t know what you’re intending to do,” Kei uttered as they arrived at the door, “but I’m just fulfilling my side of the bargain I made with Kuroo and Tobio.”</p>
<p>Lev snorted, watching Kei open the door only to be greeted with a dense barrier of purple energy. Even with his hearing, he couldn’t tell what was happening on the other side. He couldn’t even <em>see </em>beyond the barrier<em>. </em>Kei seemed unfazed, even a little amused.</p>
<p>“I’ll give you a hint.” He murmured. “It’s void magic.”</p>
<p>Lev could appreciate Kei’s willingness to help, even if it was shrouded in mild arrogance. He readied himself to leap forward, willing the old magic in him to rise. Purple wisps swirled around him as he trained his gaze on the shimmering wall.</p>
<p>“Good luck, you dumb cat.” Kei remarked.</p>
<p>“Thanks, dumb human.” Lev retorted, he sprang forward, launching himself through the barrier.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Suga and Kiyoko hadn’t made it that far across the palace when they both heard the commotion from a group of nobles. Hearing the words ‘poisoned the empress’ and ‘assassins in the palace’ sent chills through them. At hearing footsteps of approaching guards, Suga had pulled Kiyoko into an alcove and both crouched behind a statue until the guards had passed. Panic was starting to set in as they tried to work out what had happened in their absence.</p>
<p>“Akiteru must’ve said something.” Kiyoko deduced. “Made up some lies, now he’s got the palace searching for us.”</p>
<p>Suga nodded, peeking his head out from the alcove. “Right. So, worst-case scenario?”</p>
<p>“Tobio and Tooru lose what’s left of their patience and start levying accusations in return?”</p>
<p>“Or we get caught.” He murmured as he figured it was safe enough to emerge. “Or Kenma and the others…”</p>
<p>Kiyoko inhaled sharply. “We need to go back.”</p>
<p>Suga was torn, he knew that getting back to the empress’ chambers wouldn’t be easy. He also knew the Brotherhood was most likely scattered across the palace now and in varying states of panicking and falling back on old habits. Killing innocents wasn’t their thing anymore, but if it were a choice of kill or be arrested for supposed treason, he knew how some of them would react.</p>
<p>He took her by the shoulders. “Listen to me.” He whispered. “If we get accosted, you run.”</p>
<p>She snorted. “Koushi, you and I both know who would fare better in a sword fight.”</p>
<p>“Yes.” He wryly smiled. “Which is why <em>you</em> need to help Keiji.” He squeezed her shoulders. “Like you told me you want to. So, we go back to Yachi, we make sure Akiteru is lying and we figure out a plan. But this all goes to waste if Keiji doesn’t win. If push comes to shove, you forget about me and you <em>go</em>.”</p>
<p>She swallowed the lump in her throat. She wanted to argue, she wanted to shake her head and dismiss his concern but there wasn’t time for that. He had made his mind up and she had to accept it.</p>
<p>“Alright.” She nodded. “Understood.”</p>
<p>“Good.” He released her. “Let’s get going.”</p>
<p>They turned and set off down the hallway they had been walking through. The scent of cinnamon was stronger as doors were flung open in searching for the supposed assassins. There was an air of panic rippling through the palace. All they had to do was get back to the empress’ chambers and make sure Akiteru was lying, what happened after that was anyone’s guess. As they travelled through hallways and tried to appear inconspicuous, the smell of cinnamon seemed everywhere. It struck Suga as weird because they had long left the areas of the palace that were set aside for the guests and so incense seemed an unlikely source.</p>
<p>He didn’t dwell on it as they came to the hallway they had left Kenma and Nishinoya in. Relief swept over both of them as they saw Tanaka stood guard. He seemed a little confused at their arrival, even if he knew of the lies Akiteru was spouting.</p>
<p>“No, no guards have come this way.” He shrugged. “Weird, but I guess if they’ve been told she’s already being seen to…”</p>
<p>“Makes sense.” Kiyoko nodded, glancing at the door. “May I?”</p>
<p>He nodded, knocking on the door before opening it for them. She stepped inside, leaving Suga out in the hallway to stand guard. As she saw Yachi, she smiled and bowed in greeting. “I told you we’d fulfil our promise.” She said.</p>
<p>“I never doubted you.” Yachi smiled in return. “Your friends told me about your heroic efforts to save your lover.”</p>
<p>Kiyoko cleared her throat, shooting a glance to Nishinoya who sheepishly smiled. “Aha, I see.” She couldn’t play off the blush on her cheeks. “In any case, I assume you’ve been told about—”</p>
<p>“Apparently I’ve been poisoned. Yes.” Yachi nodded. “And your friend Akaashi is going to be trying to best him in my throne room.”</p>
<p>Kiyoko nodded. There was relief that Yachi was safe, that she had people around her who could guard her. The conversation with Suga was fresh in her mind, if Akaashi was in the throne room already, she needed to hurry up.</p>
<p>“You wouldn’t happen to know about any not-so-well-known passages into your throne room, would you?”</p>
<p>The question got wide-eyed looks from Nishinoya and Kenma, neither said anything aloud though as Kiyoko waited for Yachi to think the question over.</p>
<p>“Well, there’s the normal passageway nobles use from the second parlour. But I imagine you want to be sneaky about it?”</p>
<p>Kiyoko smiled. “You know me too well.”</p>
<p>Yachi mirrored the smile. “Go out the door, take the second door on your right. On the bookcase is an eagle statue, pull it forwards and a hallway will open up to you.” She recounted with ease. “It’s a failsafe that few know of.”</p>
<p>Kiyoko bowed again. “Many thanks.”</p>
<p>“Good luck Kiyoko. May your sword strike true.”</p>
<p>Casting another glance to Nishinoya and Kenma, Kiyoko left with a nod in parting. As she stepped out into the hallway, she grabbed Suga’s hand and tugged him close. Caught off guard, he opened his mouth to question what was happening, she stole his lips in a rushed kiss. Tanaka wasn’t sure what to make of it as she gently pushed Suga back and held his face.</p>
<p>“I’m going.”</p>
<p>Suga was bewildered but nodded. “…good luck.”</p>
<p>She smiled, eyes misty at the prospect of what was to come. “You too. Make sure she gets to the ballroom.”</p>
<p>“Yes ma’am.” He smiled, mock saluting. “I’ll see you in the aftermath.”</p>
<p>“I love you Koushi.” She released him abruptly and nodded in parting to Tanaka before setting off down the hallway. She found the second door on her right and the bookcase Yachi spoke of in a small storeroom that was filled with spare chairs and buckets. The statue of the eagle moved with ease, a series of clicks as pulleys activated echoed out as the bookcase sunk back into the wall and slid aside to reveal a tunnel.</p>
<p>It was dark, but this was no time for childish fears. What lay beyond the darkness was much more terrifying than any nightmare. She drew her katana before stepping into the narrow tunnel.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, it came away bloodied. He swiped his tongue over his lip and caught the taste of iron. Akiteru came back for another lunge, sword catching his gauntlet and making his grip on his sword falter. He forced his fingers to close around it tighter, ignoring the flare of pain that came with it. It was exhausting. He was already feeling drained from constantly trying to withstand Akiteru prying into his mind.</p>
<p>He had underestimated how quickly he’d succumb to it. He wasn’t particularly surprised in a way, he had put himself under so much stress in recent weeks it was almost bound to turn out this way. He parried another hit, pain shooting up his arm. He winced. Akiteru smirked.</p>
<p>“You certainly are stubborn.” He remarked. “But isn’t it tiring, trying to cope with it all?”</p>
<p>“Maybe for you.” Akaashi hissed in return, shoving Akiteru back and swapping his sword to his other hand. “I made my peace with my past.”</p>
<p>“Aha.” Akiteru didn’t seem nearly as fazed as Akaashi wanted him to be. “But you’re not just carrying <em>your </em>past, are you?” He met Akaashi’s gaze and there was nothing Akaashi could do to stop him prying.</p>
<p>His head felt like it would split open, he could hear his pulse as flashes of the things he had seen replayed.</p>
<p>
  <em>Bloodied corpses strewn across a forge, so many innocents slaughtered in one night of chaos. The sorrow that rose up as he caught the smell of death on the ocean breeze. The gulls were silent, the weeping was louder as it echoed in his mind.</em>
</p>
<p>He winced as he used his off hand to try and land a strike. The clash of steel meeting rang out. He shook Akiteru out of his mind as he broke eye contact to duck out of the way of another hit.</p>
<p>“What was the point of making them relive those things?” He snapped. “Why did you do any of it?”</p>
<p>Akiteru snorted, taking a moment to catch his breath as Akaashi seemed content to let him answer before any further lunges were made.</p>
<p>“They interfered.” He shrugged. “You all did.” He brought his free hand up, fingers flexing and showing off the purple wisps. “I won’t say I didn’t enjoy seeing how fucked up your little ‘family’ is. You’re all freaks.”</p>
<p>“We’re <em>people</em>. People go through shit.” Akaashi uttered. “Except most of us don’t feel the need to—”</p>
<p>“Murder innocents?” Akiteru finished with a raised eyebrow. “Tsk, Keiji, you shouldn’t lie.”</p>
<p>He held out his free hand, purple wisps darting out like lightning bolts. Akaashi instinctively raised his forearm in front of his face but it was futile. They struck anyway and the memory rose up from the darkness.</p>
<p>
  <em>The woman wept as he held the knife in front of her throat. Guilt clutched his heart in a vice-like grip. Torn between honouring the oath he was bound to and spitting in Suguru</em>
  <em>’s face for making him do it. Her eyes were glassy as she met his gaze. The eyes Akaashi knew too well from elsewhere.</em>
</p>
<p>“You never told your dear Tetsurou, did you?”</p>
<p>Akaashi scoffed. He had a pounding headache already, coupled with his sword-arm aching and he was already in rough shape and he’d hardly left a bruise on Akiteru. He needed a plan. He needed something.</p>
<p>He started by rotating his sore wrist and deciding to switch his tactics. Such strong emotions made it easy to summon his own void. Akiteru seemed amused by this show of strength. He heart was racing faster than his thoughts could arrange themselves. He had spent months walking around with the images in his head, the blood on the walls and the stench of death in the air. He was going to put them to use finally. It wasn’t like this would be the first time he inflicted horror on another.</p>
<p>Copying Akiteru’s motion, he heard his wrist click as he threw his own element back. He saw the throne room of Hokubujōsai flash in his mind briefly before it morphed into the same room the stood in presently. The eagles on the walls were covered in spatter, the throne itself broken in half like a battle-axe had hit it. He felt resistance to his power but pressed further, gripping his sword tightly as he lunged forward and made to strike Akiteru cleanly across his chest.</p>
<p>A sword came up to meet his. He felt himself be shoved out, the rebounding elements making him hiss in pain. Akiteru’s hand came up to grab his throat, holding him still.</p>
<p>“Nice try.” He murmured, eye twitching. “But Kei was never quite as good as I was about planting false memories.”</p>
<p>“Never said he was.” Akaashi hissed, thumb pressing the rune in his hilt. The steel separated into segments once more, he flicked his wrist and caught Akiteru’s sword in the coiled whip. With another harsh yank, he tore it from Akiteru’s grasp, bringing his knee up to strike Akiteru in the stomach, surprising him enough to release his neck.</p>
<p>The momentum tore his whip-blade from his weaker hand, sending both clattering onto the floor. Now only armed with their respective magic, there was less chance of bleeding to death. That didn’t mean it was going to be any less deadly.</p>
<p>“You little shit.” Akiteru had lost his arrogant confidence.</p>
<p>“I meant what I said.” Akaashi smirked, licking at the split in his lip that was still bleeding. “I’m stubborn about dying.”</p>
<p>Akiteru clapped his hands together, bright purple light bursting forth. Once again the wisps came at Akaashi like lightning bolts. He was quicker this time at trying to deflect them, holding his palm out and willing his void to form a barrier. Rather than deflect, it just absorbed them quicker, weakening them but that didn’t stop the fear gripping him. He smelt the stench of ale, like someone was breathing in his face after a day at the tavern.</p>
<p>“Fuck off.” Akaashi cursed. What concerned him was that they were recent. Those were the recent traumas he had seen. That meant Akiteru wasn’t that deep into his mind yet, but if he didn’t put this to bed soon there was no telling what he’d stumble across.</p>
<p>Another clap rang out but this time no bolts came for him. His focus was diverted from Akiteru to the sword flying through the air towards him like one of Kunimi’s daggers. He ducked, feeling steel cut through the air above him. Glancing up, he saw Akiteru catch the blade, purple wisps wrapping around it once more.</p>
<p>“If only you had spent more time honing your skills rather than meddling in affairs that don’t concern you.” Akiteru remarked.</p>
<p>“That ship has fucking sailed.” Akaashi retorted. “Get over it. I got involved. I fucked up your plans to dominate the south. I beat your brother.”</p>
<p>Akiteru snorted. “He merely lacked conviction. He was capable of doing so much more but he hesitated. Got it in his head he wasn’t worthy of the magic in his veins, that magic was bad because of what those little shits did and said to him. If they hadn’t been so cruel, I wouldn’t have had to step in and fix it.”</p>
<p>Akaashi wasn’t given an opportunity to reply, the sword came at him again. He tried to duck again but found his ankles taken out from under him. The cold stone floor greeted him with a flare of pain going up his back. The hand was back at his throat.</p>
<p>“But they were, so I did.” He hissed. “I did what any older brother would do.”</p>
<p>Akaashi wanted to spit in his face but the edge of the sword was resting against his neck. He grabbed Akiteru’s wrist, trying to tear the hand away from his neck and redirect the sword. Both attempts were fleeting.</p>
<p>“And the best part was that I barely had to lift a finger.” He snorted as Akaashi’s attempts got more desperate. “Just fuck up an elemental mage, prepare a few carts with the right spice and…” he leaned closer, “boom. All our problems gone.”</p>
<p>“You’re insane.” Akaashi choked out.</p>
<p>“I just realised my true potential,” Akiteru grinned, “they told Kei that empaths like us are weak so I showed them how powerful we really are.” The sword pressed harder against Akaashi’s neck. “I proved that any mage is capable of wielding our powers if the right concessions are made. That we can make or break a person with our powers.”</p>
<p>Akaashi tried to squirm away, all attempts to keep himself calm were abandoned as the weight of steel against his throat increased.</p>
<p>“I wonder if you’ll scream as much as Tsutomu did.”</p>
<p>Akaashi’s eyes widened as he realised what was about to happen. He felt the edge of the blade scrape tender skin.</p>
<p>Claws against stone broke the silence. He saw Akiteru’s confused expression for a split second before he was gone in a blur of grey and purple. Able to breathe properly and not have someone on top of him, Akaashi wheezed, sitting up and looking around to see a large lion with fur puffed up and pulses of purple energy rolling off him as he stared down a startled yet enraged Akiteru.</p>
<p>“How the fuck—”</p>
<p>“I’m a talking lion.” Lev growled. “I can do a lot of things.”</p>
<p>Akaashi scrambled to retrieve his whip-blade as Lev growled again, advancing towards Akiteru. Now two against one, he felt a little calmer. He caught Lev’s gaze just long enough.</p>
<p>
  <em>‘How did you get in?’</em>
</p>
<p>Lev’s tailed thrashed from side to side. <em>‘I found a door with a void portal over it.</em>’</p>
<p>Akaashi snorted. Of course Lev, the portal master, wouldn’t let some void magic get in his way.</p>
<p>Akiteru seemed rattled by the development but not defeated. He laughed, sheathing his sword. That wasn’t what Akaashi expected. His other hand went to a pocket of his dishevelled robes and a single runestone was brought out. A red runestone with a rune scratched into it.</p>
<p>Lev growled again, suspicious of what sorcery was about to be unleashed. Akaashi hesitated, unsure how dangerous one runestone could be in Akiteru’s hand.</p>
<p>“I guess we’ll do things the more destructive way.” Akiteru remarked. He wrapped his fingers around the stone and squeezed. Akaashi watched wide-eyed as purple wisps flared up and the stone shattered, a bright red flash rippled out.</p>
<p>Nothing happened. At least, nothing happened in the throne room. In the distance, there was a rumble that sounded like thunder at first thought, but then the ground shook slightly.</p>
<p>“Now.” Akiteru let the shards drop to the floor, dust and all. He unsheathed his sword again. “Where were we?”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0077"><h2>77. A Battle Of Will</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>LXXVII</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>A Battle Of Will</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Bokuto hadn’t really intended to take on three guards at once. All he knew he had to do was make sure Akaashi got into the throne room. He had been ready to clash swords with them before quick footsteps approaching threw him off.</p>
<p>“Oi what the hell man?” Kuroo slapped him on the shoulder as Ushijima stepped up beside them both and immediately stood between them and the other guards. “You were meant to follow us.”</p>
<p>Bokuto blinked, quickly realising the ploy they were working with. “Uh, shit, yeah sorry.” He glanced up and saw Ushijima pulling out a silver medallion with a white fox head imprinted on it. “Got caught up in the reports of assassins.”</p>
<p>Ushijima held out the medallion for the other guards to see. “Miya family. State your banner.”</p>
<p>The other guards looked to their leader, a stocky man who cursed under his breath before pulling out his own medallion, the white eagle shone brightly against silver. “Palace Battalion.” He gruffly replied. “The fuck is happening?”</p>
<p>Ushijima scowled, clearly not impressed. “Akiteru says her Imperial Majesty has been poisoned by an assassin. Sent the entire palace into chaos.”</p>
<p>“Pft.” The medallion was pocketed. “Akiteru eh? And I bet he’s slunk away from the ballroom, leaving it to stew in his absence.”</p>
<p>Ushijima glanced over his shoulder at Kuroo and Bokuto before looking back to the others. “We should go and restore order then. I should confer with my lords.”</p>
<p>Nodding in agreement, the stocky man barked orders to his men and turned to follow them down the hallway. Ushijima turned to see Bokuto sheathing his blade.</p>
<p>“Keiji made it in.” Bokuto told them both quietly. “Doors slammed shut behind him.”</p>
<p>“Well, at least that bit has gone to plan.” Kuroo sighed. “So, ballroom?”</p>
<p>“Sounds like a plan, we need to make sure Tobio isn’t about to be accused of—”</p>
<p>Ushijima was already turning to lead them away, prompting them both to jog to catch up. As they made their way through the palace they passed both guards and startled nobles. Any semblance of a peaceful evening had been shattered with the lies Akiteru had spun. Making it to the ballroom, things <em>appeared</em> calm. Music was being played, couples were still dancing, drinks were being poured and food being served. There was this undeniable tension in the air along with the strong fragrance of cinnamon.</p>
<p>Ushijima spotted Atsumu with Tobio and beckoned Kuroo and Bokuto to follow him. As they got closer, they could see Tobio wasn’t as calm as he had been earlier that day. Hinata was jittery, glancing around them apprehensively even as he spotted Kuroo and Bokuto.</p>
<p>“Milord.” Ushijima greeted Atsumu with a nod. “I gather there has been some disturbing news.”</p>
<p>Atsumu raised an eyebrow, looking at Kuroo and Bokuto in turn before nodding to Ushijima. “The bastard has claimed the empress has been poisoned and that it’s incurable.”</p>
<p>“Don’t forget how he mentioned it was from the south.” Tobio snorted, looking to Kuroo. “Did Akaashi make it into the throne room?”</p>
<p>Kuroo nodded. “Made sure of it, didn’t you Bo?”</p>
<p>Bokuto also nodded. “He’s in there. So is Akiteru.”</p>
<p>Tobio sighed heavily, looking to Hinata briefly before sighing again and addressing Atsumu. “So now what do we do?”</p>
<p>Atsumu seemed indecisive. He stroked his chin in thought as Ushijima kept an eye on the nobles around them casting curious glances. “Without conferring with Osamu, I’m not sure.”</p>
<p>“Where is he?” Ushijima asked.</p>
<p>“Over there.” Atsumu gestured across the room on the other side of the sunken dancefloor. Following his gesture, they saw Osamu with Tooru. Tooru had been calm even with the impromptu accusation. If anything, it gave him the final push he needed.</p>
<p>“He dares accuse us of meddling?” Tooru snorted as Osamu kept a neutral expression. “I say we expose him.”</p>
<p>Iwaizumi wasn’t nearly as calm. He was actively expecting a threat now more than ever. “Are you mad?”</p>
<p>“No, I’m pissed off.” Tooru curtly replied.</p>
<p>Osamu chuckled. “He got under your skin.”</p>
<p>“Damn fucking right. This reeks of what happened to my father. Except now I know what really happened and I didn’t have an assassin’s guild working to put it right.”</p>
<p>Osamu raised an eyebrow. “May I suggest that you go and ask Tobio what he wishes to do about this accusation.” He smiled slightly. “You are an alliance, correct?”</p>
<p>Slightly putout Osamu was saying it with such a patronising tone, Tooru turned on his heel and immediately started making his way around the ballroom. The nobles moved out of his way as he was flanked by Iwaizumi and Yamamoto. Hushed murmurs and raised eyebrows were left in his wake as he reached Tobio.</p>
<p>“So.” He abruptly began. “What now?”</p>
<p>“Without knowing where Yachi is, I can’t say.” Tobio answered calmly. He looked expectantly to Inuoka. “Where is she?”</p>
<p>Inuoka shook his head. “Still with the others. I think Suga and Kiyoko showed up but—”</p>
<p>“Tell them to get a move on.” Tobio quipped. “If we leave it much longer all hell could break loose here.”</p>
<p>Inuoka nodded, setting a hand on Yamaguchi’s shoulder to ground himself as he focused on an effort to relay the instructions. Hinata felt Tobio squeeze his hand. He was nervous. He wasn’t sure what he had to do, when he had to break away to help Akaashi. He hoped there would be an obvious sign of sorts. For now all he could do was stick with Tobio and make sure no-one hurt him. They needed a way to show the nobles they weren’t bothered by this accusation, that everything was just as surprising to them as it was to the rest of the court. They needed to make a show of confidence.</p>
<p>A thought occurred to him.</p>
<p>“Hey,” he squeezed Tobio’s hand to get his attention, “I have…an idea, to buy time.”</p>
<p>Tobio shot him a confused look. “Buy time?”</p>
<p>“Until Yachi gets here.” Hinata reasoned. “You’re always on about how you have to like…make people think you’re unbothered right?”</p>
<p>Tobio nodded, albeit hesitantly. “Yes?”</p>
<p>“Dance with me.” Hinata stated.</p>
<p>Everyone else in their immediately vicinity exchanged glances as Tobio seemed confused. Atsumu smiled. “Now that would be a good distraction.”</p>
<p>Tobio shot him a glance that almost felt suspicious before looking at Hinata. “Are you sure?”</p>
<p>Hinata nodded. “Well, what better way to show how little you care about a false accusation? Plus…” he squeezed Tobio’s hand again. “I am your consort, and you’re supposed to show off your consort.”</p>
<p>Tobio couldn’t fault that logic. He glanced around for any better ideas before nodding in agreement. “Okay. We dance. And the rest of you,” he gestured to Kuroo and Bokuto, “be on the lookout for anything suspicious.”</p>
<p>Kuroo and Bokuto exchanged a glance, trying to work out what that meant as Tobio nodded in parting to the group before gently tugging Hinata to follow him. Atsumu and Osamu exchanged a glance as they left before conferring quietly in whispers. Osamu nodded along to whatever Atsumu said before stepping away and getting lost in the crowd of nobles. He then turned to Tooru.</p>
<p>“Are you not one for dancing?”</p>
<p>Tooru raised an eyebrow. “My date is clad in armour, it would be a tad too clunky.” He smiled sweetly.</p>
<p>Atsumu chuckled. “What about Lady Nametsu?”</p>
<p>“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”</p>
<p>“Really?” Atsumu coyly smiled. “Word travels here my friend, some saw you talking earlier. Said it was quite an…energetic conversation.”</p>
<p>“And I’m focused on solving one problem at a time.” Tooru gave him a pointed look. “Quit it.”</p>
<p>Atsumu put up his hands in surrender. “Relax, just trying to lighten the mood.”</p>
<p>Tooru tutted. By now Tobio and Hinata had made it to the dancefloor, succeeding in drawing attention to them as intended. Asahi stood by the stairs, the ever-present guardian. Yamaguchi had remained with Inuoka, making sure the other wasn’t going to pass out from all the intense emotions and magic. Kuroo and Bokuto had followed Ushijima around towards the main entrance of the ballroom to put some space between them and the royalty.</p>
<p>The music and loud conversation of the guests made it hard to hear anything from outside the open doors to the grand hallway. But even with plenty of noise to be a distraction, Kuroo couldn’t help but feel something was off, like the ground had trembled slightly. He brushed it off as paranoia, trying to focus on keeping an eye out for any of the others.</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Daichi had been quick to decide to make for the ballroom. With no idea what was happening and no way to contact anyone, they had to act on instinct. As they rounded a corner, there was still the strong aroma of cinnamon. It hadn’t bothered Daichi until this point. Around the parlours and ballroom, sure that smell made sense, but in the hallways that only the guards and palace servants used? That was weird.</p>
<p>“Yeah,” Kunimi agreed when Daichi brought it up, “I mean it’s common to get some drifting smells but considering how far out we are…it’s odd.”</p>
<p>Aone seemed puzzled by it as they paused to pretend to look in a storeroom for the supposed assassins. They had been keeping up this act for a few minutes just in case any legitimate guards passed by and wanted to know what they were up to. As Yaku opened the door, the smell was stronger. Not only that, but there was also heat.</p>
<p>“Wait.” Yaku looked around the tiny cupboard. All that was in there were a handful of linens and then four large sacks that seemed fit to burst. Each sack was about the size of a barrel, making it odd to see them above the cellar where most food was stored. The strong smell indicated it was indeed cinnamon. The heat, he couldn’t explain, but the presence of the spice was strange enough to warrant questions.</p>
<p>“…this isn’t normal.” Aone concluded.</p>
<p>“No fucking shit.” Kunimi quipped. “Who the fuck puts cinnamon here?”</p>
<p>Daichi wasn’t sure what to make of it. Something in the back of his mind told him that they’d seen this before. Aone closed the door, clearly feeling it wasn’t important. They continued on their way, but it stayed with them. As a loud crashing sound tore through the hallway, they froze.</p>
<p>Looking behind them, they saw the door was now on the floor. A cloud of reddish-brown dust was rising in the air before dissipating. Kunimi was about to question what they were looking at when the second crash was heard. This one further away but the squawks of surprise from the guards were almost louder. Daichi felt compelled to turn around and go back the way they came to investigate. The ballroom had enough eyes on it right now, the hallways did not.</p>
<p>Moving through the dust in the air, it became hard to breathe. Daichi expected to come out the other side of the cloud but it didn’t seem to end. He nearly tripped over a second storeroom door and quickly realised the sacks of cinnamon were not just an irregularity. They were part of something bigger.</p>
<p>“What the fuck is happening?” Yaku cursed as he stood beside Daichi in the dusty hallway. Besides the two doors, there wasn’t any other obvious structural damage. The cinnamon in the air felt suffocating. The guards that had been walking up the hallway were confused, one had been struck by the door and his head was bleeding.</p>
<p>As much as they could’ve been working for Akiteru, Daichi couldn’t just leave without at least checking he was okay. He approached them and asked what had happened. He got a gruff explanation of ‘the door just flew off its hinges for no reason’ before his patrolling partner said they’d take him to get his head bandaged up.</p>
<p>“Just be on the lookout for weird folk, apparently there are assassins in the building.”</p>
<p>Daichi nodded. “Of course, take care.”</p>
<p>As soon as they were out of earshot, Daichi turned to speak to the others. Kunimi was already investigating the storeroom identical to the other they had just inspected. Like the other, there were a few large sacks of cinnamon. What had caused the door to blow off was a mystery, at least at first glance. Yaku kicked the solid wooden door and noted a shimmer, and it wasn’t dust. Crouching down he ran his fingers over the grooves in the wood. What could pass for natural markings at a glance seemed to suddenly take a shape of a vaguely familiar carving. He wasn’t an expert in runes, but he knew one when he saw it. The circle with a simple jagged line in the centre spoke of <em>something</em> magical.</p>
<p>“I’d almost bet gold on Akiteru having something to do with this.” Yaku remarked as Kunimi emerged from the storeroom. “Which means he’s got some sort of backup plan.”</p>
<p>“Which also means he’s probably with Akaashi right now.” Kunimi concluded as Daichi and Aone stood next to the door. “So what now?”</p>
<p>Daichi huffed, there was a lot to think about and not a lot of time to do it. He had to decide what to do; where should they go? What was their priority? He looked to Aone who seemed puzzled by this chain of events but not shaken.</p>
<p>“Should we go to the parlour where some of the nobles are? Act like we’re doing something vaguely non-suspicious?”</p>
<p>Aone shrugged. “I think you should focus on figuring out what all this,” he gestured to the door and the storeroom, “means.”</p>
<p>“Okay why blow a door off its hinges?” Kunimi immediately jumped in. “What does that achieve? Spooking everyone? Causing a distraction?”</p>
<p>“Occupying the guards’ time.” Yaku offered, standing up properly. “Occupying <em>our</em> time.”</p>
<p>“Could be a facade, sure.” Daichi hummed, glancing up the hallway. “But it could be a more malicious attempt of something.”</p>
<p>“But <em>what</em>.”</p>
<p>Daichi was at a loss. “What does cinnamon mean, like, what does it do?”</p>
<p>“You’re asking the wrong people here.” Kunimi shrugged. “Kenma might have an idea but gods only know where he is.”</p>
<p>Daichi huffed. “Right. Okay.” He could take them to the ballroom, he could load the ballroom with eyes and ears of the Brotherhood but that felt foolish. As much as splitting the party tended to end badly, this time there was too much ground cover. Until they knew what the significance of cinnamon and exploding doors were, they couldn’t afford to put all their skills in one place.</p>
<p>“I say we make our way back to that second parlour,” Yaku gestured up the hallway, “at least we can see how widespread this door thing goes. Maybe there’s only a certain…range?” Even he seemed unsure of what he was trying to speculate.</p>
<p>“Better than standing around waiting for all hell to break loose.” Kunimi nodded. “And I’m sure the others have the ballroom covered.”</p>
<p>Daichi was satisfied with that idea, Aone nodded in approval. They began to pick their way through the hallway. The dust in the air was less bothersome now they were used to it, but the sheer number of storerooms the palace had was starting to dawn on them as they found more doors blown off hinges, each with the strange carving in them.</p>
<p>They inspected each one just in case something changed. In total they found five doors like it. It was confusing and concerning in equal measure. None of the guards or guests they passed seemed to know anything either. The few they did talk to all said the same thing, there was a loud hum before the door just blew off its hinges for ‘no reason’. Some of the nobles seemed to think it was a ghostly going on but they didn’t buy it.</p>
<p>This was magic, and there was only one person who’d be interested in that sort of magic. They found themselves on the back foot once more. All their speculation and insider knowledge seemed useless now as they reached the second parlour. The scent of cinnamon was present but it wasn’t any stronger or weaker than the hallways now.</p>
<p>“Y’know, I’m starting to think it’s more of a scare tactic.” Kunimi hummed as they took up their post. “Like, ‘look what I can do’.”</p>
<p>“But why?” Daichi asked. “<em>Why</em>?”</p>
<p>Kunimi shrugged. “Arrogant mages are the worst. Remember that dude from Kaiganzoimura? He was a piece of work.”</p>
<p>Aone raised an eyebrow as no-one decided to elaborate on that story. Yaku huffed loudly, scanning the room. He glanced over the nobles still wrapped up in gossip and drinking, taking in the fancy clothes against the fancy furnishings. As his gaze reached the window seats, he almost missed it. <em>Almost</em>.</p>
<p>Nestled between a low table and the wall, two much smaller sacks were lodged. He blinked a few times, wondering if they had been there earlier. He nudged Aone and gestured over to them.</p>
<p>“Those were there earlier?”</p>
<p>Aone tilted his head. “Yes. I believe they were…” he trailed off, frowning. “What are they?”</p>
<p>He took it upon himself to stride over and poke around. He didn’t open the sack immediately, merely looking for any markings or stamps that would indicate they were decoration in an otherwise finely furnished room. He sniffed, raising his eyebrows. As he strode back over, he shrugged.</p>
<p>“More cinnamon. I suppose they’re the origin of the incense we’re smelling.”</p>
<p>“Why…leave them in sacks?” Kunimi dared to ask. “And who the hell ordered so much?”</p>
<p>“I guess it was easier to just, leave them in the room than spoon it out into jars or whatever.” Aone shrugged. “I don’t think they’re suspicious.”</p>
<p>Yaku was about to object to that when some of the nobles started chatting excitedly about something. The words ‘king of the south’ and ‘dancing’ were mentioned before the group hurried out. It left the room feeling a lot quieter. Almost eerily so.</p>
<p>“I don’t like this.” Yaku stated to Daichi. “It feels like something big is about to happen.”</p>
<p>“And not knowing what is the hard part.” Daichi nodded in agreement. “Okay, would you prefer to get back to the ballroom?”</p>
<p>Yaku nodded. “Given that a lot of excitement is centred around it, yes.”</p>
<p>Daichi couldn’t fault him for that. “Alright, to the ballroom we go.”</p>
<p>It was a much less eventful journey to the ballroom. They found the same five doors had been dragged to the side of the hallways by someone, the cinnamon was still in the air. As they neared the grand entrance to the ballroom, there was a low rumble and a vibration to go with it. Like a rockslide or something similar had occurred.</p>
<p>Daichi and Yaku exchanged a glance, the latter shaking his head. “Let’s at least check in with the others before we even think about going to find out what that might’ve been.”</p>
<p>And so, they ignored the tremor and continued into the ballroom.</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Swords clashed once more. Akaashi could feel his wrist was almost certainly going to have severe muscle strain by the end of this. He had resorted to duelling fast and dirty, much like Kuroo and Yaku were experts at. Every move was quick, rough around the edges but with enough power to hurt when they hit. Akiteru wasn’t wearing plate armour, but more than once had Akaashi struck him and felt resistance. He had deduced that Akiteru was wearing some sort of thin chainmail under his robes that made slashes ineffective. It also made Lev’s attacks null. So Lev did what he could, he got between Akiteru’s feet, tripping him up, slashing at his ankles and trying to pounce on him and drag him down.</p>
<p>Any other foe would’ve been long dead with these tactics but Akiteru was no ordinary foe. His free hand was actively wielding the void, purple sparks shot out and aimed for Akaashi, winding him and distracting him with flashes of mutilated bodies, and feelings of overwhelming sadness.</p>
<p>Lev felt them too, but his comprehension was lesser. He just knew a bad feeling when he felt it.</p>
<p>Akaashi’s sword flew off into the darkness after a disarming riposte. He cursed loudly and took up a defensive stance as he anticipated the onslaught of emotion and memories. Akiteru lifted his hand to summon something, getting distracted by Lev lunging for him. He rolled his eyes, tutting loudly as he changed his posture. Lev was halted in mid-air by bright purple wisps and tossed aside effortlessly like he was a rag doll. Akaashi got a sinking feeling in his stomach as Lev took a moment to scramble to his feet.</p>
<p>Now without a lion at his feet, Akiteru refocused his attention on Akaashi. He held his sword confidently as he held up his hand and snapped his fingers. Like before bolts of the void energy shot out directly at Akaashi. He tried to deflect them with a ward but the pain in his wrist broke his concentration, giving Akiteru an opportunity to pounce.</p>
<p>The throne room vanished around him into a purple haze.</p>
<p>
  <em>A loud hissing noise preceded the giant snakehead looming out of the darkness, scales black as the night sky, eyes a piercing blue and forked tongue darting out of its jaw. He knew it was fake, it was an illusion but the fear still struck him to his core. Fangs glinted in the moonlight as the beast reared up as it had done on the battlefield. Like it had done in his nightmares. He wasn</em>
  <em>’t sure where to look as the jaw unhinged. As he panicked, the snake lunged for him before disappearing as the snarl of a lion broke through the illusion.</em>
</p>
<p>He tripped backwards over his own feet as the snake disintegrated in front of him, falling to the floor.</p>
<p>The smoke cleared instantly, putting him back into the throne room. Wildly looking around, he saw Lev had pounced once more onto Akiteru, locking his jaw around his arm. Akiteru yelped in pain and surprise. He slashed at Lev with his sword, narrowly missing gutting him entirely. Lev yielded, landing squarely on his feet and snarling again, his fur puffed up, his tail trashing from side to side.</p>
<p>Seeing Lev take so many risks struck Akaashi with equal measures of guilt and pride. He scanned the gloomy room for his sword and spied it in the shadows. He scrambled over to it, grabbing it off the stone floor just before a thud made him whip his gaze back around. Lev had been thrown again, further across the room this time. Now he stood shaking off the effects and going back to snarling. Whatever magic the Kirin had instilled in him, it was giving him an edge.</p>
<p>This was going to continue until either they yielded or they died. Akaashi let out a short breath as he stood up and rotated his sore wrist. Getting Akiteru to yield was going to be more difficult then he thought. As Lev kept Akiteru’s attention momentarily, Akaashi calmed his breathing. He dug deep, trying to think of something that could knock Akiteru’s concentration, something that might spook him.</p>
<p>Few things could terrify a monster.</p>
<p>There was one image that came to mind which rivalled a giant snake. Still gripping his sword, he held his hand up, palm facing the ceiling and he thought back to a ritual that felt so distant to him now. The flashes of lightning in his mind came forth as he focused on the weight of expectation that had been on his shoulders, much like it was now. As wisps started forming a ball in his palm, he glanced up and noted he had Akiteru’s attention once more. He remembered the chill in his bones, the smell of sage, the freshly carved lines in the dirt. Lightning and fire had encircled the coastal clearing, as leathery wings beat on the breeze.</p>
<p>He snapped his fingers, locking eye contact with Akiteru as he let the memory of the dragon’s roar shake him. Whilst the room remained, the sounds of bones snapping and the oppressive feeling of something beyond his understand washed over both him and Akiteru. Not many came face to face with a dragon and won.</p>
<p>Audible to even Lev, the dragon’s roar shook the room. Akiteru flinched as the dark mass appeared in front of him. It was not the dragon of paintings and statues; it was grotesque, skeletal, hollow eyes stared into his soul as the jaws opened to reveal the darkness of death.</p>
<p>The sword coated with the void element tore through the illusion. Darkness dissipating and revealing Akiteru’s eyes wide with disbelief. He then glared at Akaashi.</p>
<p>“You <em>dare</em> to challenge me?”</p>
<p>“Get over yourself.” Akaashi uttered. “You’re nothing compared to other mages I’ve met.”</p>
<p>That wasn’t strictly a lie, nor was it the truth. In many ways, Akiteru was worse but he was nowhere near the most powerful. Akaashi had encountered other mad mages and lived. He flexed his fingers as the void continued to remain active. Akiteru shook off the lasting effect of seeing an omen of death and gritted his teeth.</p>
<p>He reached into his pocket again, Akaashi wasn’t sure what to think. Another red runestone was pulled out. He didn’t know what these stones were doing but his gut told him to stop Akiteru using it. He pressed the rune on his sword and immediately started a run-up, the whip came around and ensnared Akiteru’s wrist, steel bit into exposed skin. Akiteru yelped in pain, his grasp on the stone faltered and sent it to the floor with a clatter. Lev pounced on it as Akaashi yanked the whip, steel coming free and leaving shallow cuts in its wake. Akiteru‘s free hand lashed out, ripples of purple energy hitting Lev at frightening speed and force, sending him tripping over his paws.</p>
<p>The stone skidded across the floor, red light glinting. Akiteru then threw his sword, albeit clumsily, at Akaashi. Ducking to avoid the sharp point stabbing him, Akaashi watched him scoop the stone up and grip it in both hands. Immediately purple wisps took hold around his fingers and encased the stone. The sound of stone cracking preceded blinding red light bursting forth. As soon as the stone shattered with a wave of heat and light, there was a much louder rumble elsewhere in the building and a strong tremor quickly followed.</p>
<p>Akaashi felt a wave of panic that wasn’t his own. He looked to Lev who seemed unsure for the first time that encounter. Akiteru smirked.</p>
<p>“Let’s see you stop <em>this</em> plan of mine then.” He remarked, dropping the shards to the floor before clapping. His fingers were glowing almost unnaturally as he rolled up his robe sleeves to reveal carefully inked triangles decorating his pale skin. They were aglow with red and purple light.</p>
<p>Akaashi remembered what Kei had said about fire. He swallowed. He hadn’t summoned elements in a while, always preferring to rely on his blade than fire or ice. Lev hissed, readying himself to pounce as Akiteru held out a hand to retrieve his sword from the other side of the room.</p>
<p>Doubt was starting to rise in Akaashi. He had been confident of himself walking in, not arrogantly so, but he hadn’t quite envisioned Akiteru being this conniving. Whatever the stones were doing, he didn’t like it in his gut. The wave of panic and confusion was getting stronger and that wasn’t going to help him fend off any empath magic.</p>
<p>“Scared?” Akiteru offered when neither moved. “Pity I’m not feeling merciful.”</p>
<p>He pointed at Akaashi, a single glowing finger. Akaashi thought to move but found his body frozen as Akiteru held his gaze. He felt his mind going foggy as his feet refused to move. Lev pounced, aiming to bite down on Akiteru’s arm once more. The sword came up, purple wisps jumping forth and seizing Lev in mid-air again.</p>
<p>“Down kitty.” Akiteru uttered, abruptly swinging the sword away from him, sending Lev crashing against the far wall.</p>
<p>His attention went back to Akaashi, golden eyes focused on slate grey as he started closing the gap between them. Akaashi screamed at himself to move, to do something, to fight back but his body refused. He was bound like a fly caught in a web. His grip on his sword faltered, it fell to the floor with a clatter. As Akiteru’s hand came up around his throat once more, he felt overwhelmed, the scent of cinnamon was invading his senses.</p>
<p>He wanted to squeeze his eyes shut to deny Akiteru power over him, but he couldn’t even do that.</p>
<p>“Now,” Akiteru’s voice was a whisper as he got up in Akaashi’s face, “let’s see what you’re hiding.”</p>
<p>Akaashi wanted nothing more than to headbutt Akiteru at that moment. Instead he felt an intense burning like he was being held over a forge. Golden eyes stared into his, staring past his barrier and into his soul.</p>
<p>It didn’t take long for him to find it.</p>
<p>
  <em>Sorrow. Intense pain. He felt like he was being split open. The red sky above mirrored the blood-soaked ground. Banners lay around the battlefield, bright blues and oranges. Swords and shields were broken and splintered, embedded in bodies that lay motionless. The flies had already started swarming. The smell of death was in the air. </em>
</p>
<p>Akiteru hummed in interest, not loosening his grip on Akaashi’s throat. “Well, well…what is all this hm?”</p>
<p>
  <em>Flames rose from the ground, engulfing everything in sight. The embers rising into the air as the sky darkened. Staggering across the burning ground, the body lay motionless at his feet. His stomach dropped. The slash to Kuroo</em>
  <em>’s neck looked much more macabre than last time. The blood was everywhere, seeping into his clothes, his leather armour, the ground around him. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>The darkness that clouded his mind felt impenetrable. Sorrow washed over him. Anguish. He could feel himself getting overwhelmed. The image of Kuroo</em>
  <em>’s dead body felt burned into his mind as the darkness devoured him whole. Screaming filled his mind. Nothing was fake. It felt so real. It was real.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>‘We all have things we don’t remember, we have regrets and memories we’d rather forget’</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>The bloodied walls of the guild appeared; the owl situated above the hearth seemed to glow a bright silvery light. Blood seeped from its eyes. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>‘I won’t lose to Suguru, I promise.’</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>He lost. His heart was aching in his chest as the owl</em>
  <em>’s feathers were being stained with blood that dripped onto a pyre beneath it. A body lay atop the logs as fire took hold. The smell of death was back, mixing with cinnamon in his mind. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>‘Goodbye Tetsurou, you persevered through many shadows, now you can rest within the light.’</em>
</p>
<p>Tears were streaming down Akaashi’s cheeks as his reality began to crumble. It felt so real. It didn’t feel like false memories or illusions. The pain he felt was real. Akiteru smirked.</p>
<p>“Aha, so that’s it.” He hummed. “I see.”</p>
<p>
  <em>The darkness returned, swallowing him whole. He felt like he was drowning but he couldn</em>
  <em>’t kick himself free of the tendrils that held him down, pulling him deeper. The memories he had taken on from the others were melding together, scenes from all of their past lives flashed in his mind’s eye. The churning ocean, the burning buildings, the screaming and yelling.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Sorrow. Anguish. Loss. It all felt so heavy on his heart. Anger. Frustration. Why could he feel these things? Why did he have these powers? Why was he cursed like this?</em>
</p>
<p>Purple wisps erupted from his hands, he punched Akiteru in the face without hesitation. As soon as he was free from Akiteru’s grasp, he sunk to his knees sobbing. His eyes were open but he couldn’t tell real from fiction. The ghosts of the past were appearing and fading as quickly as he breathed. The throne room flickered around him, glimpses of the battlefield came and went in flashes. His hands felt like they were on fire, purple sparks erupting between his fingers and threatening to lash out.</p>
<p>After being punched, Akiteru watched in awe for a few moments. He drew his sword, sensing an opportunity to rid himself of his competition once and for all. Akaashi could barely keep his wits about him as he saw the blade cutting through the air. He winced, expecting a harsh impact. Instead he heard the sound of rapid footsteps before steel clashed against steel.</p>
<p>He felt his heart jump into his throat as he glanced up. The illusions were still warping his mind, where he saw a figure stood, he also saw large black wings stretching out from her back, spreading out to shield him as the katana scraped against the sword.</p>
<p>“You and I have unfinished business.” Kiyoko uttered, glaring at Akiteru. “And I will not be bested by your foul sorcery this time.” She shoved him back, kicking him in the stomach for good measure. She glanced back at Akaashi briefly before readying herself for the duel of her life.</p>
<p>Akiteru snorted, staggering to his feet. “You have some nerve bitch.”</p>
<p>“What can I say,” she shrugged, deliberately focusing her gaze on his enchanted sword and not his gaze, “when you get turned into a dragon for a few years, it leaves some traces behind.”</p>
<p>Akiteru seemed to make a connection of sorts, not that Kiyoko cared as she glanced at Lev. He was still shaking off the more brutal impact but he was alive. She was content to focus on duelling for now. A plan would come later.</p>
<p>“So let me guess,” Akiteru remarked as he began pacing, “you’re the dragon.”</p>
<p>She shrugged, mirroring his actions. “I was. Some say I still fight like one,” she adjusted her grip on her katana, “either way, I won’t lose this time.”</p>
<p>She didn’t give him an opportunity to reply, lunging across the space. She was a lot less exhausted than Akaashi was, bringing a quick tempo to the fight. Steel clashed, swords cut through the air. She parried every hit, moving on well-honed instinct more than sight and thought. Hesitation got people killed. Even the purple wisps coming up to try and latch onto her didn’t faze her. Akiteru began to show his frustration at his kill being kept from him. As she parried another hit and held him still, he snorted.</p>
<p>“You know what, maybe I was too easy on you last time.” He uttered. “Maybe I should’ve been more forceful.”</p>
<p>He let go of his sword and snapped his fingers. Purple wisps appeared once more, she considered stepping back but held her ground.</p>
<p>“You can try.” She remarked. “Can’t guarantee you’ll live to tell the tale.”</p>
<p>He quirked an eyebrow. “Attitude won’t get you any mercy here.”</p>
<p>She tilted her blade. “Never said it would.”</p>
<p>She had to hold the line. Akaashi was in no fit state to do anything. It was just her and Akiteru. Well, <em>almost</em>.</p>
<p>Quicker than even she was used to, she pivoted on her front foot and brought her knee up to strike him in the stomach again. He had half anticipated it, but what he didn’t anticipate was a lion being behind him. He cursed loudly as he lost his footing and fell back. She took the brief moment of opportunity to pin his sword-arm down with her foot, holding her katana over his neck.</p>
<p>“Yield.”</p>
<p>Akiteru was winded but not defeated. He grinned. “How about no?”</p>
<p>His free hand came up, wisps still active. He made a grasping motion before forcibly yanking it back. She felt herself become weightless. Then she felt the hard stone floor come up to meet her. Pain flared up her side as she rolled over. Her lungs burned as her vision was blurry. A loud snarling broke the silence. As she sat up, vision still blurry, she saw Lev harassing Akiteru once more, Akaashi was trying to get to his feet but he was in no fit state to fight.</p>
<p>As much as her body screamed in pain, she couldn’t let herself yield. She had been trained to fight to the death to protect another, she would not be bested so easily. Staggering to her feet, she wiped at the blood that trickled out of her nose. Lev was thrown aside again, this time staying down. Akaashi looked up at Akiteru with a mixture of loathing and fear. Akiteru chuckled.</p>
<p>“You really <em>are</em> stubborn about dying.”</p>
<p>Kiyoko picked up her katana from the floor and drew her second blade. As the sound of steel zinging against leather rang out, Akiteru glanced over at her.</p>
<p>“You too?”</p>
<p>She didn’t deign to reply at first, simply squaring her footing. “You came after the Brotherhood,” She wiped her nose again with the back of her hand, “so now you can deal with the consequences.”</p>
<p>She sprang forward, taking a run-up. Akiteru brought his blade up once more to parry her katana. She slashed at him with her second blade but found no purchase, simply tearing the silk robes he wore to reveal the thin chainmail Akaashi had already deduce existed. Putout at this fact, she continued to unleash a flurry of hits, some being parried and others failing to meet their marks entirely. Her side burned, her nose still bled as she ducked and rolled out of the way of hits. Each time she caught a glimpse of his golden eyes she felt her mental fortitude wane.</p>
<p>She wouldn’t be able to keep it up for much longer, but she had to do whatever it took to buy more time. She needed Akaashi to get hold of himself and overcome his demons. He needed to defeat his own dragon.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0078"><h2>78. Sick Little Game</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>LXXVIII</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Sick Little Game</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>As Kiyoko had left with purpose, the others were left with Yachi and a sense of finality was settling in the air. As a distant rumble was heard, Kenma felt unsettled. The stormy skies from earlier in the day had cleared considerably, there should not be any thunder. He looked to Nishinoya who seemed equally unsettled by this oddity.</p><p>“So,” Kenma broke the silence and looked to Yachi, “if we were to try and get you to the ballroom, how would be the best way to go about that?”</p><p>She considered it for a few moments. “Normally I use the grand hallways, but obviously if there’s panic amongst the guards, that might be unwise.” She folded her hands in her lap. “The servant’s tunnels would be a fairly safe way, though I’m not sure how they’d react to me arriving in their kitchens.” She giggled.</p><p>“Are there no other secret passageways?” Kenma asked as Nishinoya winced at something he overheard. “No hidden doors or anything?”</p><p>She huffed. “If there are, I don’t know about them. It’s my guard’s job to know those things.”</p><p>That made sense. Kenma hummed in thought as the door opened. Suga stepped into the room with the calm reassuring presence he always carried, if he was worried about Kiyoko, he wasn’t showing it.</p><p>“Did you hear that rumble?” He asked.</p><p>“Yeah.” Nishinoya nodded. “It wasn’t…” he glanced to the window. “I don’t think it was thunder.”</p><p>“So what as it?”</p><p>Nishinoya shrugged. “Dunno. No-one in the ballroom heard it from what Inuoka’s been saying. If anything they’re all distracted…”</p><p>Suga didn’t ask what they were distracted by, deciding they had other things to worry about. “So, what’s the plan?”</p><p>“We need to get Yachi to the ballroom to dispel whatever nonsense Akiteru has spouted.” Kenma replied. “But just walking there won’t cut it.”</p><p>“Why not?” Suga quirked an eyebrow. “I mean, sure let’s not necessarily go through the main hallways but I’m sure all these rooms in the palace link back to one another right?”</p><p>They both looked to Yachi to confirm or deny Suga’s thought. “I know most of them link back to the grand hallway, so I guess if we want to take a long route around…they can work?”</p><p>That sounded like a good a plan as any. Getting Yachi to the ballroom was now their main objective. Given that they knew things were tense, Suga decided they needed to start moving sooner rather than later.</p><p>“Are you ready to go now?” Suga asked. “We shouldn’t let Akiteru’s lies run rampant for too long.”</p><p>Yachi nodded, standing up. “Agreed.”</p><p>“Then it’s decided, we’ll find our way through the empty rooms of the palace.” Kenma slipped the ear cuff back on and caught half of a conversation between Shirabu and Inuoka.</p><p>
  <em>‘So Hinata and Tobio are dancing and what’s Tooru doing?’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘He’s just watching, talking to Atsumu mainly but…yeah. I dunno.”</em>
</p><p>Kenma was curious how the dancing was going but didn’t voice those thoughts. He nodded to Nishinoya as Yachi began to prepare to leave her chambers. She was content to wear the robes she had been wearing all day thus far, pale lilac with simple details. She spent a few moments fixing her hair and making sure she had any necessary accessories with her.</p><p><em>‘We’re about to start escorting Yachi to the ballroom. We’re going via some empty rooms as we’re trying to avoid guards.</em>’</p><p>He sensed understanding before Shirabu even said anything. <em>‘Understood. Be careful. We don’t know where Akiteru is.’</em></p><p>Kenma would guess by now that Akaashi was in the throne room and dealing with Akiteru but it was hard to tell without him confirming. With nothing left to say or do, they left the chambers. Tanaka took point with Kenma accompanying Yachi and both Nishinoya and Suga bringing up the rear. The palace was daunting enough to walk through and that was with the more direct route of the grand hallways. Now faced with walking through unfamiliar rooms and with no telling how many guards would be walking around, it was daunting on another level.</p><p>What they’d do if they were challenged by anyone was unclear, Tanaka was prepared to do all manner of outlandish things to draw the guards away. He hoped it wouldn’t come to that, but if push came to shove, there was a lot more at stake than usual. Yachi quietly told them which doors to go through, keeping a calm and composed attitude the entire time.</p><p>Kenma wasn’t going to necessarily broadcast his thoughts, but he was quietly optimistic that this part of the wider plan would be successful. Now the rest of it just had to fall into place. Making their way through the palace was a lot less nerve-wracking than they thought. Between Yachi’s knowledge of the floor plan and the Brotherhood’s well-rehearsed motions to avoid detection, they managed to make it quickly and quietly through several empty rooms. Though inevitably as they got closer to the ballroom, there were more guards to avoid. Kenma recognised the smell of cinnamon once more, though it seemed stronger now. He wasn’t sure what to make of it.</p><p>“Is it me, or are there less guests?” Tanaka whispered as he poked his head out of a door and glanced down the hallway. They just had to cross the open space and get into the first parlour. “Like, what’s happening?”</p><p>Kenma wrinkled his nose as he caught a stronger whiff of cinnamon. “Maybe someone’s making a speech or something.” He whispered back as they confirmed the coast was clear. Tanaka strode across the hallway and opened the door, checking there weren’t any guests or guards around whilst Kenma held everyone else back. There was a pause as Tanaka seemed confused, brows furrowing and he shook his head in response to something before rolling his eyes and waving them over.</p><p>As soon as they were all in the parlour, Nishinoya shut the door. At the sight of the person Tanaka had been talking to, Yachi tensed up.</p><p>“What are you doing here?” Kenma beat her to the punch. “And where’s your brother?”</p><p>Kei adjusted his eyeglasses. “In the throne room, like we agreed. I also made sure Lev got there.”</p><p>“Wait <em>Lev</em>?” Kenma was now also confused. “What?”</p><p>“He was adamant he wanted to help.” Kei shrugged. “Look, I agreed to help you get wherever you needed to be. I wasn’t told specifics.” He looked to Yachi and belatedly bowed in greeting. “Your Imperial Majesty, I do hope these lunatics aren’t offending you with their wild scheme.”</p><p>Yachi scoffed, making Suga and Nishinoya exchange an amused look. “If I’ve heard correctly, your brother is trying to say I’m <em>dead</em>.” She stepped closer to Kei. “So, care to explain what’s going on?”</p><p>Kei righted his posture and huffed slightly. “Akiteru has kept most of his plans from me. I believe he started to suspect I wasn’t…as enthusiastic about whatever he was up to.”</p><p>“So you say you have no idea what he’s planning?” Yachi gave him a pointed look. “I don’t believe you.”</p><p>Kei seemed putout. “I know he wants power. I also know he wants to kill Akaashi for daring to interfere with his plans. Considering he told the court that you’re on your deathbed from poison - conveniently only found in the south - I assume he’s dealing with his secondary objective now. He’ll return once Akaashi is dead and…” he shrugged. “I dunno, start a coup?”</p><p>“Not if I have anything to say about it.” Yachi stated, pointing at Kei, “and you’re going to help me fix this misunderstanding.”</p><p>Kei’s eyes widened. “Me? What—”</p><p>“You’re coming with me to the throne room. You’re going to tell the court your brother lied to them, then <em>maybe</em> we can fix this mess and then <em>maybe</em> I’ll let you slip out of the empire unchallenged. Got it?”</p><p>Suga and Nishinoya exchanged another amused look as Kei seemed process he didn’t really have a choice in this. Kenma remained stoic as Kei mulled it over for a few moments before finally nodding.</p><p>“As you wish.”</p><p>“Oh I don’t wish this at all,” Yachi scoffed again, “but at least you can distance yourself from his actions. I’m granting you that much as least so be thankful.” She briskly turned to Kenma and Tanaka. “We can continue.”</p><p>Not about to question her, Tanaka nodded. There were only two more doors between them and the throne room. It was going to be an explosive entrance. Kenma took a moment to tap into the chain, at least <em>trying</em> to give Inuoka a heads up.</p><p>
  <em>‘We’re nearly at the ballroom. Give it a few minutes and we’ll be arriving through a side door. Prepare yourself.’</em>
</p><p>There was a pause before another general feeling of understanding. Inuoka didn’t say anything, but Kenma figured he didn’t need to. Actions spoke louder than words, and what could be louder and more contrary to Akiteru’s claims than Yachi striding into her ballroom?</p><p>Not a lot, that was for sure.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>The tremors had been getting closer. Lev wasn’t sure what was causing them but he didn’t like how <em>off</em> they felt. These weren’t natural tremors; these were caused by something man-made. He wasn’t dwelling on it though as Akiteru seemed to take delight in wearing down Kiyoko’s resistance. She was fighting like a wounded animal. Lev had seen many bears during his time in the northern region before he joined the guild, the ferocity that Kiyoko kept coming at Akiteru with reminded him of those mother bears protecting their cubs.</p><p>Akaashi was still on the floor, disorientated and bleeding from various scrapes and grazes. He wasn’t down, not yet, but he wasn’t exactly fit to fight someone like Akiteru. Lev for his part ached all over, being repeatedly slammed against the wall had definitely caused some damage but he wasn’t bleeding and he could still move. So like Kiyoko, he was set on continuing to play his part.</p><p>As Kiyoko was relieved of her shorter blade, steel clattering to the floor, she glared at Akiteru. Both of them had suffered blows but neither sought to surrender, the stubbornness ran deep in both of them. Lev readied himself to pounce, the element of surprise was a little lost now compared to when he first charged to Akaashi’s aid but Kiyoko held enough of Akiteru’s attention to make him <em>almost</em> forget Lev existed.</p><p>But as the battle went on, as exhaustion started to seep into tired and aching bones, someone had to yield. And in a game of swords versus magic, magic nearly always won. Purple glowed in the gloom, Akiteru’s tattered robes had been sliced away throughout rushed flurries, only the main torso piece was clinging to him now. The sleeves were shredded by sword and claws alike, exposing the neat tattoos that decorated his arms. They didn’t cover his arms like Goshiki’s did, but they were purposefully spaced apart like a ritual circle. Triangles were the main shape, some connected with lines, others stood alone. Each of them had been glowing at varying points of the encounter.</p><p>There hadn’t been any fire yet, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t coming. Swords clashed once more, Kiyoko gritted her teeth as Akiteru’s blade seemed to emanate negative feelings. She could feel the nausea rolling off of it, the gut-churning hatred that clouded her senses was not one she willingly accepted. She didn’t know what he was up to, but she hadn’t forgotten how the last encounter nearly ended.</p><p>“You should learn when to give up.” Akiteru hissed, not nearly as composed as he had been earlier before taking several blows both from sword and fist. Akaashi’s punch from earlier had caused his lip to swell up, there were several cuts from close calls with Kiyoko’s katana, some were beading with blood.</p><p>Kiyoko snorted, not deigning to reply as she brought her leg in a sweeping motion and toppled him once more. He grabbed her and pulled her off balance as he fell, having the hindsight to bring his sword up to try and sever her arm. Ripping her arm out of his grasp, she kicked his wrist. His grip on his sword faltered and it was sent skidding across the floor again.</p><p>Lev pounced on it, teeth sinking into the hilt as the purple wisps flared up. He snarled around the hilt as it tried to tug free and adhere to its master’s call. Kiyoko scowled at Akiteru, fully anticipating the magic to seize her once more and throw her aside. Instead, she saw the triangular tattoos light up with vibrant red light.</p><p>She took a step back, unsure what this magic was. Her first thought was more runestones were going to get shattered. Instead, the gloom was pierced by brilliant yellow light as fire burst forth. Akiteru got to his feet with a smirk, allowing the fire to shape itself into three arrows, much like Hinata was capable of doing. There was a sinking feeling in her stomach as she realised there was little she’d be able to do.</p><p>She glanced behind her at Akaashi. Though she said nothing aloud, he could hear her thoughts.</p><p><em>‘Don’t blame yourself. We all knew this was a suicide mission</em>.’</p><p>His eyes widened as she took her blade in her hands and waited for Akiteru to make his move. The three arrows floated in mid-air for a few moments as he glanced between her and Akaashi, clearly mulling over what he wanted to do. He chuckled.</p><p>“What, no pleas for your lives?”</p><p>Kiyoko shrugged. “There are worse ways to go.”</p><p>Akaashi swallowed. She had accepted her fate it seemed, she figured this was it. After all, there was little she could do against magic. Akiteru laughed a little louder.</p><p>“Ah, a martyr. How cute.” He snapped his fingers. The arrows shot forward at the same speed an archer would loose them.</p><p>Bright light streaked through the air, all three heading straight for her. Even her best reflexes wouldn’t be able to parry all three. She inhaled sharply as she anticipated pain. A hand on her shoulder preceded Akaashi stepping in front of her and holding out his palms. The arrows struck a barrier of void energy, exploding on impact. Akaashi grimaced as the fire rippled out. He held his footing but his body trembled at the force. This was the only way he could attempt to parry elemental magic and given his current exhausted state, he wouldn’t be able to keep it up for long.</p><p>“Gods above,” Akiteru rolled his eyes as he willed more arrows to appear, “you two are so fucking irritating.”</p><p>“Just ‘cause we don’t bend to your will.” Akaashi uttered, keeping the ward up as he eyed the arrows surrounding Akiteru like some strange halo</p><p>Akiteru snorted, glancing between them both. “Kei was right, you are lunatics.”</p><p>“We know.” Akaashi dared to smirk slightly. “Only a lunatic would dare to defy you, <em>right?</em>”</p><p>Akiteru snorted, understanding the thinly veiled insult. “And your legacy will be noted down as one of destruction and devastation. Murderers pretending to be heroes.” He snapped his fingers again.</p><p>Arrows streaked through the air once more. Akaashi inhaled sharply as they struck his thin barrier. Flames spread out like a wave as they collided with the ward. Bright yellow light making both him and Kiyoko wince as the heat came upon them like a dragon’s breath. The barrier shattered as pain struck him. He sunk to his knees gasping and coughing from the smoke. He caught Akiteru’s gaze briefly and felt a much stronger pulse of pain erupt in his head.</p><p>The flames fizzled out before they could catch on the tapestries or banners of the room. Akaashi was still gasping but no longer at the smoke, there was an ache in his head like he had been kicked by a horse. His vision was blurry the pain kept flaring up. As he fought to get ahold of himself, his vision was clouded by flashes of purple energy. Like earlier when he saw flashes of the battlefield, except less defined and carrying feelings of intense dread.</p><p>Kiyoko’s heart was in her throat as Akiteru smirked. He held out a hand and flexed his fingers. Lev let out a pained snarl as the sword ripped from his jaw and flew back into Akiteru’s hand. Before either could react, Akiteru made a sharp gesture with the sword and Lev was thrown across the room once more. This time he didn’t move.</p><p>The point of the sword was raised to Kiyoko. A silent challenge. She dared to meet his gaze as she gripped the hilt of her katana tightly.</p><p><em>‘You should’ve died in that tavern.</em>’</p><p>The waves of hatred were washing over her as Akaashi knelt at her feet in pain at whatever sorcery was at play. She stepped around him, there was a faint ringing in her ears as a stronger tremor struck. The room felt like it was getting warmer. She forced aside the feeling of dread as she waited for Akiteru to lunge forward at her.</p><p><em>‘I’m done playing with you.</em>’</p><p>As she poised to parry the strike, the feeling of weightlessness came back. She registered her feet weren’t touching the ground a split second before she was thrown forcibly at the opposite wall to Lev. Pain flared up her back once more as she hit the floor, her head felt like it was going to split in two as Akiteru discarded his sword and started to approach Akaashi. Every fibre of her heart and soul screamed to get up and stop him reaching Akaashi but her body wouldn’t move, too stunned by pain to obey.</p><p>Akiteru knelt down, reaching within his robes, and bringing out a small dagger that seemed to glow red. He took Akaashi by the chin and smirked at him.</p><p>“Now, I want you to tell me something Keiji.” He said, holding the dagger within reach. “What was that nice little memory of yours hm? The one with the battlefield and uhm…what was it,” he feigned forgetfulness, “ah yes, Tetsurou dying? What was that hm?”</p><p>Akaashi ached all over. His mind felt like it was splitting as Akiteru held him painfully. The purple flashes only increased in nature as golden eyes bore into his. “That was your sick little game—”</p><p>“Ah ah,” Akiteru smiled, “no, I know the difference between nightmares and memories.” His smile didn’t fade. “That was a memory. As in, that <em>happened</em>. So my question is, considering Tetsurou is very much alive, for now, what was it?”</p><p>Akaashi didn’t know what to say. He had been told by Hinata that it was all a vision, that it was an elaborate thing Hēishān showed him to get him to do some outlandish things. It being real didn’t make any sense.</p><p>“Why should I believe you?” He uttered.</p><p>“Because there’s so much more to it than what you saw.” Akiteru’s grin was unsettling. “It’s just buried by your own limitations.” He held up the dagger, the luminous red light looking more sinister in the gloom. “I can break those limitations for you. You can find out what happened. You can be powerful just like Hinata.”</p><p>As his gaze fixed on the dagger, he could only wonder how truthful Akiteru was being. How much of it was faked and how much was a memory? What was the true extent of the vision Hēishān showed Hinata? What was Hinata hiding away from him?</p><p>“Mhm, yes, think about it…” Akiteru’s voice was almost soothing almost as the blade came closer to his neck. “Unlimited power is just a few slices away…”</p><p>Violent flashes clouded his vision; the battlefield bathed in blood, the destruction in the coastal village, the knife poised to stab an innocent woman. What he knew had come from Semi’s memories shifted abruptly. It was no longer Semi’s hand holding the knife and it was no longer Kuroo’s mother on the other end.</p><p>A nameless victim, just one of many the Brotherhood used to slaughter. Just one of many he inflicted images upon just like the ones Akiteru forced upon him. He and Akiteru weren’t so different, were they? He couldn’t fight it any longer. He had been fighting it all for too long. The limitations his body and mind had, they made every waking moment hard to stomach. Carrying the memories of so much pain, misfortune and death. Death he had dealt out as easily as he dealt out cards.</p><p>“So what do you say?” Akiteru hummed.</p><p>“…I…”</p><p>A strong jolt rocked the throne room, causing Akiteru’s gaze to snap up, breaking whatever spell was being cast on him. Akaashi’s body couldn’t take anymore torture. His eyes slipped shut as the sound of shattering glass pierced the silence.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Just a note: the next chapter is a long one, over 10K words, so consider this a head's up ✌</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0079"><h2>79. Fight For Your Values And Fight For Your Friends</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Once again, this is a long chapter, it took me a solid 6 hours to write and a lot longer to edit 😂</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>LXXIX</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Fight For Your Values And Fight For Your Friends</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Dancing this time around was a lot less nerve-wracking than last time. Hinata wasn’t trying to guess what Tobio’s intentions were for one thing. They were both on the same page, they were in this together. Though it had been a few weeks since they last danced, so there were some nerves abound as Hinata felt Tobio take his hand and wrap an arm around his waist.</p>
<p>“I got you.” Tobio told him quietly. “Just don’t panic.”</p>
<p>Hinata snorted. The fact that <em>he</em> was the one to suggest this made Tobio’s remark almost a little ludicrous. If he was going to panic, this was not the time. He smiled up at Tobio, raising an eyebrow.</p>
<p>“If I knew any better, I’d think <em>you</em> were the one panicking.”</p>
<p>Tobio’s cheeks flushed red as the gentle harp music began. He started leading Hinata around the dance floor without a word at first. Under his breath, Tobio counted beats in time with the rise and fall of the simple dance. Hinata got lost in looking at Tobio’s concentrated but calm expression. Now he was able to appreciate the dark blue eyes that darted between his and down at their feet. Tobio’s posture was firm but not rigid, relaxed enough to not appear stiff but an anchor for Hinata to cling to nonetheless.</p>
<p>“Did you have anything in mind when you suggested this?” Tobio murmured as he fell into a comfortable rhythm. “Like a statement you wanted to make?”</p>
<p>Hinata was too lost in Tobio’s gaze to reply at first. He felt weightless and he moved on instinct, following each step as Tobio carefully orchestrated it. “Uhm, no, not really.”</p>
<p>Tobio quirked an eyebrow, smiling at him. “You just wanted an excuse, didn’t you?”</p>
<p>“Excuse?”</p>
<p>Tobio snorted. “To dance.”</p>
<p>Hinata shook his head, feeling Tobio’s hand at his back slip away. He anticipated the twirl that threw him off last time they were here. He could feel the attention of everyone on them, it was what he had intended. Not necessarily what he <em>wanted</em>, but they had to do something to try and calm the situation. He had faith that the Brotherhood were doing their best to keep control of whatever chaos was happening elsewhere. He had his part to play, and his part currently was to keep Tobio calm, to make him feel safe.</p>
<p>Whatever happened next was up to fate, even if he had an inkling that this serenity was going to be short-lived.</p>
<p>“So if you had no ulterior motive,” Tobio pulled him a little closer, close enough to murmur in his ear, “how does this dance end?”</p>
<p>Hinata could think of a few ways. Some of them were fairly tame, some were a little more scandalous. He smiled as Tobio continued to lead him around. The murmurs of their audience was hard to block out but he had known this would happen. He knew being in love with a king would bring this sort of attention to him. In a way it was nice to be known for something so simple as opposed to all the crazy antics of his. It was by no means a simple life, but he didn’t mind.</p>
<p>“Depends how much of a scene you want to cause.” Hinata remarked. “And whether you’re prepared to deal with Tooru never letting you hear the end of it.”</p>
<p>Tobio smiled, it was his more devious smile than his sincere loving one, but to Hinata they were one in the same. The mischievous streak that came with Tobio was one he enjoyed seeing. Any side of Tobio was better than the hollow one he had met in the dull throne room a year ago.</p>
<p>“Never letting me hear the end of it…” Tobio repeated back to him. “You say that like he’d be the one gloating.”</p>
<p>“Yeah?” Hinata smiled up at him. “Or would it be you gloating?”</p>
<p>Tobio raised an eyebrow. Hinata continued smiling even as Tobio spun him again. The harpist was coming to the end of her song; the rising crescendo mirroring the rise in anticipation that he could sense upon the air. The court was expecting something, a statement of sorts, and he had a feeling Tobio knew this.</p>
<p>“Y’know, I think it’ll be less gloating and more…vindication.” Tobio hummed as the strumming of strings got faster. “If you’re okay with that.”</p>
<p>Hinata nodded. “I <em>am</em> your consort.” He coyly remarked.</p>
<p>Tobio snorted, trying not to laugh too much and break concentration. “Alright, one more spin and then be ready.”</p>
<p>Hinata didn’t need to ask what he had to be ready for. He waited as Tobio chose his moment, as the song came to its peak he released Hinata and twirled him around before accepting him back into his hold, hand coming up to hold Hinata’s chin and tilt his face up. The strings were strummed one final time as Tobio leaned down and pressed his lips to Hinata’s.</p>
<p>It wasn’t their first kiss by any means, but there would be no denying it anymore. What had been suspended in mystery and rumour to most had now been declared in the most public way possible. It was a silver lining to what was probably going to be a stressful night for them collectively.</p>
<p>The murmurs were louder now as Tobio slowly pulled back and smiled, still holding Hinata’s face.</p>
<p>From where he was stood, Tooru could see the genuine smile on Tobio’s face and felt an odd sense of relief. He hadn’t seen that smile often since they both had to grow up overnight, it reminded him of a younger Tobio from years ago. It reminded him of himself whenever he was with Iwaizumi.</p>
<p>Atsumu raised an eyebrow as he glanced at Tooru. “Huh. Well that’s a nice distraction.”</p>
<p>Tooru chuckled. “Yeah…yeah.”</p>
<p>“You didn’t know I guess?”</p>
<p>“I had suspicions.” Tooru smiled more warmly. “It’s…cute.”</p>
<p>“A moment of peace and happiness between the doom and gloom.” Atsumu remarked, scanning the room and noting the nobles making a fuss over the gesture. “And it’s managed to both calm them down and ruffle their feathers.”</p>
<p>“That was probably the idea.” Tooru followed Atsumu’s gaze. Indeed the guests of the ballroom seemed less worked up about potential assassins and more focused on the affectionate display. Of course it wasn’t going to completely erase the former from their minds, but it was a start. It was buying them time.</p>
<p>As he continued to glance around the ballroom, he spotted Kuroo and Ushijima by the doors, except they were no longer alone. Daichi, Yaku and Kunimi had arrived with Aone immediately leaving their side to approach Atsumu. He quickly nodded in greeting to Tooru before addressing Atsumu curtly.</p>
<p>“We have a strange occurrence.”</p>
<p>Atsumu inhaled sharply. “Right.”</p>
<p>“Doors have been…forcibly removed from their hinges. Violently.” He stated quietly. “Runes are involved.”</p>
<p>Atsumu nodded, not taking his gaze off the room. “And?”</p>
<p>“There was a strange rumbling sound. Like thunder.”</p>
<p>Atsumu glanced out the large windows to see the clear night sky, his gaze flickered up to the domed window and saw no sign of storm clouds. He frowned. “Perhaps Akiteru and Akaashi are duelling more violently than we anticipated.”</p>
<p>By now, Hinata and Tobio had returned from the dance floor. Noting Aone’s arrival, Tobio raised an eyebrow before getting a brief explanation from Tooru. Things were apparently heating up in the palace now. And that was before Inuoka rushed over to all three of them.</p>
<p>“Kenma said Yachi’s nearly here.” He hissed. “And to be ready. She sounds pissed.”</p>
<p>Tooru figured now was the perfect time to get another drink. There wasn’t time to alert any of the others in the ballroom before a door opened and several loud gasps were heard. It wasn’t long before guards were shouting at one another to be alert and a declaration that the empress had arrived rippled out across the room. A strange silence fell for a few precious moments as the latest twist in the night’s tale was process by the nobility. Yachi seemed unbothered as she allowed Tanaka to walk beside her and clear the way through the crowd.</p>
<p>As they came to Tooru and Tobio, she halted for a moment. A small smile and a nod in thanks was given to the southern kings before she continued on her way. Kenma hung back, melting into the crowd easily enough and arriving next to Hinata almost silently as Tanaka and Nishinoya remained with Yachi. Suga had already peeled away and joined Daichi and Kuroo at the main entrance to loosely report in.</p>
<p>The other notable companion was Kei Tsukishima. He showed obvious discomfort at being where he was with so many eyes on him but he kept up with the others. Murmurs were breaking out again as Yachi ascended to the balcony, Tanaka still by her side and Nishinoya falling back slightly so not to make himself stick out too much. As she stepped up to the low wall and placed her gloved hands on the stonework, she looked much more confident than the last time she had stood there.</p>
<p>“Firstly I’d like to apologise for my absence.” She cut straight to the point, no pompous greetings or pleasantries. Her expression was set in a neutral frown, certainly no forced smiles or unbridled rage. Tanaka stood back, hands clasped behind him as Kei lingered in the shadows for the present moment until he was called forth. “Secondly, you have all been lied to this evening.”</p>
<p>It wasn’t exactly <em>news</em> considering she was stood there, but the extent of these lies was beyond anyone’s guess. She allowed the murmurs to settle before she continued.</p>
<p>“The details are long-winded and messy, but the crux of the issue is simply this; Akiteru Tsukishima is a traitor, he has made an attempt on my life and an attempt to spark a coup.” She stated plainly. “Although he did get one point correct; there are assassins in the palace.”</p>
<p>Shocked gasps and confused murmurs passed through the room. No-one really knew where she was taking this. She seemed to understand that she needed to leave pauses between her statements to allow it to sink in. After all, it was a crazy thing to state outright in normal circumstances, let alone after everything that had been said already.</p>
<p>“However, these assassins are not after me, in fact they were not here on that sort of business. They were here as mercenaries, as friends. They were here to get answers. I enlisted their help and they’ve delivered on that arrangement.” She didn’t skip a beat as she continued. “They uncovered Akiteru’s traitorous acts and have been working tirelessly to derail his larger plan. They continue to work as we speak. As such, I apologise for the distress any of tonight’s events have caused you all.” She glanced behind her at Kei before turning her attention back to the room as a whole. “Now before the festivities resume, I’d like to allow Kei to say a few words on this entire matter.”</p>
<p>She stepped back to allow Kei to move into the spot she had been occupying. His discomfort was still obvious as he avoided looking out at the room at first. There was a certain amount of vindication gained from seeing him so nervous and out of place.</p>
<p>As he set his hands on the wall, he let out a shaky breath. “…for those of you who are not aware, Akiteru is my older brother.” He also kept it short and to the point. “I didn’t know about his plans. I haven’t been a part of his plotting. And trust me when I say this, he is blinded by ambition. Even if I had known, I doubt my word would’ve counted for anything.” He paused, glancing at Yachi who nodded encouragingly. “And for that reason, I will not stand in support of his actions.”</p>
<p>The evening that had been a series of twists and turns seemed to be calming down slowly, at least from a political point of view. As Yachi allowed Kei to leave the balcony, she stepped up once more, this time with a soft smile on her face.</p>
<p>“So there we have it, in the coming days I will meet with my court and detail what has happened. But that can wait for now. All I will say on the matter is that Akiteru is being dealt with. And so, let us try to forget how turbulent this evening has been and enjoy one another’s company.”</p>
<p>Whether that appeased the nobility or not, she deemed it the end of her address but she remained on the balcony with Tanaka, idly exchanging light conversation as the ballroom returned to talking quietly and no doubt devouring every word that was just said. Atsumu let out a low hum, he glanced around and noted Osamu making his way through the crowd towards him. As the second twin arrived, Tooru let out a more content sigh.</p>
<p>“Well, this is all going swimmingly.” He looked to Iwaizumi with a smile. “I’m sure you’re glad we avoided the <em>dreaded</em> coup.” He joked.</p>
<p>Iwaizumi rolled his eyes as Osamu whispered something in Atsumu’s ear. The latter frowned once more before shaking his head. It prompted Tobio to raise an eyebrow at him in curiosity.</p>
<p>“Apparently there’s a rather strong aroma of cinnamon around the palace.” Atsumu hummed, catching Kenma’s attention. “Which is odd.”</p>
<p>“Why? Well, aside from the obvious.” Tobio asked.</p>
<p>Atsumu shrugged. “Cinnamon is expensive. It has to be shipped in from the far eastern coast. So if there’s just loads of it being burnt as incense in empty rooms to make the palace smell ‘exotic’, then I wanna know who signed off on all that gold being spent.”</p>
<p>Kenma still found the idea of it being used for incense a little weird. There were other spices and herbs that could get the job done with less gold being spent. He mulled it over for a moment, casting his eyes around the room and sighting some of the others grouped by the main entrance. Considering there was no need for him to stick with Hinata, he nodded in parting before weaving between the guests to reach Yaku and Kunimi.</p>
<p>“So, anything—”</p>
<p>“Oh good you’re here,” Kunimi cut in, “what do you know about runes?”</p>
<p>Kenma blinked slowly. “…what have you seen?”</p>
<p>Kunimi described the rune that he had found on all the doors, a circle with a jagged line in it. Kenma hadn’t encountered that rune before, but something in the back of his mind bothered him about it. He tried to pass the thought along to Shirabu, wondering if he could ask Ukai or Goshiki about it.</p>
<p>“And then there are literally dozens of sacks of cinnamon.” Kunimi added. “Just, sitting in all these storerooms in every hallway we came across and even the parlours.”</p>
<p>“What is with the cinnamon?” Kenma scoffed. “Atsumu mentioned it too. It’s just everywhere.”</p>
<p>“I dunno. It’s all weird. And none of the guards seem to understand why it’s so prevalent.”</p>
<p>Kenma snorted. “No offence to them, but I doubt they’re very observant if we’re here—” His thoughts were disrupted by a frantic reply from Shirabu.</p>
<p><em>‘Oh gods above—Kenma he’s going to try and do what he did to the old city. Get to the Empress now.</em>’</p>
<p>Kenma didn’t think twice, he bolted back through the ballroom and took the stairs to the balcony two at a time. Nishinoya gave him a confused look, apparently having heard the same message but not knowing what to make of it. Kenma didn’t have a chance to explain anything before a loud boom shook the ballroom. Although not in danger of collapsing, dust and stone fragments fell from the ceiling. Shrieks and screams of confusion and fear shattered the silence. Pops and bangs ran out, glass cracked as ripples of energy passed through from somewhere. Kenma vaguely wondered if Akaashi was okay but those thoughts were tossed aside as another violent tremor had the stonework of the balcony and the alcove around it crumbling.</p>
<p>He thought quickly, grabbing Nishinoya. “Make a circle of lightning.” He told the other before motioning for Tanaka to grab Yachi.</p>
<p>Nishinoya did as he was told, clapping his hands together before slamming them into the unstable flooring. Bright blue sparks encircled them as Yachi clung to Tanaka. Kenma waited for the circle to complete itself before sharply inhaling and placing his hands on the element. A ripple of white light burst forth and formed a dome over them following the line carved by lightning.</p>
<p>“Whatever you do, stay in the circle.” He told them all. “Even if the floor gives way.”</p>
<p>Whether they heard him or not, he was then focused on keeping the ward active. The debris that fell from above ricocheted off it, dust slid down the relatively smooth sides. Nishinoya wasn’t sure how stable the floor was going to remain with the tremors continuing and now his lightning coursing through it but he was prepared to try and cushion their fall should it all give way.</p>
<p>Elsewhere in the ballroom, panic was setting in as it became clear something was very wrong. Hinata looked around wildly at the swinging chandeliers and shattering windows. He felt sick to his stomach as the tremors subsided enough to make them believe that the ceiling wasn’t about to cave in. Except now there was a different problem. The main way to exit the ballroom, <em>had</em> caved in. The wooden beam above the door had fractured and fallen in and brought down the heavy stone it had been supporting, now blocking the hallway off.</p>
<p>With the building showing more signs of falling apart and crumbling around them, no-one could blame the guests for being scared for their safety. The guards were at a loss, no amount of training could’ve prepared them for this scenario to play out. As it was quickly established that the stone and wood couldn’t be moved by brute force alone, more outlandish suggestions were being banded around.</p>
<p>Hinata could see the stone piled up, he could see how one or two large chunks were the main issue. It was a relatively simple problem to solve. He felt like he had to put his powers to use. He looked to Tobio.</p>
<p>“I can unblock the door.” He said. “But I’ll need Inuoka’s help.”</p>
<p>At his name being mentioned, Inuoka was confused. “Me?”</p>
<p>“Yes.” Hinata grabbed his hand and started tugging him through the crowd. “If I lift up the stone, you form some pillars of ice or something to make a new doorway.”</p>
<p>Inuoka listened to Hinata babbling about physics that he was only vaguely aware of. As they reached the collapsed door, he saw the members of the Brotherhood already starting to take control of the chaotic situation. Hinata was quick to tell Kuroo to get everyone away from the door so he could work something out. Kuroo didn’t question it, barking for the guards to stop trying to dig through and ‘let the mages handle it’. Now not only were people panicking because of a cave-in, they were intrigued as to how mages would be able to help them escape this madness.</p>
<p> Hinata let go of Inuoka’s hand so he could survey the situation. There was a large hole between the wall and the ceiling where the rock had split away, logically speaking if he lifted everything up again, the hole would be plugged and Inuoka could fashion a new door frame out of ice strong enough to hold it up to give everyone an escape route. On parchment it seemed simple, in practice it would be hard with all the noise and constant aftershocks.</p>
<p>“So, I’ll lift this up,” he pointed to the large chunks of stone, “when we’ve got enough clearance, make a door frame and I’ll slowly let all the stone rest on top of it.”</p>
<p>Inuoka had his doubts but he nodded. “Okay.” He clapped his hands together, the air around them turning frosty. “Ready when you are.”</p>
<p>Hinata nodded, he adjusted the headpiece and tried to relax his arms. He hadn’t tried to summon any magic since he got his new tattoos, he hoped they didn’t backfire. With a sharp intake of breath he held out both hands, fingers flexed as orange light came into view, wisps circling his fingers before shooting out towards the large chunks of broken stone. He was already breaking out in a sweat as he felt how heavy they were, even using all his concentration made it hard to shift them. He took a break, panting as he relaxed his hands. Using one element wasn’t gonna cut it.</p>
<p>In his left hand he continued wielding the rocky element, in his right he let his void take hold. “If it can make portals, it can move stone, right?” He muttered to himself. He snapped his fingers and both elements shot towards the stone. As orange encircled the chunks, the purple ripples began to seep underneath. He shut his eyes as he focused on his will to lift the heavy piece. The sound of grinding stone rang out, a loud creaking emanated from the wall itself as it was slowly forced up.</p>
<p>“You got this.” Inuoka told him, already summoning ice on the floor and beginning to build a pillar. “Slowly does it.”</p>
<p>Hinata gritted his teeth. The grinding was getting louder as the purple ripples formed a bowl-like structure under the heavy load. He glanced up to see the hole at the ceiling slowly beginning to shrink. Around them their audience was watching their feat of magic with mixtures of awe and concern. Hinata tried not to think too hard into how the entire wall might be compromised. He just needed to make something work long enough to get everyone out.</p>
<p>Another aftershock threatened the entire operation. He dug his heels in as he watched the stone tremble. Inuoka had two small pillars of solid ice already forming with each inch gained. They just needed to hold their focus for a little longer. Behind them, a dull crash signalled the balcony crumbling, there were shrieks of panic and concern for the empress. Kenma’s gamble had paid off, combined with Nishinoya’s fast reflexes, they had been spared an abrupt drop. They were unscathed for now.</p>
<p>Hinata let out a short exhale as the stone finally closed the gap. Though it was nowhere near as grand as before, it allowed Inuoka the space to make a doorway of solid ice. The tricky part came with releasing the stone.</p>
<p>“Let me.” Inuoka snapped his fingers once more and made a sheet of ice span the entire height of the wall, holding back the jagged stone chunks from slipping out. “Try releasing.”</p>
<p>Hinata disengaged his left hand, the only things now keeping the wall up were Inuoka’s wall of ice and the void energy. When nothing seemed to shift, he peeled back the purple ripples and waited. The stone creaked against the ice, but the ice did not yield. Through the hastily made doorway, they could see down the grand hallway. Parts of the ceiling had fallen in, the walls were all cracked but there was a clear path to the front doors of the palace.</p>
<p>He looked to Kuroo and Daichi. “I don’t know how long it’ll hold, get a move on.”</p>
<p>Not needing to be told twice, Kuroo immediately barked orders at the guards. There was an essence of urgency in how everyone moved but it was orderly. Naturally many were wary of walking under the conjured structure but it was a choice of trust the magic or trust in luck. Many chose the former. Hinata and Inuoka waited for Tobio to approach, already trying to be hurried along by Yamaguchi but he stopped and turned to Hinata. Given the drastic escalation of the situation, there was only one question on Tobio’s mind.</p>
<p>“Does Akaashi need you?”</p>
<p>Hinata felt his voice catch in his throat. He still felt sick to his stomach as he considered the situation. It would be easy for him to leave with Tobio, to ensure Tobio was safe first and foremost and hope Akaashi could hold out a little longer. But if the destruction and chaos was anything to go by, things were not under control in the slightest. Akaashi could be already running out of time.</p>
<p>“…I…” Hinata felt conflicted. The last time he was in this situation he had no trouble heading into danger, he threw himself into a volcano of all things. Though he had no idea how he was meant to help Akaashi. He had been told he’d need to, just not <em>how</em>. Tobio took his hands and squeezed them hard, the familial ring biting into his hand.</p>
<p>“Shoyo,” He said firmly, “your friend needs you. Don’t worry about me, I have the others. You said so yourself, the Kirin told you Akaashi can’t beat Akiteru alone.” Another tremor struck, cutting Tobio off as screams rose up. Their gazes flashed to the ice sheet keeping the rock in place. It did not yield yet. He let go of Hinata’s hands and took hold of his face, bringing their lips together in a quick, desperate exchange before pulling back and regarding him with slightly glassy eyes. “I love you.”</p>
<p>Hinata nodded quickly, wanting to articulate a hundred thoughts at once. “I know.”</p>
<p>“Go.” He released Hinata, allowing Yamaguchi to take him by the hand and tug him towards the doorway. “Do whatever it takes, you hear me?”</p>
<p>Hinata was a little startled but he nodded again, taking several steps back. He caught Inuoka’s eye and remembered the ear cuff in his pocket. He scrambled to find it and slipped it on. The thoughts he was flooded with weren’t his own, most were Shirabu demanding explanations. He blinked through the confusion. He didn’t know how to get to the throne room from here. The nobles were all moving towards the narrow doorway and he didn’t want to incite more panic by rushing through them. He tried to see if he could find someone like Ushijima to take him. Trying to move through the crowd of guests, he collided with someone, rubbing his head at the impact he looked up at them.</p>
<p>“Oh it’s you.” Kei seemed indifferent, even despite the circumstances.</p>
<p>“I need to get to Akaashi. Take me there.” Hinata demanded.</p>
<p>Kei didn’t bat an eyelid, whether he wanted to object or not. “Fine. But I’m not—”</p>
<p>“I’m not asking you to get involved for fuck sake, just get me <em>there</em> and shut up.”</p>
<p>Kei scoffed before he forcibly took Hinata by the hand and dragged him through the river of nobles to a door. Beyond the door was a small room that felt like a parlour of sorts with another door leading off. It was quiet, but replacing the noise was something less comforting. There was a strong aroma of spices in the air. Kei seemed to understand something as he paused.</p>
<p>“Cinnamon.” He uttered before striking the heel of his hand against his forehead. “Oh my god I’m so dumb.”</p>
<p>“What?” Hinata quipped, not that he didn’t enjoy Kei calling himself dumb but this really wasn’t what he needed right now. “This isn’t the time!”</p>
<p>“I think it <em>is</em>.” Kei replied. “Cinnamon is <em>explosive and flammable </em>under the right circumstances<em>.</em>”</p>
<p>“Huh?!”</p>
<p>“Oh gods he’s fucking insane.” Kei groaned. “He’s <em>actually</em> trying to destroy the palace.”</p>
<p>Hinata was too wound up to really care about <em>why</em> things were happening and just trying to focus on how to <em>stop</em> them from continuing. “Well standing here isn’t going to do anything—” Hinata reached for the door handle and yanked it open. Beyond the door was a wall of fire. He slammed it shut immediately. “Okay maybe we need a plan first.”</p>
<p>“You <em>think?</em><em>”</em></p>
<p>Hinata sighed heavily. They didn’t have time to be thinking about things, he needed to be at Akaashi’s side already.</p>
<p>A rogue thought entered his mind, Shirabu sounded confused and livid all rolled into one.</p>
<p><em>‘What the fuck is happening in there? Kindaichi just came running in here from the street where he’s been with the horses and apparently the whole damn palace roof is on fire?!</em>’</p>
<p>Hinata’s eyes widened, he willed his thoughts to cooperate. ‘<em>I think it</em><em>’s more than the roof. We just had to unblock a door to get everyone out.</em>’</p>
<p><em>‘Hinata? Oh gods. Where’s Yachi?</em>’</p>
<p><em>‘Kenma and Nishinoya got her. She’s safe. Tanaka is guarding her. I need to get to Akaashi.</em>’</p>
<p>There was a sense of relief but it was short-lived and quickly replaced with concern. ‘<em>Be careful. If you need us, just say.</em>’</p>
<p>Hinata nodded, focusing back on the matter in front of him. Walking through fire would be fairly easy for him, Kei however, not so much. But then he was reminded of how Kei bridged a gap in his powers once before, he wondered if he could do the same.</p>
<p>“Take my hand.” He reached out.</p>
<p>“Why?”</p>
<p>“Just shut up and do as I say.” Hinata snapped. “Or do you want to burn alive?”</p>
<p>Kei scowled at him but did as he was told. As he took Hinata’s hand, Hinata willed his flames to appear and form a protective barrier around them both. Kei seemed unsettled but kept his mouth shut. Once they were fully encased in fire, Hinata yanked open the door again. The fire greeted them once more; vicious yellow flames licked the air and smoke made seeing difficult.</p>
<p>“Which way?” Hinata called over the sound of crackling wood.</p>
<p>Kei coughed, the smoke already getting to him. “Turn right.”</p>
<p>Hinata tugged Kei with him as he stepped out into the inferno. As angry as the fire was, the floor was relatively intact for now. The walls that had been decorated with paintings and decorative parchment were ablaze though. The thick smoke was unforgiving even as Hinata tried to control the air flow around them. To his relief, Kei was protected by his thin barrier of controlled flames, though he didn’t seem happy about this situation in the slightest.</p>
<p>Navigating was difficult when half the landmarks were either gone or covered with fire. Kei had walked the hallways enough times to have it more or less memorised. Though that didn’t stop them getting waylaid by falling debris from above. If the entire roof was on fire as well, gods only knew how long they had before the entire building caved in. Hinata nearly tripped over a door that had fallen off its hinges, just one look into the storeroom revealed that it was an epicentre for one of the many explosions that had been occurring; sacks of spices were fully ablaze. Though whether that explained the tremors, neither knew.</p>
<p>Neither of them really cared considering the very real deadly situation. Kei continued to give Hinata directions as they came across hallways that were simply inaccessible due to collapsed ceilings. The smoke was worse as they got further into the building. They thankfully hadn’t come across any bodies. That was one thing Hinata could do without.</p>
<p>Hinata was almost starting to question his sanity as they finally turned the corner and he saw the large doors of the throne room partly splintered by the tremors. Kei let go of his hand, the fire armour dissipating. Around them the flames weren’t as bad yet, only starting to catch on the wooden panelling a few feet away. Kei raised an eyebrow as he considered the likelihood that there was a ward up behind the throne room doors.</p>
<p>“Confession,” he broke the silence, “there might be a void ward.”</p>
<p>Hinata snorted. “Right.” He looked down at his hands. “And let me guess, you don’t know how to disable it.”</p>
<p>“You don’t.” Kei looked at him with an indifferent expression. “You destroy it. Only Akiteru would be able to disable it.”</p>
<p>Hinata somehow figured that would be the case. The last time he dabbled with going through void portals he had to draw an entire circle out and power it with crazy amounts of elements. And given that he had been told by the Kirin that he had to do something drastic that only he could, shattering a void ward would fall into that category.</p>
<p>Now he just needed to work out how and quickly.</p>
<p>Kei seemed ready to leave him there to figure this riddle out himself, yet he remained where he stood as Hinata tried to think of something. By now the others should’ve gotten out and be safe, and Shirabu had said to contact them if he needed something. With the fire creeping toward them, he decided to go with what he had been told to do so many times already.</p>
<p>He found a loose piece of debris, a chunk of burnt wood from an upper floor and scored a small circle in the stone flooring with charcoal. As the roughly drawn circle was completed, he touched the ear cuff.</p>
<p><em>‘I need your help.</em>’</p>
<p>He waited a split second before the flood of replies came back. Kenma’s thoughts were more dominant though and were louder as a result.</p>
<p>‘<em>What is it? Just say the word and we</em><em>’ll do our best.</em>’</p>
<p>Hinata coughed slightly on the smoke that was still threatening to overwhelm them both. He stood behind the circle as he stared at the ajar doors. Through the crack he could see the purple tendrils that made up the portal.</p>
<p><em>‘I need you to do that passing elements thing. I need everything you’ve got. Fire. Ice. Lightning, whatever Shirabu can handle. I can’t do this alone.</em>’</p>
<p>If there was any question about why he needed it, none of them asked. He inhaled sharply, spluttering on the smoke as he felt a faint throbbing in his chest. He placed a hand over his chest and felt the runestone. As attached as he was to it, having his powers shackled wasn’t going to help. As he waited for Kenma to reply, he took hold of the twine and lifted it up over his head. Kei raised an eyebrow as the runestone was offered to him but he took it. Hinata then unfastened the buttons on his jacket and slipped it off along with the circlet on his head and handed both of them to Kei.</p>
<p>“Keep these safe for me yeah?” He asked. “I don’t want them to get burnt up.”</p>
<p>Kei took the jacket of Yukio, looking at the orange dragon stitched into the blue fabric that was already somewhat blackened by smoke, and accepted the headpiece too. He opened his mouth to ask something but decided against it as Hinata rolled up the sleeves of his shirt. It was loose on him which he was thankful for now in the heat of the burning building.</p>
<p><em>‘Ready</em>?<em>’</em></p>
<p>He clicked his fingers. This was going to be a nightmare to recover from but he had no choice.</p>
<p><em>‘We’ll do it one at a time so not to overload Shirabu.</em>’ Kenma explained.</p>
<p>Hinata smiled. He stepped inside the circle and held both hands in front of him, palms facing up for the moment as he let out a heavy breath, choking on the smoke again for a moment before a frosty feeling came over him. He willed the ice to come through, joining his own reserves as it appeared in front of him as a large, jagged chunk. He heard Inuoka’s voice above the cracking ice.</p>
<p><em>‘Show the bastard why House Kageyama should be feared.</em>’</p>
<p>Manipulating it, he put it to one side, floating in mid-air and showing no sign of melting even as the fire crept closer. He smiled slightly as the lightning came next. Sparks prickled at his fingertips before the low rumbles of thunder signalled the arrival of bolts. The walls around them shuddered a little with the thunder, pieces of stone crumbling as Nishinoya’s voice came through the cuff.</p>
<p><em>‘Don’t hold back bro, you got this</em>.’</p>
<p>Like before he set it aside, a ball of violent sparking light joined the ice. He didn’t need to focus much on the fire but he still felt a surge of energy from elsewhere. A comforting warmth spread through him as flames took hold easily enough in the environment. He almost felt like crying as he heard Kenma’s oddly emotional voice.</p>
<p><em>‘Good luck Shoyo. We believe in you.</em>’</p>
<p>He was quick to summon a ball of stone and then a vortex of violent air to go with it. The ear cuff felt warm against his ear as the combined consciousness listened to his racing thoughts. Five elements hovered around him awaiting orders. He felt calm despite everything.</p>
<p>There was a final remark from Shirabu as he allowed himself a moment to pause.</p>
<p><em>‘Goshiki told me to tell you to stick it to Akiteru. I’d have to agree with him. Kick his ass Shoyo.</em>’</p>
<p>Hinata snorted, flexing his fingers as he nodded in understanding before he glanced over his shoulder at Kei.</p>
<p>“This is where it’ll get dangerous.” He said, disregarding the fire around them. “So if you want to run, I won’t hold it against you.”</p>
<p>Kei blinked a few times. “…I’ll stay until you’re through. Then I’ll run.”</p>
<p>Hinata nodded, he couldn’t fault Kei for that. “Okay. Then stand back.”</p>
<p>“Good luck.”</p>
<p>He turned back to the door. He remembered the vision the Kirin showed him, the way the colours represented different parties involved in this struggle against evil. He remembered her words about how to overcome such a foe. He had to help Akaashi. He had to get through this ward.</p>
<p>He inhaled sharply, slamming his hands together. Each element shifted its form into that of a small bird. They circled him as they awaited instructions, cawing in unison. His chest throbbed as energy coursed through him but it didn’t bother him anymore. He felt at peace with the power thrumming through his veins. He wasn’t alone in this fight, through magic he was connected to his friends. They had lent their power to him to fulfil the prophecy that the Kirin and Hēishān had foretold.</p>
<p>Just as the might of five factions had battled the north, the power of six mages would bring down Akiteru.</p>
<p>They just had to flock like crows.</p>
<p>He let out a short exhale and allowed his mind to focus on one thing and one thing only; breaking through the barrier. At his will, the five crows swooped forward just as the vision had dictated. Screeches rose up as elements smashed against the wooden door and splintered it in several places. He was not deterred by the solid structure. He summoned them again, and again, and once more. By the time he summoned the fifth flock the fire was creeping closer and the doors were barely standing.</p>
<p>He closed his eyes and thought of the seven colours, the seven elements that he could wield. All this time he had carried the void, the messed-up memories of what came to pass in other times. All the nightmarish scenes he had set his eyes upon. All the suffering and sadness he had seen others go through.</p>
<p>Now he had a use for it.</p>
<p>A voice from long ago spoke to him, almost like a memory now.</p>
<p><em>‘Let the magic flow</em>’.</p>
<p>The unbridled energy surged within him as his tattoos began to glow under his shirt. Armed with five elemental crows, he held his palms out and let the buried feelings from another time rise up. Purple light burst forth and shot up to form a larger sphere, two different hues of purple were mixing within one another as wings took shape and a large round head became more defined. Sharpened talons and a curved beak were less defined but the overall shape had taken the form of a much larger bird. Within the ripples of violet and indigo hues he saw glimpses of silver.</p>
<p>He had summoned all he could. His body was trembling from the power being summoned and forced through his veins. His head felt heavy as he fixed his gaze on the splintered doors. Somewhere in the back of his mind he could hear the others still feeling whatever the ear cuff was putting out there.</p>
<p><em>‘I’ll see you all in the aftermath.</em>’</p>
<p>Another short exhale later, he slammed his wrists together and directed his palms towards the door. With a screech the void owl took off with the elemental crows in hot pursuit.</p>
<p>He willed them to break through. They <em>had</em> to break through.</p>
<p>An explosion of elements lit up the doorway. Colours clashed as a cacophony of splintering wood and screeching birds rang out. The remains of the door splintered and crumbled with little resistance. The tendrils of the portal were then bombarded with elements. A flashy light show burst forth as the sound of shattering glass rang out. He didn’t hesitate setting off at a sprint and stumbling through the hazy smoke. He came to a halt in the gloomy throne room, quickly ripping the ear cuff from his ear and pocketing it. The large windows were still intact somehow despite the tremors that had rocked the building.</p>
<p>Lev was slumped against the right-hand wall, Kiyoko against the left. In the centre of the room, Akiteru was leaning over Akaashi’s exhausted and broken body, dagger in hand. Hinata didn’t care to hear explanations, he snapped his fingers and willed the void owl back. With a deafening screech, it swooped down with talons outstretched. Akiteru was spooked enough to drop the dagger and scramble back until he was on his feet again. The void owl dissipated as Hinata’s concentration shifted.</p>
<p>“You little—”</p>
<p>“My name is Shoyo Hinata, I come from the southern kingdom and I’m going to stop you.” He stated.</p>
<p>Akiteru smirked slightly. “I’d almost find that adorable if I didn’t know how much of a little shit you are.”</p>
<p>Hinata didn’t rise to the bait. He glanced around, the light from the hallway on fire gave him enough light to see the scuff marks on stone, the swords cast aside, the blood that had dripped down. This had been a vicious fight.</p>
<p>“You know you’ve lost, right?” Hinata held out a hand and summoned his lightning in his hand. The bright blue sparks further lit up the room as he stood still. “Yachi is safe. Everyone knows you’re a traitor. You’re done.”</p>
<p>Akiteru snorted. “How do you know what my end goal was hm? You’re all assuming I want the throne.”</p>
<p>Hinata quirked an eyebrow. From his left, he noted Kiyoko was still conscious as she rolled onto her side and hissed in pain. Akaashi was breathing but he didn’t appear awake. It seemed it was down to him to sort this out.</p>
<p>Except he knew it wasn’t. Akaashi needed to wake up.</p>
<p>“Feel free to correct me.” Hinata remarked. “Though hurry up ‘cause the palace is on fire.”</p>
<p>Akiteru held out a hand. Purple light rippled out and the sound of cracking ice sounded behind him. The void barrier was back, sealing him in the room. Akiteru continued to hold out his hand for his sword to return to him. Hinata noted the purple wisps that wrapped around it like sentient smoke. He wasn’t sure how potent they were. He sucked in a breath as he considered the bigger picture; Akaashi was unconscious, Kiyoko was badly wounded, Lev hadn’t moved. The palace was on fire and crumbling around them and somehow Akiteru didn’t think this battle had stretched on long enough.</p>
<p>Hinata was starting to wonder just how sane the other was.</p>
<p>“What was your goal when you broke that treaty hm?”</p>
<p>Hinata shrugged, not willing to engage in a war of words. He shifted his stance into a defensive pose as Akiteru stepped over Akaashi. Between the tattered robes he wore, Hinata could see the shimmer of the thin armour that had deflected many hits. It was starting to make sense how he had managed to survive an encounter with Kiyoko with only a few scratches and bruises to show for it.</p>
<p>As Hinata remained silent, Akiteru clicked his tongue and shook his head almost sadly. “Not much of a talker huh? I guess I’ll have to use more invasive methods to get answers.”</p>
<p>He sprang forward, Hinata reacted on instinct, bringing his hands up and repelling Akiteru’s sword with well-aimed bolts of lightning. The lightning reacted with the void energy of the sword, exploding outward and causing them both to reel back from the impact. Akiteru seemed put out at Hinata’s audacity to use elements against him.</p>
<p>He reaffirmed his stance, poising his sword to lunge again. Hinata ducked out of the way this time, flinging a careless bolt of lightning in Akiteru’s general direction as he kept his distance. Hinata was all too aware of the danger of getting close enough for Akiteru to seize control, he wasn’t about to be careless in that regard. As he stood his ground, he held his palms together and let out a short breath. Sharp icicles formed with ease and he didn’t hesitate to send them flying like arrows through the air towards Akiteru.</p>
<p>He was already feeling the lingering exhaustion that came with using so much of his magic in one day but he simply didn’t have the skill with a conventional sword to challenge Akiteru. Kiyoko had taken a beating and she was one of the best Hinata had seen. Then there was the armour Akiteru wore. If conventional swords couldn’t harm him, magic certainly could. The others had talked up how an empath mage was above elementals in that regards but even the best had their weaknesses.</p>
<p>An exhausted mage was liable to make mistakes, Hinata just had to wait it out long enough and hope Akaashi woke up in time.</p>
<p>The icicles were shattered with ease, Akiteru smirked as the shards of ice fell around him. He held up his free hand, triangular tattoos lighting up as flames took hold and shot towards him. Hinata raised an eyebrow, unaware that Akiteru possessed such magic. It meant nothing to him though as he summoned his own flames and retaliated. The two elements clashed in the centre of the room, lighting it up more than before. Unable to see where one started and the other ended, Hinata decided to test an old experiment out.</p>
<p>He brought his free hand up and summoned sparks, tilted his head as he bumped wrists together. Blue sparks crawled up the twisting flame in the blink of an eye. He felt the two elements meld together as they ripped along and struck Akiteru’s hand. He yelped in pain and tore his hand away, breaking the connection and dispelling his fire. Hinata was quick to harness his fire, forcing it to take the form of a serpent-like dragon bearing down on Akiteru.</p>
<p>“Do you yield?” He called over the sound of fire and lightning crackling.</p>
<p>“Oh fuck you.” Akiteru brought his sword up and sliced through the two elements. Purple wisps nullified the other elements. Hinata tsked loudly as he watched the creature vanish. “Everything was fine until <em>you</em> came along.”</p>
<p>Not interested in listening to the ramblings of a lunatic, Hinata clapped his hands and summoned a spear of rock. He held it in both hands as he waited for Akiteru to close the gap between them. The fire outside the throne room had reached the door by now, the thin void barrier stood firm like a wall. Akiteru launched his sword at Hinata, purple wisps flaring up as it screamed towards him. Realising a spear wouldn’t do very much, he quickly morphed it into a large shield and grasped it with both hands. He wasn’t thinking anymore, he was moving on an embedded instinct.</p>
<p>An instinct to survive.</p>
<p>As the sword clattered against stone, he dispelled it. The sword lay at his feet, he considered picking it up but thought better of it. Instead he set his foot on the blade, purple wisps flared up again but he ignored their tug. Meeting Akiteru’s gaze, he was somewhat unsettled by the smirk on his face.</p>
<p>“You don’t really expect to beat me, do you?” Akiteru held up his hands to the side almost in mock surrender.</p>
<p>“Of course I do.” Hinata answered earnestly.</p>
<p>“Pah!” Akiteru laughed, taking a step forward. “A little elemental mage from the south who happened to summon a dragon from fire—”</p>
<p>“Little?” Hinata felt a surge of irritation. “Happened to summon a dragon?”</p>
<p>“That’s what I said. Just some over-enthusiastic pipsqueak who decided to break every rule written in the treaty and selfishly steal power for himself.” Akiteru shrugged, still smirking. “A dragon made of fire…an easy illusion.”</p>
<p>Another surge of irritation washed over him. “Illusion?!”</p>
<p>“Dragons like <em>that</em> don’t exist. And even if they did, I doubt <em>you</em> would be able to summon one.” Akiteru sneered.</p>
<p>That was the final straw for Hinata. He kicked Akiteru’s blade away and slammed his hands together. A deafening boom rang out, shaking the room. His scars were throbbing. He was used to people underestimating him, but to deny that Hēishān had existed, to deny what had happened on that day was unreasonable. It had happened. He had made sure Hēishān had been summoned. He did not throw himself into a volcano just to let some noble accuse him of <em>faking it all</em>.</p>
<p>As he parted his palms, a mixture of lightning and fire appeared, flashing and popping as the two elements fractured off one another. He didn’t hesitate to direct them at Akiteru. They shot across the room and exploded with a fiery impact. Akiteru had summoned a ward to deflect them but that only made them ricochet. Hinata didn’t yield as he continued hurling them, the scars on his chest pulsing with each summon. Akiteru kept smirking as the elements beat against his ward and barely made it falter.</p>
<p>As Hinata paused to breathe, Akiteru chuckled.</p>
<p>“Aw, did I touch a nerve?”</p>
<p>“The hell does it matter you? You weren’t there.”</p>
<p>Akiteru’s smirk faded. “No. But your meddling cost me valuable time and resources.” He dispelled his ward. “Your meddling ruined my plans.”</p>
<p>“Plans for <em>what</em>.” Hinata sighed exasperatedly. “You keep going on and on about plans and how we ruined them but what the fuck do you even <em>want</em>?”</p>
<p>“I want people to remember that empaths are just as capable of making or breaking empires just as much as elementals.” Akiteru snapped, the facade of calm shattering. “You’re all the fucking same. Conjure some fire and the world worships you. But the second I read someone’s mind <em>I</em><em>’m</em> the bad guy.”</p>
<p>Hinata scoffed taking several steps forward. “No you’re the bad guy because you blew up a district, killed a king, tortured people and basically started a war!”</p>
<p>Akiteru snapped his fingers, his sword returning to him. “Because <em>you </em>forced my hand—”</p>
<p>“All I did was—”</p>
<p>“People call me the abomination but <em>you</em> committed a war crime and the empress still wouldn’t execute you where you stood.”</p>
<p>Hinata was beyond frustrated. This entire conversation was ridiculous. There was no way Akiteru actually thought the reason he was the one in the wrong here was down to his type of magic, right? Besides, conjuring a dragon on a battlefield to protect a king he was sworn to serve was a <em>little bit</em> different to mass murder.</p>
<p>Right?</p>
<p><em>Right</em>?</p>
<p>“I am the sworn protector of House Kageyama. Everything I did on that day was to protect Tobio.”</p>
<p>Akiteru snorted, closing his hands into fists as fire engulfed them. “And you think I did everything I did for entertainment? That I didn’t have my own reasons?”</p>
<p>Hinata was ready to implode from frustration. He willed himself to keep calm, even as purple wisps began to circle his fingertips. He couldn’t let Akiteru get under his skin like this, he was already worked up enough, losing himself to the emotional side of this conflict wasn’t going to help. He needed to get Akaashi to wake up.</p>
<p>“Why then?” Hinata uttered. “Why did you do it, if not for kicks?”</p>
<p>Akiteru narrowed his gaze. “Like I said, your kind is glorified for manipulating the world around you. My kind is crucified for it. That’s innately unfair wouldn’t you say?” He held up a flaming fist. “Generations of empath mages have buried their powers for fear of being hatred for it, for being outright murdered because ignorant people fear us for no reason.”</p>
<p>“And your actions did <em>what</em> to help that image?” Hinata snorted. “You killed <em>innocent</em> <em>people.</em> Men, women and <em>children</em>.”</p>
<p>“My actions reminded people elemental mages are just as easily corrupted.” He met Hinata’s gaze with a grin that bordered maniacal. A strange feeling washed over Hinata, it felt like when Akaashi knocked at his mental barrier but more wretched. The wisps around his fingers pulsed as golden eyes stared him down. “Aren’t you?”</p>
<p>He inhaled sharply. Akiteru forcibly punched through his mental barrier, making him wince. Fear flooded through him as he fought to keep the other out. Akiteru laughed as he wheeled away trying to break contact but it was too late. He scrambled to control himself, to summon some deeper power to fend him off. He heard himself screaming but over the din of repressed memories coming back, he couldn’t hear anything else. His hands came up to hold his head as pain flared up. His breathing was short, shallow. His lungs burned as the scars lit up brighter than ever before.</p>
<p>All at once the pain stopped. His eyes flew open as he felt something cut through the air and the sound of clashing steel rang out. In front of him, Kiyoko stood defiant. Blood was running down the side of her face and from her nose, her wrists were trembling as she held Akiteru’s blade up. Her breathing was laboured as she glanced back at him.</p>
<p>“Don’t just stand there, get Akaashi <em>up</em>.” She hissed, turning her attention back to Akiteru and shoving him back. Caught off guard by the sudden foe, Akiteru’s fire was immediately released. Kiyoko ducked out of the way of the flames and regained her footing. She was far from fighting fit but determination was a funny thing. She held Akiteru’s attention for now and that’s all she could offer.</p>
<p>Hinata scrambled around the duelling duo and reached Akaashi’s unconscious body. He shook the other gently but got no reaction. He didn’t have time to think. He didn’t have time to plead to anyone or anything. He had to figure this out and quickly. Akaashi was breathing, so he wasn’t <em>dead</em>, that was a start. Hinata fumbled around in the pockets of Akaashi’s leather armour, finding the ring that Kenma had given him. Confused, he disregarded it for the moment. That would be a last resort.</p>
<p>He turned to his own pockets, the ear cuff still haphazardly shoved into one of them. In another, he found the pure stone. It had worked for Goshiki during his unhinging, but Hinata wasn’t in Akaashi’s head currently. With few other options, he forced Akaashi’s fingers to close around it. The milky white stone lit up momentarily but nothing else happened.</p>
<p>Frustrated and frantic, Hinata ran a hand through his hair. For all the elements he could wield, he was <em>not</em> an empath mage. He couldn’t do anything without another’s help. Glancing up, he saw Lev still slumped by the wall. The lion hadn’t moved. From behind him, he heard a low grunt and a heavy thud as someone hit the floor. He was getting more desperate as he heard a pained noise like someone had been kicked.</p>
<p>Within moments he was going to have to repel Akiteru’s attacks again. He had no other choice. He fumbled with his ear cuff, forcing it on again. He needed them one more time, just one more time.</p>
<p><em>‘Akaashi’s not waking up. I can’t get him to wake up. You need to do something.</em>’ He fumbled with the ring that had been in Akaashi’s pocket. <em>‘I’ll put the ring on him but then I need to—</em>’</p>
<p>Shirabu immediately interrupted. <em>‘Do it. I’ll figure it out. Just keep Akiteru busy.</em>’</p>
<p>Hinata nodded along, slipping the ring on Akaashi’s finger next to the commitment ring he always wore. The purple gem set in silver began to light up. He didn’t have time to wait to see what Shirabu was going to attempt. He stood up and wheeled around in time to see Akiteru raise his sword in preparation to stab Kiyoko.</p>
<p>Panic shot through him and before he could think properly he sprinted and tackled Akiteru to the ground. The sword skidded along the stone floor again as he was tossed aside with little effort. Scrambling to his feet, he immediately threw several jagged shards of ice at Akiteru, quickly following them up with bolts of lightning. He bombarded the other with every element he could summon in a pinch.</p>
<p>Akiteru was stubborn, but he wasn’t invincible. The prolonged fighting had taken its toll on him, the magic being wielded demanded a price. They both stood panting in the warm room, fire and lightning arcing between fingertips, blood beading at cuts and grazes. Hinata couldn’t see a way to stop him without killing him.</p>
<p>“Y’know,” Akiteru broke the silence as he smirked slightly, “I saw a fun little memory of Keiji’s, one that seemed at odds with the version of events the empire was told.”</p>
<p>Hinata swallowed, not sure where this was going.</p>
<p>“A battlefield covered in bodies, corpses of the south.” Akiteru cracked his neck. “And Tetsurou Kuroo dead.”</p>
<p>Dread shot through Hinata. This wasn’t good. His reaction must’ve given something away as Akiteru cackled. “Aha! So that means something to you.”</p>
<p>“It was a—”</p>
<p>“A vision? Yeah, Keiji was thinking that as I told him it most certainly was more than that.” Akiteru grinned. “But you and I know it wasn’t.”</p>
<p>The dread inside Hinata was stirring. He didn’t know what would happen if someone worked out it was a product of time travel. Hēishān and the Kirin hadn’t been very specific on the consequences. He felt the purple wisps swirling around his fingertips now, the burning in his chest didn’t bode well as his heart raced.</p>
<p>“So Shoyo.” Akiteru stepped forward. “I’ll surrender if you tell me what you did, if you tell me how these two versions contradict each other.”</p>
<p>Hinata bit the inside of his cheek. There was no way he was going to tell Akiteru anything, not willingly. But the offer of surrender was tempting to say the least. From the right side of the room, there was movement. It was quick, but he saw Lev’s tail swish around just once. From the left, Kiyoko groaned in pain.</p>
<p>He could end it now, he could tell Akiteru what he did to ensure victory before and by doing so ensure another. He could break the promise he made to Hēishān. He could break his oath of silence and save them all from a fiery death.</p>
<p>A voice in his head startled him. <em>‘Don’t even think about giving in.</em>’.</p>
<p>His gaze snapped to the pure stone in Akaashi’s hand. It had blackened, violent flashes of purple light like lightning in storm clouds took hold as Akaashi’s grip tightened.</p>
<p><em>‘Distract him.</em>’</p>
<p>Hinata swallowed. He slammed his hands together, the tattoos on his chest bursting with red light as fire erupted. He had no fancy trick in mind as he dared to meet Akiteru’s gaze. Before Akiteru could start to dig into his thoughts, he let the flames streak across the room. The blinding light was enough to break Akiteru’s eye contact and concentration. A ward deflected the direct hit but the flames engulfed the wall behind him.</p>
<p>“So that’s how it’s gonna be eh?” Akiteru’s maniacal grin came back. A grin that quickly faded as he took stock of the scene before him as the smoke cleared.</p>
<p>Hinata’s gaze flew to Akaashi who was now awake and on his feet. Purple light surrounded him like an aura, the cuts and gashes across his skin were faintly glowing purple as he stood up properly, wincing in pain and clutching the pure stone. Akaashi said nothing to Hinata as he turned to face Akiteru who was now livid at Hinata’s reaction to his peace offering. He glared at Akaashi.</p>
<p>“When will you just <em>stay dead</em>?” He uttered.</p>
<p>Akaashi snapped his fingers, the purple aura pulsed. “I told you, I’m stubborn about dying.” He replied, holding out his hand and accepting his sword as it flew back to him from wherever it had been kicked to in the previous melee. Hinata watched wide-eyed as Akaashi stood there defiantly, mocking Akiteru with his very existence.</p>
<p>“We’ll see about that.” Akiteru sneered, reaching out his hand towards the door of the throne room. The barrier started cracking like a sheet of ice about to give way. Akaashi reacted quickly, deactivating the rune in his sword and sending the whip out to coil around his wrist. Akiteru yelped in pain.</p>
<p>Akaashi looked to Hinata. ‘<em>He</em><em>’s not going to stop unless he’s subdued. And I’m not going to hold out for long, even with this.” </em>He held up the pure stone now blackened inside. <em>‘You might have to end this.’</em></p>
<p>Hinata nodded. The barrier seemed compromised now as smoke began to seep through. Flames were dancing on the other side. They didn’t have much time. He tried to think fast as Akaashi immediately set upon Akiteru. Swords clashed once more, the purple wisps and tendrils colliding and exploding on impact as they fought.</p>
<p>He needed a plan. He looked down at his hands, fire arced between his fingertips with ease. He looked back at the barrier and the inferno beyond it, then at his hands once more. The fragments of a plan began to form. First he needed to make sure Kiyoko and Lev wouldn’t get caught up in it. As the duel continued, frantic and explosive, Hinata found Lev in the gloom. He was barely conscious, blood was matting his fur but he was awake.</p>
<p>“No time to explain, just work with me.” Hinata uttered as he picked Lev up. For a lion, he was surprisingly light. Lev made no sound of protest as he was clumsily carried out to where Kiyoko was drifting in and out of consciousness. As she registered Hinata was there, her brow furrowed.</p>
<p>“What are—”</p>
<p>“Sh.” Hinata cut in. “Just, trust me, and cover your face when you hear glass shattering.” He told her, setting Lev down.</p>
<p>They were far enough away from the door. Now he needed Akaashi to get Akiteru right where he needed him. He returned to the doorway and took note that the hallway was ablaze. He couldn’t tell the walls from the floor anymore, the ceiling had caved in at various points and the previously long hallway was nothing more than a never-ending inferno.</p>
<p>He turned to face the throne. Akaashi had Akiteru engaged in a fast flurry of hits. He was visibly exhausted though. As much as he was spirited, he was two steps from being unhinged.</p>
<p> And Hinata could do without seeing that again. He sighed slightly, touching the ear cuff.</p>
<p><em>‘Get him in front of the throne and hit the floor when you hear glass shattering.</em>’</p>
<p>He didn’t hear or see a response, but he had faith in Akaashi. Akaashi had heard the plea as he parried another frantic blow. He could only wordlessly acknowledge it as Akiteru nearly sliced his arm open. The pure stone pulsed in his hand before he forced it into his pocket. His wrist felt like it was on fire as he took the hilt of his sword in both hands. He could see the throne on its raised platform, getting Akiteru over to the stone steps was easier said than done though.</p>
<p>The lingering effects of exhaustion and whatever Akiteru had done to him were still hanging around. Flashes of memories continued to try and distract him. Dread filled his mind every so often as he held Akiteru’s blade in place with his own. He needed to rise to this challenge and put it to rest once and for all. He had done so much already, he had weaponised trauma felt by himself and others already, he only had one final trick up his sleeve.</p>
<p>First needed to get rid of Akiteru’s sword. With Akiteru finally showing signs of tiring, he didn’t need to wait long to pounce. Steel screeched against steel, he winced at the pain he put his wrist through as he tilted his blade. Akiteru grimaced at the sound and the resistance. Their gazes met, Akaashi felt his stomach drop sharply before he rebuffed it. Taking a page from Kiyoko’s book, he pivoted on one foot, bringing his other to hook around Akiteru’s ankle and throw him off balance. Caught off guard, Akiteru faltered. He seized his chance.</p>
<p>He grabbed Akiteru’s arm and shoulder-charged him, sending him stumbling back. He ripped the blade from Akiteru’s hand and tossed it aside. Taken back by the abrupt shift, Akiteru snapped his fingers. Fire licked at the air but Akaashi had other ideas. He discarded his sword and put his hands around Akiteru’s neck, forcing him to his knees. Nails scratched at his hands as he held firm, slowly choking Akiteru.</p>
<p>Golden eyes glared up at him, so he tore down the veil between them.</p>
<p><em>‘You’re despicable. You throw around accusations of war crimes when you tortured your own brother.</em>’</p>
<p>He felt a strange feeling of amusement from Akiteru.</p>
<p><em>‘What can I say, I was young…and he was just such a good practice partner.</em>’</p>
<p>Akaashi tried not to let fury rise up as Akiteru smirked at him. He couldn’t kill Akiteru. They needed him alive to answer for his crimes. Killing him was granting mercy. He paid no mind to the blood beading at the cuts on his hands, nor the ache in his bones as Akiteru continued to struggle against his hold.</p>
<p>A wicked thought occurred to him.</p>
<p>‘<em>I guess I</em><em>’ll take a look for myself then.</em>’</p>
<p>Akiteru’s eye widened, his smirk faltering as Akaashi raised an eyebrow. The pure stone pulsed again in his pocket as his hands began to emit the purple wisps he had come to know so well. It was quick, the purple fog returned instantly as he blinked through the barrier in the other’s mind.</p>
<p>
  <em>The ocean was the first thing he saw but it was not the southern coast he was familiar with. This beach was stonier in nature. It was cooler. Looking down at his hands he saw they were not his own but of another</em>
  <em>’s. A voice called to him, young, innocent. Turning around he saw a boy with blond hair and eyeglasses. A younger Kei Tsukishima. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>A complicated mix of emotions surged through him. Fury, regret, sorrow. He paid them little attention as Kei approached and started talking. He didn</em>
  <em>’t hear words but he saw the excitable nature of him. It was like looking at an entirely different person to the one he knew.</em>
</p>
<p>“Get the fuck out of my head.” Present-day Akiteru snarled, fighting against Akaashi’s grip. He did not relent on either level.</p>
<p>
  <em>The scene vanished only to be replaced quickly by another. A cellar of sorts, Kei was looking at him with a mixture of confusion and distress. He heard Akiteru</em>
  <em>’s past self, specifically the gleeful way he spoke of magic, of potential, of what could be there’s if Kei followed his instructions.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“I know it’s scary Kei but think about it—the power to see what people think! The power to change how they feel. We can be great mages like the legends grandfather told us!”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Kei wasn</em>
  <em>’t buying it as Akiteru took his wrist forcibly. Confusion deepened. Distress became more obvious as his eyes widened and he tried to tear himself away. “But I don’t…I don’t want to be like that. I’m fine being normal.” </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Well, let me change your mind on that hm?”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>There was a sinking feeling in Akaashi as Kei shook his head. Eyes glazed over with tears as the scene distorted. Screams and sobs echoed around the dark fog that had enveloped him. Then there was laugher. Cruel, maniacal laughter. </em>
</p>
<p>“I said—” Akiteru clawed at Akaashi’s already aching wrist, “get the fuck <em>out</em>.”</p>
<p>Akaashi hissed and kneed him in the chest in reply, breaking his concentration. “Did I touch a raw nerve?” He remarked. “Doesn’t feel so great when someone else does it, hm?”</p>
<p>“Fuck you.”</p>
<p>“Face it Akiteru,” Akaashi shoved him back, releasing his neck finally as he sent Akiteru sprawling against the stone steps of the throne. “You’re a deranged lunatic, a mad mage and you know what? Your brother came to us to stop you.”</p>
<p>“He did <em>what</em>?” Akiteru spluttered, shakily getting to his feet.</p>
<p>“Don’t act so fucking surprised.” Akaashi snapped. “He came to us, he came to the Brotherhood to end you. And that’s exactly what we’re going to do.” He held out a hand as if to accept a sword but was merely holding up a single finger, a signal. Akiteru followed his gesture and caught sight of Hinata at the doorway.</p>
<p>The barrier was glowing as Hinata cracked his knuckles and sunk down on one knee to focus his thoughts. He could feel the heat of the fire through the stone floor, it reminded him of the volcano. A lot about this situation reminded him of that time. Though he was missing Hēishān’s voice in that moment, he had to remember what had changed since that day.</p>
<p>He was now the Guardian of House Kageyama. He was now the Dragon that guarded the King of the East. Whilst not a physical dragon, he could wield power to rival one. But as powerful as he was, he wasn’t alone. He had never been alone. He wouldn’t have gotten this far without those around him, his family, his brotherhood.</p>
<p>He inhaled sharply, clapping his hands together and then placing them flat on the hot ground. Behind him he could hear the barrier creaking and cracking still. In front of him, Akaashi had backed Akiteru towards the throne. Akiteru’s gaze fell upon him.</p>
<p>His chest was aching as he willed the magic to pool. He would only have one shot to get this right and not cause a catastrophe. He had somewhat wished he kept hold of the runestone now. As Akiteru held his gaze, he felt the surge of hatred and loathing, of a mental assault headed his way.</p>
<p>Hinata swallowed. It was now or never. He looked down at his hands, fire sprang forth with ease, flames licked at the stone floor, orange light dancing against dark rock. Here was his moment of reckoning. Every negative feeling, every ounce of fear, dread and sorrow, every moment of doubt and hopelessness, he poured into his fingers. He saw flashes of the battlefield, of the snake beast that had reared up to strike him as he summoned Hēishān to his aide. He remembered the fear that clutched his heart as the barrier behind him began to crack and shatter.</p>
<p>But he also remembered hope. He remembered the laughter, the smiles, the feeling of warmth in every hug. He remembered the softness of Tobio’s touch, the sparkle in Kenma’s eyes, the loud, over-enthusiastic storytelling of Tanaka and Nishinoya, Kunimi’s defiant protectiveness. The love of everyone around him.</p>
<p>The void could not be wielded without its balancing force.</p>
<p>He was the light that would eclipse the darkness once more.</p>
<p>He felt the heat behind begin to billow into the room. The heat singed the shirt he wore but he didn’t feel any pain as purple light glowed between black inked lines. The room lit up as the fire was allowed to creep in with the barrier failing to the sound of loud cracks and creaks.</p>
<p>Akiteru looked up at the inferno that was no longer out of control but now spilling into the room and being manipulated to a mage’s will. Hinata shakily stood up and clapped his hands together in front of his chest.</p>
<p>He had started this entire saga as a fire mage, he was going to finish it as one.</p>
<p>With a short exhale, he pulled his palms apart and held them out either side of him. The fire behind him formed the shape of an owl, violent flashes of violet light crackled within it like lightning. Hollow eyes glowed red as wings extended to the width of the doorway, flames stretched beyond the reach of the feathers. The beak opened and a deafening screech shattered the remainder of the barrier and the glass in the windows. Akiteru winced at the sound.</p>
<p>Hinata saw his chance, he held his palms up to face Akiteru.</p>
<p>“Fly.” He whispered, fingers igniting with white hot light.</p>
<p>The owl took off, crossing the throne room in mere seconds with talons outstretched. Akaashi dove to the floor as the fire shot across the room. Akiteru barely had a chance to react as the fire slammed into him like a falling tree. The force of the impact sent him falling back against the steps, fire swirled around the raised platform like an owl’s wings closed around prey. Flashes of violet and scarlet lightning cracked within the yellow and orange inferno.</p>
<p>He allowed the fire to swirl around, watching the dancing light against the walls before willing it to pull away. As the flames peeled back, Akaashi could see Akiteru’s motionless body, robes burnt away, armour melted into skin. He was barely breathing. Somehow alive. An act of last-minute mercy on Hinata’s part of sorcery on his own, Akaashi couldn’t tell but he wasn’t putting up a fight.</p>
<p>Now they had a slightly bigger problem.</p>
<p>Hinata wheeled around and tried to summon a barrier but the fire was too fierce. He felt woozy as he tried to get his void to come through. The smoke was thicker now there was nothing stopping it billowing in. The timber framing of the building was creaking and popping violently.</p>
<p>“Shoyo.” Akaashi called over the racket. “What now?”</p>
<p>Hinata honestly hadn’t thought past stopping Akiteru. The palace was on fire, the walls were beginning to buckle. The drop from the window was too big to stomach jumping and there wasn’t a lot of time to think. He couldn’t summon his void but he could try to pull off another miracle.</p>
<p>He helped Kiyoko to her feet, she winced and hissed in pain as he tried to quickly get her over to the others. Lev scrambled to his feet, blood matting his fur but he was able to walk for now. Together they joined Akaashi at the foot of the throne. As much as they loathed Akiteru, he needed to be kept alive for now at least. Now all in one place, he accepted the pure stone from Akaashi.</p>
<p>He needed one last act of divine intervention.</p>
<p>He clutched the stone in his hands as another tremor rocked the room. They heard a deafening crash as other ceilings collapsed in. The pure stone was cold to the touch, almost unnervingly so. He closed his eyes as the ceiling began to fall into the room. Chunks of stone and wood smashed against the floor around them.</p>
<p>“Alright,” he whispered to the stone, “think you can grant me one last miracle?”</p>
<p>It pulsed, lightning crackling in the dark depths. He didn’t know how a stone would tell him anything but he put his faith in the ancestors. He inhaled sharply as he focused on its cold aura. He wasn’t sure if he whole-hearted believed in the ancestors, but he believed in those like Hēishān and the Kirin. He believed that he was a mage capable of miracles when he put his heart and soul into it. If he believed in himself, they’d all survive this.</p>
<p>He set a hand on the floor, the rubble in the room began to move to his will.</p>
<p>Taking that as a good sign, he moved the rock and wood into a circle around them and began piling it up to form a wall. The stone stacked together in haphazard ways as smoke clouded his vision. He coughed and spluttered as he tried to hold it all together. Orange and purple wisps illuminated the inside of the dome he was creating as the final chunk of stone fell into place.</p>
<p>The mixture of orange and purple pulsed inside the dome, illuminating the others as he dared to think his plan had worked. The ground shook violently as the roof of the throne room caved in. The heat was indescribable as air hissed through the cracks in the barrier. In his hand the pure stone vibrated, purple flashes occurring more frequently as the racket from outside continued. It was too loud to say anything, Akaashi could only glance between Kiyoko and Lev as Hinata’s brow furrowed in concentration.</p>
<p>As he held his focus, Hinata’s mind fogged over.</p>
<p>The white form of the Kirin stepped out of the fog, her brilliant light bringing comfort to him as his body screamed at the pressure of keeping the protective dome over them.</p>
<p>
  <em>‘You’re strong Shoyo. Stronger than you think. If anyone can live through this, it’s you.’</em>
</p>
<p>He nodded, too focused on the task at hand to say anything even in his mind. As she remained stood in the fog he could hear a faint voice, the ear cuff was still receiving thoughts. </p>
<p><em>‘Shoyo if you can hear me, just hold on. Help is coming. Please just don’t be dead.</em>’</p>
<p>Hinata let out a sigh, both in relief and frustration, the Kirin took several steps towards him in the fog, her form not shifting, only growing in brightness. <em>‘Your friends believe in you. They always have done.</em>’</p>
<p>He felt a lump in his throat, a sob threatened to spill from his lips. <em>“I wouldn’t have gotten this far without them, so many shadows, so much…chaos, death, destruction—”</em></p>
<p>The Kirin nodded. <em>‘You have seen many shadows in the short time I have known you. Now it’s time for you to see the light.</em>’</p>
<p>He wasn’t sure what she meant, watching her rear up on her hind legs. As her front hooves hit the ground again. She vanished with a loud screech not unlike an owl’s. The fog dissipated and he opened his eyes to see the ground beneath them all shining a bright white light. The rocky dome around them was no longer surrounded by fire as thunder rumbled overhead before silence fell. There was no longer the sound of falling debris or fire engulfing the building around them. The silence was almost deafening. The smell of smoke was still pungent in the air as he looked to Akaashi.</p>
<p>“…are you—”</p>
<p>Akaashi nodded slowly. “I’m okay, for now,” his breathing was shallow but slow in an effort to keep calm and not waste what little fresh air they had. The patter of rain began, much like a spring shower; fast and light. Rain against stone filled the silence as they sat there. Hinata’s hand was still closed around the pure stone that continued to pulse and give off a cold feeling.</p>
<p>Waiting was the worst part. Exhaustion seeped into his bones as the rain continued. Thunder rumbled overhead again, closer and louder than last time. Hinata wanted to believe that Nishinoya had summoned a storm to try and speed up their rescue but he wasn’t letting himself hope too much.</p>
<p>Kiyoko continued to drift in and out of consciousness as her head lay in Akaashi’s lap. Blood had dried across her cheek, the more superficial wounds had started scabbing over but deeper cuts seemed more stubborn. Lev’s breathing was more laboured, his body quivering every so often as he otherwise lay completely still.</p>
<p>As for Akiteru, he hadn’t said a word. Akaashi saw that he was breathing, barely, but otherwise silent and still.</p>
<p>Hinata tried to keep himself grounded in reality by thinking about how he was going to explain any of it to the others once they did make it out. He thought about how much chastising he was going to get around rushing off into danger, about using his powers so recklessly and potentially adding to the destruction of the throne room. Then again, he had been ordered to help Akaashi, not just by some mythical creature, but by Tobio himself.</p>
<p>He smiled to himself as he thought about Tobio. The stone pulsed a little stronger in his hand, the swirling black mass inside it appearing to lighten a little. His thoughts turned to the other mages, to how willing they were to jump to his aid when he had no-one else. How much Shirabu had put himself through to make it all possible, a simple mage who had been reluctant to associate with them in the beginning had thrown his inhibitions aside to join their efforts.</p>
<p>Another strong pulse came from the stone.</p>
<p>“Hey Keiji,” he murmured over the rain, “do you think the empire will be mad about their palace being destroyed?”</p>
<p>Akaashi snorted, leaning his head back against the rock behind him. “I think they’d be more mad if we didn’t subdue Akiteru.” He murmured. “Can’t imagine they’ll be <em>happy</em> about it. Even less so when they have to admit that some ‘lunatics’ are the reason anyone got out alive.”</p>
<p>Hinata smiled, the tongue-in-cheek insult that they had adopted as one of their many names still amused him. It was strange to think only a little over a year ago he hadn’t heard of the guild, of a group bound by ties unrelated to blood. It was stranger still to think how much they had been through, how much strain those bonds had been placed under as they faced foes both mundane and the magical.</p>
<p>“When you first saw me in the guild, what did you think?” Hinata asked.</p>
<p>Akaashi raised an eyebrow, sighing heavily out of exhaustion. “…truthfully, I wondered what Suga was thinking.”</p>
<p>Hinata chuckled slightly. “Yeah?”</p>
<p>“I wondered if Yaku was being over cautious, I wondered if accepting another into our fold was a good idea.” Akaashi’s eyes closed. “I remember thinking that having another mage might’ve been trouble…” he opened his eyes and met Hinata’s gaze with a soft, tired smile. “I’m glad I talked Daichi into letting you stay.”</p>
<p>“I’m glad too.” Hinata echoed. “I’m glad that…that we’re all in this together.” He looked to Lev and Kiyoko, neither saying anything. “And we’ll get through this.”</p>
<p>“We will.” Akaashi said. “And when we get out of here, the others will no doubt swarm around us. Gods they’ll be insufferable.” He chuckled half-heartedly.</p>
<p>Hinata shared the laugh, Kiyoko managed a weak smile as Akaashi found her hand and squeezed it reassuringly. “You know Keiji, Kuroo ain’t gonna let you leave his sight.”</p>
<p>“Oh yeah, of course.” Akaashi snorted. “I wouldn’t expect anything less from him.” He looked down at Kiyoko. “And Suga’s gonna be watching you like a hawk.”</p>
<p>Another weak smile, she tried to say something but could only manage a whisper. “I wouldn’t blame him.”</p>
<p>The rain continued to fall as they returned to sitting in silence, conserving their strength for however long it took for rescue to arrive. Hinata went back to dwelling on his time with the Brotherhood, on the manic year of adventure that had unfolded. From breaking a curse on Kiyoko to meeting royalty, from only wielding fire to wielding every element known to man <em>and then some</em>. He would be the first to admit it had been a crazy journey, a saga worthy of many bard songs and that was <em>without</em> the embellishments Tanaka and Nishinoya were infamous for.</p>
<p>He wondered if he should take the time to write some sort of account like Yukio had. To record the events from his point of view, to preserve the story in its raw form for someone else in the future. It would take several books, maybe even a tome or three, but if things calmed down just long enough, he might manage it.</p>
<p>The stone had grown warmer in his grasp, no longer giving off a chill. He looked at it and saw the swirling black mass had lightened to a paler shade of grey. No longer did it flash with violent light but the purple essence swirled in it like ink in water. He still had his other hand planted on the floor, orange light glowing from fingertips as the rock around them remained firm.</p>
<p>“You reckon the others think we’re dead?” Akaashi murmured aloud.</p>
<p>“Possibly.” Hinata gently set the stone down and brought a hand to the slightly scratched up ear cuff. The gem was hot to the touch, like it had been thrown in the fire itself. “Hello?”</p>
<p>Relief crashed over him as he felt a presence in his mind. Hearing Kenma’s voice had never felt so relieving to him.</p>
<p><em>‘Shoyo? Oh thank the ancestors. You’re alive?</em>’</p>
<p>“Yes,” he replied aloud unnecessarily, “uh, I kept us safe but—”</p>
<p><em>‘Daichi’s spurring the guards to get a move on. Are any of the others with you?</em>’</p>
<p>“Yeah, Akaashi, Kiyoko and Lev…oh and we have Akiteru.”</p>
<p><em>‘Honestly, I don’t give a shit about Akiteru.</em>’</p>
<p>Hinata couldn’t help but laugh, the rocks shifting a little at the lapse in concentration. He calmed himself and nodded along, flashing Akaashi a smile.</p>
<p><em>‘They’ll be with you shortly.</em>’</p>
<p>“Thanks Kenma, I’ll…I’ll see you soon.”</p>
<p>There was no verbal reply, but Hinata was pretty sure he heard a muffled sob. He hoped it was one of relief and perhaps happiness. As he removed the ear cuff from his ear, he got a better look at how it had been damaged in the carnage. The silver had cracked in multiple places, not quite broken entirely but it was obvious it had been under intense pressure.</p>
<p>“…I guess the hallways are messed up.” Hinata murmured as they continued to wait.</p>
<p>“I mean, the palace has fallen down.” Akaashi replied, glancing at Kiyoko who was on the verge of passing out again. “We’re lucky that we weren’t on an upper floor or something.”</p>
<p>That was an alternate timeline Hinata didn’t want to think about. Hinata let out a sigh. He felt exhausted, more so than when he summoned Hēishān. He could feel his body starting to go numb in places. His eyes kept drooping as he watched the pulsing lights.</p>
<p> It was sometime later when they heard movement. Akaashi was the first to hear the voices. He couldn’t stop the tears welling up, relief finally overwhelming him as they heard stones being shoved out of the way and the voices get louder. Kiyoko had passed out, her grip on Akaashi’s hand weaker as her breathing was faint. Lev’s ears twitched as he registered the approaching footsteps over rubble.</p>
<p>“Hello?” A voice familiar to all of them called. The voice of calm in crisis, the voice of leadership. The voice of the one who was always there to pull them up when they fell down.</p>
<p>“Daichi.” Akaashi breathed.</p>
<p>Hinata snapped himself out of his trance. “Yes! Daichi, we’re in here.”</p>
<p>They heard a sigh as footsteps over stone got closer, a hand set on the outside of the dome, rock shifting a little. “Thank the Gods.” He sighed loudly. “Is…is this your doing?”</p>
<p>“I got it.” Hinata answered, putting his other hand to the floor and exhaling deeply. Slowly and with caution, Hinata willed the rocky ceiling above them to being to peel away. His heart was racing as he willed his tired body to hold itself together for just a little longer.</p>
<p>As the stone walls fell away, the true scale of the destruction around them was revealed. The sky was directly above them, dark clouds were rolling away, bright flashes of lightning still visible in the heart of them. The moon could be seen through the wispy remnants. Around them the throne room was barely recognisable. Only the foundations of the walls remained in many cases, the outer walls had fared better than the internal ones. Doors had been obliterated by fire and falling debris. Furniture had been smashed by the ceiling coming down; wood and stone littered the area. In the air around them, the aroma of burnt cinnamon was potent, mixed with smoke.</p>
<p>Glancing to where the raised platform had held the throne, the tiered seating that had been either side had been buried under rubble. The throne itself had been incinerated by fire. The wall behind had stood firm, the frescoes of eagles in flight had been blackened by smoke and were cracked in several places but it was the only wall left standing.</p>
<p>Torches were being held by guards who were scouring the ruins of the room and beyond for any trapped souls. But it was those standing just beyond the barrier Hinata had constructed who were more important in that moment. As the orange light faded and stone settled, Hinata sighed heavily.</p>
<p>“Questions can be asked later.” Daichi cut straight to the point as he stepped over the rubble with Bokuto following his lead. “Let’s get you out.”</p>
<p>Akaashi nodded, looking down at Kiyoko who hadn’t moved since passing out. “She took a beating, saved our lives multiple times and paid for it.” He spoke quickly as Daichi scooped her up in his arms with ease. “Please hurry.”</p>
<p>“Got it.” Daichi turned on his heel and was quick to summon a guard to help get him out of the ruins with haste. As soon as she was out of his hands, Akaashi too let out a sigh.</p>
<p>Akiteru had been hauled up by two guards, his body was burnt badly, the metal armour melted into his skin in places. Bruises were beginning to appear where he had narrowly avoided fatal wounds, scratches and gashes were scabbing over. As much as it was a bittersweet feeling that he had escaped death, they had agreed to let someone else pass judgement over him.</p>
<p>At least he was no threat to them now.</p>
<p>Bokuto stepped up and was quick to pick Lev up with ease. Lev yelped in minor pain at the slightly rough handling but leaned into Bokuto’s hold, tail twitching as he was carried towards the doorway. The guards in the room continued to look through the rubble as Akaashi stood up. Wooziness swept over him after being sat down for so long, his wrist flared up in pain as he tried to rotate it. He hissed in pain and winced.</p>
<p>“Careful.” Hinata murmured, scooping the pure stone up.</p>
<p>Akaashi smiled, offering his good hand to Hinata and helping him stand up. They stood in the circle for a few moments taking in the scale of the devastation around them. There was nothing to be said. They both felt numb to it all. Somehow they had come out of the encounter alive. Somehow they had stared death in the face and won. A gentle breeze whistled through the broken timber beams.</p>
<p>Hinata squeezed Akaashi’s hand. “We did it.” He smiled. “We beat him.”</p>
<p>Akaashi nodded slowly. “Somehow…yeah.”</p>
<p>Hinata squeezed his hand again. “The Kirin is never wrong.”</p>
<p>Akaashi didn’t feel the need to say anything else. Whether it was an act of divine intervention or not, they had succeeded in finally bringing down a foe that had been hunting them for months. It wasn’t a small feat and it sure as hell wasn’t going to be forgotten in a hurry.</p>
<p>“Let’s go, I’m sure everyone is waiting for us.” Hinata tugged on Akaashi’s hand.</p>
<p>“Yeah.” Akaashi took one last look around the former throne room. He wasn’t sure how to feel, if he <em>could</em> feel anything. It all felt like a dream at this point.</p>
<p>He allowed Hinata to take the lead as they began to pick their way through the rubble. They found Kiyoko’s katana and were sure to pick it up to return it to her. They also found Akaashi’s sword half-buried. A few of the steel segments had split but it was nothing Bokuto couldn’t replace or fix. Akaashi managed to get the rune to activate and the sword somewhat clicked into place even with the split chunks. With the sword sheathed, they found their way to the doorway and the hallway beyond.</p>
<p>As much of the palace had fallen in on itself, some of the ceiling was intact. The hallways were gloomy and desolate; the once grand appearance of white marble and polished wood was now burnt to cinders and blackened by smoke. Many paintings had been scorched, some destroyed entirely. Statues would need scrubbing, others would need professional artisans to try and fix what was left of them.</p>
<p>The grand hallway was better off than some of the others. Still damaged by smoke and falling debris, the way out of the palace remained clear no doubt thanks to the guards. The doors were thrown open, the only set to be untouched by destruction. Light from torches and braziers outside made Akaashi hesitate. The murmur of conversation that could be heard indicated all the guests were out there having escaped with their lives. Order had been thrown aside it seemed and now everyone’s attention was on the doorway.</p>
<p>“I don’t know if I can do this.” Akaashi murmured, squeezing Hinata’s hand. “I…”</p>
<p>“I know, it’s scary.” Hinata told him with a calm smile. “I had the same feeling after the battle. But trust me, they won’t mob you.”</p>
<p>Akaashi swallowed, unsure of himself still as Hinata gently tugged him through the doors. True to their assumption; in the turning circle at the base of the steps was a crowd of people. Nobles and guards alike were huddled in groups trying to reconcile with what had happened. As soon as someone spotted them, a call rose up alerting everyone else to their survival.</p>
<p>Akaashi felt his heart in his throat as applause rang out. Hinata beamed at him. “See?”</p>
<p>“…I still…” Akaashi couldn’t make words work. “They must be mistaken.”</p>
<p>“Hey.” Hinata nudged him in the side. “None of that.”</p>
<p>Akaashi was about to argue back when a more familiar voice rose up. He spotted Kuroo shoving his way through the crowd and beyond the line of guards keeping everyone back. All inhibition was tossed aside. He made it to the bottom of the steps at the same time as Kuroo, cradling his sore wrist as strong arms wrapped around him and squeezed him.</p>
<p>There were no words at first. Tears welled up in Akaashi’s eyes as the numbness gave way to the complex mess of emotions; relief, fear, guilt. He felt his knees buckle and clutched at Kuroo’s shoulder. A more firm arm wrapped around him as a hand cupped his face and tilted his chin up.</p>
<p>Despite the flood of emotions and the tears in his eyes, he forced a smile at Kuroo. “I did promise I’d come back.”</p>
<p>Kuroo had no verbal response at first, he gently bumped his forehead against Akaashi’s and sighed heavily. “Gods above.” He breathed. “I was so damn scared for you.”</p>
<p>“I know.” Akaashi weakly replied, a lump in his throat threatening to bubble up into a sob. “I was scared too.”</p>
<p>“Well it’s over finally.” Kuroo told him. “You’re safe, I promise.”</p>
<p>Akaashi sniffed loudly, nodding as Kuroo gently kissed him.</p>
<p>Hinata had watched the reunion, feeling a sense of relief and accomplishment all rolled into one as Akaashi buried his face in Kuroo’s shoulder. He was torn from it someone yelling his name. As he glanced around, he saw a blur for a split second before finding himself nearly being tackled to the ground and Nishinoya’s loud laughter pierced the air. He accepted the bone-crushing hug from Nishinoya, squeezing him tightly in return. Glancing over Nishinoya’s shoulder, he saw Kenma and another wave of relief threatened to overwhelm him.</p>
<p>Nishinoya released him, allowing him to quickly sweep Kenma up in a hug even as he held Kiyoko’s katana still. “I did it.” He whispered.</p>
<p>Kenma nodded, humming in agreement as he savoured the feeling of victory and relief that Hinata was alive and not unhinged. “You did.”</p>
<p>Hinata was quick to pull back and place the pure stone in Kenma’s hand before finding the ear cuff within one of the pockets of his pants. He held up the trinket. “I couldn’t have done it without this, without <em>you</em>. Akaashi would’ve been…we wouldn’t have…” he babbled, putting the cuff in Kenma’s hand along with the pure stone that was now only faintly grey in colour.</p>
<p>Kenma sniffed, glassy eyes were hard to hide as he forced a smile. “I’m glad I could help.”</p>
<p>Hinata beamed at him and Nishinoya. “So where’s—”</p>
<p>“Tobio went with Tooru to be with Yachi.” Nishinoya replied, already anticipating the question. “They were taken to the stable buildings, something about it being easy to defend whilst being close enough to know what’s happening.”</p>
<p>“Ah.”</p>
<p>“And most of the others went to the Miya manor, where Shirabu is probably tending to the others.”</p>
<p>Hinata figured Shirabu had enough on his plate without adding his arrival to complicate things. He hugged both of them once more, asking for them to reunite Kiyoko with her sword before handing it over and excusing himself to go and find Tobio.</p>
<p>As he made the short walk through the courtyard, he was greeted by nobles who had seen his daring acts of sorcery to unblock the door, many clapped him on the shoulder as he passed, expressing their thanks and others shouted praise his way. He nodded politely to them, not sure how else to reply. When he came to the fringe of the crowd, he spotted Kunimi and Yaku. He called to them and waved before bounding over. Yaku ruffled his hair as Kunimi abruptly pulled him into a hug. Even given the circumstances, he found the affection odd from Kunimi of all people.</p>
<p>“Gods we were all thinking you were insane.” Kunimi uttered, pulling back quickly. “Running into the chaos as opposed to away from it.”</p>
<p>Hinata sheepishly smiled. “I mean, are you surprised?”</p>
<p>Kunimi wryly smiled. “No. Doesn’t mean I can’t be slightly mad about it.” He playfully punched Hinata’s shoulder. “I didn’t risk my damn hide breaking you out of jail just for you to do all <em>that—</em>” He gestured to the ruins of the palace, “insanity!”</p>
<p>Yaku laughed. “Never thought I’d hear you get so riled up over someone else.”</p>
<p>“Shut up.” Kunimi sighed, rolling his eyes. “I just…” he looked back to Hinata. “I was worried. There I said it.”</p>
<p>Hinata beamed at him. “I uh, well, thanks for worrying. And uh sorry for making you worry?”</p>
<p>The trio shared a laugh. Kunimi shook his head and nodded to the stables. “Better not keep your king waiting y’know. He’s probably going spare in there.”</p>
<p>Hinata nodded, waving in parting as he made for the side door. He somewhat reckoned the others would’ve been taken to a safer place, but as he found Ushijima at the side door, he found himself happy this wasn’t the case.</p>
<p>“Ah, you’re here.” Ushijima greeted him before bowing. “Thank you for your brave actions.”</p>
<p>Hinata was more than a little spooked at the bowing but he nodded. “Uh, so, is Tobio in there?”</p>
<p>Ushijima nodded as he righted himself and opened the door for him. There was a small tack room with a few higher-ranking nobles in. They all turned to look at him; covered in soot, stone and blood alike. His shirt was torn in multiple places, singed in many others so his tattoos were a little more on show than normal. Yet none of them gave him a disgusted look, in fact many of them smiled at him.</p>
<p>He was directed to the stairs which he quickly ascended and found Aone at the top by a closed door.</p>
<p>“Shoyo.” He greeted. “I’m glad you made it.” He set a hand on the door handle. “They’ll be pleased to see you.”</p>
<p>He was given only moments to prepare himself as the door was pushed open. The room above the stables was not glamorous, but it was sufficient. Several benches gave the immediate royal parties space to sit and Yachi herself was perched on a stool. As the door opened, their attention fixed on him. He froze in his tracks, not sure what to do or say as he stood there looking far from presentable.</p>
<p>Not that it mattered to any of them as Yachi stood up, her expression one of happiness and relief.</p>
<p>“I believe we are in your debt Shoyo.” She spoke before anyone else could. “Formalities can come later, but for now all I’ll say is this; thank you.” She bowed deeply. “I will not keep you from Tobio any longer.”</p>
<p>At the mention of this, Tobio cast a glance around the others before striding forward. He took Hinata by the hand and tugged him back downstairs. Only when they were outside the stables and away from prying eyes did he let his composure slip.</p>
<p>He pulled Hinata into a tight hug, burying his face in Hinata’s shoulder, disregarding the grubby shirt. Hinata felt his racing heart as he wrapped arms around Tobio. They stood there in a silent embrace, swaying slightly as Tobio’s unsteady breathing continued. Hinata closed his eyes, savouring the moment of peace. He never wanted to let go.</p>
<p>“I’m glad you’re safe.” Tobio murmured into his shoulder. “Not that I ever doubted you but—”</p>
<p>Hinata smiled. He slowly peeled himself out of Tobio’s embrace and took hold of his hands. He took a few steps back until his back was flush with the wall of the stables. Tobio let go of his hands and cupped his face, leaning close enough to kiss him deeply. Noses bumped as Hinata covered Tobio’s hands with his own. Slow, soft movements of lips against each other brought a sense of calm over them both after everything.</p>
<p>Tobio pulled back first, holding Hinata’s gaze in the moonlight. “Gods I was worried. As soon as we saw the palace roof cave in…I thought…” he shook his head as he let out a shaky breath, trying to recompose himself. “I love you Shoyo.”</p>
<p>“I love you too.” He murmured back.</p>
<p>There was a brief pause before Tobio kissed him again. The gentle kiss was quick to deepen again as Tobio’s hands rested against the wall of the stable building. The numbness that Hinata had felt in the aftermath of surviving melted away as Tobio’s fervent affection left him feeling revived. They had only been alone a few minutes when Tobio broke away from the kiss, leaning down to rest his forehead against Hinata’s, both of them panting slightly.</p>
<p>“When we get back home, we’re going to the shrine.”</p>
<p>Hinata was confused but nodded. “Why?”</p>
<p>Tobio smiled, pulling Hinata into a tight hug and kissing the top of his head. “To thank the spirits you’re still alive and…maybe some other stuff.”</p>
<p>Hinata laughed weakly, too tired to really think about anything other than resting. “Sure Tobio. Whatever you want.”</p>
<p>“But we need to clean up here first.” He murmured. “Make sure Yachi is secure on the throne and stuff…it’ll just be a few more days.”</p>
<p>“As long as I can sleep for some of them.”</p>
<p>Tobio snorted. “You’ve earned it Shoyo. You and all the others.”</p>
<p>Hinata smiled against Tobio’s shoulder. Above them the moon shone bright in the sky, the storm clouds long gone. There would be time to ask and answer questions later. For now they could reveal in the fact they were alive.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0080"><h2>80. Sacrifices And Treaties</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>psa: this is the last 'daily' update. We'll be returning to the 3-day update schedule for the rest of the fic. (Today is Monday so the next update will be Thursday 5th Nov)</p>
<p>Also thankyou so much for all of your kind words over the last few chapters! Honestly I was a nervous wreck over it and I'm glad you enjoyed it!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>LXXX</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Sacrifices and Treaties</strong>
</p>
<p>His hands trembled as he looked down at them. He wasn’t used to feeling pain like this, an endless ripple through his body. He was used to fixing pain, to pushing it aside with a simple touch and bringing relief to others.</p>
<p>But what he had felt, what he had seen through the chain of emotions, that wasn’t something that could be pushed aside.  As the stone had shattered in his hands, he had felt the energy discharge into the air. The focus runes had lit up brighter than the sun and dispelled whatever force they had absorbed with strong waves of dread and static energy.</p>
<p>He wasn’t an empath mage, but for just a few minutes, he had felt everything around him come to a halt. As Hinata’s panicked voice pleaded for him to help, to do whatever it took to get Akaashi to wake up, Shirabu had pushed aside his reservations. He hadn’t known what would await him inside the mind of one who had gone through so much but between the purple stone in his hands and the pure stone in Akaashi’s, he had bent the rules of magic as they knew them.</p>
<p>His breathing was unsteady as he knelt in the circle. The dust was settling. He could hear the commotion outside and upstairs. He could hear Atsumu and Osamu telling Moniwa what had happened inside and demanding an explanation from the Brotherhood’s side of things. Goshiki and Ennoshita had been taken away by Kindaichi as it had all kicked off, they didn’t need to witness the wild magic at play.</p>
<p>None of that mattered to him. His hands trembled still as his heart raced. His chest ached as he started to process it all. He knew Akaashi had carried a lot, he knew that Akaashi had seen things no-one should but having it all replay so quickly, like lightning flashing before his eyes, he couldn’t quite comprehend how Akaashi hadn’t unhinged.</p>
<p>“Kenjirou.” A voice broke through his foggy thoughts, the replaying memories and confusion. “Oi, talk to me.”</p>
<p>Hands gently took hold of his, further breaking the trance he had been in. He blinked, glancing up from his hands and meeting Semi’s gaze.</p>
<p>A memory flashed before his eyes, a knife in Semi’s hands, a woman pleading for her life. He swallowed but he didn’t tear his hands away. He squeezed Semi’s hands.</p>
<p>“…Eita.” He murmured. “Are they safe?”</p>
<p>Semi’s brow furrowed momentarily. “They got out, yeah. They’re all alive.”</p>
<p>Shirabu nodded, sighing slightly. “Thank the gods…”</p>
<p>Semi squeezed his hands. “It’s not over though.” He seemed conflicted about whatever he was going to say. “Kiyoko, she…she needs you. She got beat up badly and is barely—”</p>
<p>Shirabu inhaled sharply. “I don’t know if I can…” he looked down at his hands. “There’s…something wrong.”</p>
<p>Semi followed his gaze and saw the cuts all over Shirabu’s hands where the stone had shattered. Blood was beading at them as he turned over Shirabu’s hands to look at them properly. At first he wasn’t sure what to make of it, then it struck him. Superficial cuts and grazes should’ve already begun to heal over with Shirabu’s powers.</p>
<p>They weren’t healing.</p>
<p>“Okay.” Semi breathed, his previous composure slipping. “What, what did you do?”</p>
<p>Shirabu shook his head. He couldn’t possibly recount it all to Semi in a concise manner. There simply wasn’t time. All he knew was that Akaashi had been seconds away from giving up entirely when he managed to reach him.</p>
<p>“I don’t know.” He mumbled. “I just…screamed at him to get up, but he was…” his breathing quickened as he tore his hands from Semi’s and focused on them. A faint white light started glowing through the cuts, it was weak, <em>he</em> was weak.</p>
<p>“Kenjirou.” Semi was closer now having shuffled forward. He gently took hold of Shirabu’s face and made him meet his gaze. “Breathe slowly.”</p>
<p>“But—”</p>
<p>“<em>Listen</em>, just breathe.” Semi reiterated before inhaling slowly. Shirabu copied him, inhaling slowly before exhaling in the same manner. For a few moments, they merely sat in silence breathing slowly. Once Shirabu had visibly calmed down a little, Semi decided to continue. “Answer me honestly, do you have it in you to at least take a look at Kiyoko’s injuries and give us non-mage folk some instructions?”</p>
<p>Shirabu let out a slow, heavy breath. His heart felt a little less frantic, his chest had loosened a little. His hands still trembled and the cuts still weren’t healing as quickly as they should’ve. But he felt less panicked. He felt more at ease as Semi held his face.</p>
<p>“Yeah.” He murmured. “Yeah I think I can.”</p>
<p>Semi dared to smile a little. “Alright, I believe she’s currently in the parlour.” He dropped his hands from Shirabu’s face but offered them for him to take hold of again. “Need help getting up?”</p>
<p>With a short nod, Shirabu took Semi’s hands again. Once on his feet, he felt woozy. Semi was patient, not moving until he was sure Shirabu wasn’t about to vomit everywhere. Even if he wasn’t totally okay, he was arguably one of the most qualified healers they had.</p>
<p>The Miya family parlour was a little smaller than the other manor’s, and that wasn’t helped by the number of people in the room. True to Semi’s assumption, Kiyoko had been placed on one of the benches, head propped up with a cushion. Dried blood was still coating her cheek and neck, her armour still hugged her body. Suga had one of her hands in his as he knelt by her side, though his fingers closed around hers, she didn’t seem awake enough to return the gesture. Both Daichi and Bokuto were stood nearby, the latter having set Lev down on a blanket and Ukai was already wrapping bandages around his wounds.</p>
<p>As Shirabu set his eyes on Kiyoko. He felt his stomach turn slightly. Not out of disgust for blood, but guilt. He had a strong desire to summon whatever was left of his waning powers to try and fix her. Expectant gazes fell on him as he kept hold of one of Semi’s hands. He needed something to ground himself to as his headache worsened.</p>
<p>“I-I’m sorry.” He murmured, looking more to Suga than anyone else. “I, during everything, I…I don’t have enough magic in me to—”</p>
<p>The door opened, cutting him off. Kenma and Nishinoya didn’t wait to be invited in, immediately striding in and taking in the scene around them. Shirabu was actually relieved to see them for once. He met Kenma’s gaze and wondered just how bad he looked for Kenma to immediately nod in understanding.</p>
<p>“I can’t heal her with a snap of my fingers,” he murmured, rolling up his sleeves as he handed off the katana to Daichi, “but if you can give me a general idea, I can try to work with it.”</p>
<p>Shirabu could do that. With Nishinoya on hand to assist, it became a group effort to work quickly but cautiously. Daichi coaxed Suga to step back to give them space, pulling him into a hug as Kenma’s quick fingers unfastened armour straps and eased the protective layers off her. Nishinoya was two steps ahead, already asking the lingering serving staff for water and rags. Shirabu tried to shut out the rest of the world as he considered what possibly injuries they were dealing with. His understanding was that she had been thrown against the wall multiple times and engaged in a vicious sword fight.</p>
<p>As much as she had clearly bled from wounds to her head and nose, it was the internal injuries he was concerned about. Without his magic, he couldn’t know for sure. Kenma got the last piece of armour off and could properly see if she had any further cuts or stab wounds. The lack of blood-stained clothes indicated there were none.</p>
<p>“So,” Kenma spoke quietly but with confidence, something everyone was relieved to hear, “first thoughts; she’s been tossed around, broken bones may be a factor.” He stated bluntly as Nishinoya accepted the water and rags from a serving boy. “Best we can do is let her rest.”</p>
<p>Shirabu was inclined to agree but he felt like he should be doing more. Nishinoya gently dampened a rag before beginning to wipe at the dried blood. Kenma had begun to gently feel around her ribcage to see if he could sense anything amiss. For a few moments there was quiet, Shirabu watched as Kenma’s brow furrowed.</p>
<p>“What is it?” He dared to ask.</p>
<p>Kenma placed a hand at the place her shoulder met her neck. “…her heartbeat is fast.”</p>
<p>Shirabu struggled to remember what that meant. He had read many journals of the past court mages who happened to be healers, he had a morbid curiosity at what his powers were capable of doing in half the time herbs and prayers were. He felt his own heart drop.</p>
<p>He let go of Semi’s hand and moved to Kiyoko’s side, placing his hand alongside Kenma’s and feeling her fast heartrate for himself. She didn’t appear any closer to waking up as Nishinoya wiped the last of the blood away from her face.</p>
<p>“Fuck.” He cussed under his breath. “No she’s…” he didn’t want to say it. Saying out aloud would acknowledge that little could be done. Usually he could solve internal bleeding easily enough, but this was not a usual time. Kenma gave him a slightly confused look as the room fell silent once more.</p>
<p>“Kenjirou.” Kenma murmured. “Should we clear the room?”</p>
<p>He had to decide what to do. He looked at his trembling hands, the cuts had healed enough to not be bleeding but it still spoke to his exhaustion. He had no idea if he could summon enough strength. He met Kenma’s gaze, he expected the same cold, composed expression that he had come to know. Yet he was met with a more fearful expression. Kenma knew what was happening.</p>
<p>He let out an exhale. “I can do it. I just need…energy.”</p>
<p>Time was running out, they were acutely aware of this. The spectators seemed confused and fearful for what this veiled conversation meant. Kenma could deduce that raw energy was hard to come by. A runestone could do it but the only intact one was with Hinata. He hazarded a glance to Daichi. Suga had buried his face in Daichi’s shoulder, unable to even look at the situation. Guilt flooded him as he looked back at Kiyoko.</p>
<p>Raw energy wasn’t going to be possible, and they were all exhausted so simply giving Shirabu a boost like they had done with Hinata wasn’t going to be possible. They were running out of options and time.</p>
<p>“Let me.” A voice Kenma hadn’t expected at all came from the floor. Lev stumbled to his feet, the bandages wrapped around his body and hind legs already stained with blood.</p>
<p>Shirabu wasn’t sure what Lev was talking about<em>. </em>“…what?”</p>
<p>Lev looked up at him. “You heard me. Let me help.” He placed a paw on the bench, the faintest of purple wisps beginning to roll off him. “The Kirin didn’t give me all this power for nothin’.”</p>
<p>Slowly the pieces were falling into place for some of the others. Ukai was the first to speak.</p>
<p>“I think, it would be wise for those of you not involved to leave.” He calmly said. “They’ll need space.”</p>
<p>As much as leaving mages alone in their parlour was the last thing the twins wanted, they respected the grave nature of the situation. They ushered their staff to leave before gesturing for the rest to follow them. Suga pulled himself away from Daichi and shook his head.</p>
<p>“I’m staying.” He told them, voice cracking. “I don’t care what happens. I won’t leave her.”</p>
<p>“Understood.” Kenma nodded, already turning his attention back to Lev. “Are you sure about this?”</p>
<p>Lev nodded, gaze fixed on Kiyoko. “She’s too important to lose.”</p>
<p>Shirabu wasn’t sure how this was going to work exactly, he was simply feeling more optimistic about it all as Ukai set a hand on Suga’s shoulder, offering a small glimmer of comfort as Kenma checked Kiyoko’s heart rate once more. He glanced at Shirabu.</p>
<p>“You’re running out of time.”</p>
<p>Shirabu cracked his knuckles, feeling the ripple of pain in his body as he moved around to the other side of the bench. “Okay, here’s what’s gonna happen, I’m going to channel whatever energy Lev can give me and hope to every deity out there that it’ll be enough to let me stop her dying.” He looked up and met Suga’s gaze. “I can’t promise…but I’ll do whatever I can.”</p>
<p>Hearing the words so bluntly caused an uncomfortable feeling to fall in the room as Lev moved more sluggishly than usual but with purpose to be within Shirabu’s reach. Purple wisps were rolling off him as he sat next to Shirabu. Nishinoya was at a loss until Kenma told him to keep Kiyoko’s head still.</p>
<p>Shirabu let out another heavy sigh as he set a hand on Lev’s head. He felt a surge of warmth as Lev purred loudly. There was an element of comfort as Kenma stood opposite him. He found it more than ironic that his life had taken such a journey. From running away from the empire because of his powers to now openly practising them in a noble’s parlour. And that was without the backdrop of that evening’s events.</p>
<p>He wondered if fate was trying to make a point as he gently set his other hand back on Kiyoko’s chest. He made no attempt to draw energy from Lev yet. He spent a few moments quelling his fear of failure. He was gifted. He had only ever used his powers for good, to heal, to better the world around him. He didn’t have to wrestle with a conscience like many of the others.</p>
<p>He was thankful for that.</p>
<p>“Okay.” He breathed. “Here goes nothing.”</p>
<p>His body felt sluggish as he demanded one last act of heroism from it. The ripple of pain tore through him again, wooziness struck him and clouded his mind like a dense fog. The hand on Lev’s head felt warmer to the touch as a new feeling washed over him, an older sense of magic. Magic that seemed to have a life of its own.</p>
<p>He felt a renewed feeling overwhelm him. Like he had woken up after a three-day slumber and was ready to fight a dragon. As much as he felt renewed, this strange magic came with something else. A soft white glow took hold at his fingertips. Warmth spread through him as he felt more confident. He let his eyes slip shut, focusing on finding the true nature of her injury. Pain consumed him as he searched, but he didn’t flinch. His head was starting to feel woozy as he fought to balance exhaustion and renewal, two opposing feelings that shouldn’t exist in one body at the same time.</p>
<p>“Come on.” He murmured, urging his powers to work faster. A ripple washed over him and he became aware that Lev’s head was no longer pressing against his hand.</p>
<p><em>‘Your sacrifice will not be in vain.</em>’. An unfamiliar feminine voice spooked him but he couldn’t dwell on it as a pulse of heat passed through him. His eyes flew open in time to see that his entire hand was aglow with light. He clasped his second hand over it without thinking and pressed down slightly. He let out a gasp as he felt a shockwave pass between him and Kiyoko.</p>
<p>He pulled his hands back immediately. As soon as his hands left, Kiyoko’s eyes cracked open.</p>
<p>Relief was obvious on Suga’s face as she let out a loud exhale. Shirabu found himself panting as he took a step back in both awe and relief. Relief that was short-lived as he looked beside him.</p>
<p>Where a lion had been sat only a short while ago, there was now a large cat slumped over. Realisation struck him as he considered the voice he had heard and the supposed origins of Lev’s weird powers. He scooped Lev up immediately, finding relief in the fact he was still awake.</p>
<p>“Oh my god, you dumb cat.” He sighed.</p>
<p>Lev looked up at him with bright green eyes and meowed. The fact he was alive was good enough for Shirabu. He hadn’t envisaged Lev giving up his lion-form. He wasn’t sure how he was going to explain it to the others but that was quickly forgotten as his attention was torn back to Kiyoko. More specifically, Suga now clasping her hand again and stroking her head as Kenma checked her once more for any other serious injuries. Nishinoya stepped away and gestured for Shirabu to hand Lev over.</p>
<p>“Is Keiji okay?” Kiyoko whispered.</p>
<p>“Yeah.” Suga nodded, voice cracking again as he tried not to sob. “He’s okay, well, he walked out of the palace with Hinata.”</p>
<p>“Good.” Kiyoko sighed. “I thought…I thought it was all for nought.”</p>
<p>Suga shook his head. “It wasn’t. Akiteru was…well, Hinata and Keiji took care of him. Don’t worry.”</p>
<p>“And Yachi?”</p>
<p>“Safe too.” Kenma replied. “Tanaka made sure she got to a safe place.”</p>
<p>Kiyoko smiled. A heavy breath left her, she squeezed Suga’s hand. She seemed ready to pass out again as Suga kissed her hand. He wanted to pull her close, to hug her and cherish her but that would have to wait until she was more stable. For now he could rest a little easier knowing she had survived.</p>
<p>Shirabu seemed ready to fall asleep on his feet as Ukai gestured to the front door. As much as he wanted to avoid the others, Shirabu knew he needed to tell them Kiyoko was okay and that Lev was still alive, even if he was no longer a lion. He didn’t really want to try and explain that side of things. He just wanted to sleep. Ukai opened the door and motioned for Semi to enter, a far cry from what Shirabu thought he was going to do, before leaving the manor himself. Stood in the foyer of the manor, Shirabu made no attempt to be subtle.</p>
<p>“Y’know when you asked me to talk until you fell asleep?” He murmured.</p>
<p>“Yeah?” Semi replied, reaching out and placing a hand on his shoulder before coaxing him into a hug.</p>
<p>Burying his face in Semi’s shoulder, he chuckled slightly. “Fancy returning the favour?”</p>
<p>Semi hummed, glancing over to where the others were still tending to Kiyoko. He noted the cat in Nishinoya’s arms but decided that would be explained in due course. He stroked Shirabu’s back as he felt a heavy sigh leave the other. “I’m sure I can.”</p>
<p>“Fucking great.” Shirabu mumbled.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>The welcoming walls of the manor were only rivalled by the softness of the beds. Tired, achy bodies fell into them with ease and barely anyone entertained the idea of staying up any longer than necessary. For the two people at the centre of everything, sleep was not entirely the first thing on the agenda.</p>
<p>Akaashi had questions. Questions only Hinata could answer. The fire in the parlour was not lit, after the night they’d had, any flame larger than a candle was deemed too much. Only a few candles atop the mantelpiece illuminated the room along with any moonlight that filtered in. They had been left alone by request, even if both Kuroo and Tobio wanted to never let them go again, they adhered to the wish to have a few moments to talk in private.</p>
<p>Akaashi didn’t have the energy to beat around the bush. “Shoyo. What Akiteru was talking about, was he telling the truth?”</p>
<p>Hinata didn’t need to ask what Akaashi was referring to. Guilt rose up within him. He felt torn on the issue as always. Telling Akaashi that it was true, that Kuroo had died in a previous life, that there was sorcery beyond everyone’s imagination at play now, that he had broken so many taboos to ensure their victory, seemed out of the question.</p>
<p>Yet Akiteru had sensed it. And that was concerning. If Akiteru had figured it out, how long would it take Akaashi to become aware of it? Sooner or later it would come up again and he’d be faced with the same dilemma. As much as he had made an oath to not speak the truth, lying to Akaashi for any longer was going to end up killing him.</p>
<p>“There…are elements of truth.” Hinata replied, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. “It’s…complicated.”</p>
<p>Akaashi nodded. “Then answer me this,” he stepped close enough to put his hands on Hinata’s shoulders, “are we in any danger?”</p>
<p>“No.” Hinata replied. “Like, it’s complicated, but no-one is in danger…not anymore at least.”</p>
<p>There was a pause as Akaashi considered the response. “Alright. I can’t say I’m not bothered by it, because I am, but I know and trust you’d tell me if it was a threat.”</p>
<p>There was a small sense of relief at the idea that Akaashi wasn’t mad. Whether he was really aware how big this entire thing was and how many otherworldly forces were involved, Hinata wasn’t sure. He couldn’t offer much right now without consulting with the Kirin.</p>
<p>Hinata nodded. “I can…we can talk about it another time if you want. But for now, just don’t say anything to anyone. I don’t know what’ll happen.”</p>
<p>Akaashi was silent for a few moments, mulling over the situation Hinata had presented to him. He squeezed Hinata’s shoulders before nodding in return. “Okay. Then we’ll do that.” He then pulled Hinata into a hug and sighed heavily. “Thank you.”</p>
<p>Hinata wrapped his arms around Akaashi. “Don’t mention it.” He laughed weakly. “I just—”</p>
<p>“No, thank you for saving me.” Akaashi squeezed him tighter. “I was…I was close to being gone when you burst in.”</p>
<p>Hinata knew that. He didn’t need to think too hard about it, just remembering how close Akiteru’s dagger was to Akaashi’s neck was enough to convince him if he had hesitated a moment longer, the other would’ve been dead. They remained in the tight embrace for a few moments, appreciating the silence and the fact they had somehow both come out of it alive. Akaashi let go first, prompting Hinata to do the same. Tear-stained cheeks greeted Akaashi as Hinata sniffed loudly.</p>
<p>“You should go rest, I’m sure Tobio is gonna be busy tomorrow.” Akaashi murmured, gently wiping at Hinata’s cheek with the pad of his thumb.</p>
<p>“Yeah.” Hinata sniffed. “You too. You…you need it.”</p>
<p>Akaashi wasn’t going to disagree. He watched as Hinata stepped away and left the parlour with a small wave. He heard Tobio greet Hinata and then footsteps on the stairs indicated they had gone upstairs. He waited for the inevitable, glancing out the window at the night sky as the door clicked shut. Arms wrapped around him from behind and lips pressed against his cheek.</p>
<p>“How are you doing?” Kuroo whispered.</p>
<p>In all honesty, Akaashi felt numb still. Whilst relief had washed over him many times since they first left the palace ruins, he still felt as if he was two steps away from breaking down. The things he had seen, done, <em>felt</em>, under Akiteru’s gaze and even just in his presence had worn down what little resistance he had.</p>
<p>“I think tonight will not be a peaceful one.” Akaashi murmured. “I apologise if I toss and turn.”</p>
<p>Kuroo shrugged. “After everything, I would find it concerning if you <em>didn</em><em>’t</em>.”</p>
<p>Akaashi turned around in his hold and buried his face in the crook of Kuroo’s shoulder. With Akiteru’s taunts about Kuroo’s death still in his mind, he didn’t want to mull anything over. This was going to take a while to get over, to process everything and that was without Hinata telling him what parts were true and false.</p>
<p>“Hey,” Kuroo rubbed his back, “let’s go and get some sleep.”</p>
<p>Akaashi nodded, letting Kuroo take him by the hand. The rest of the manor had fallen asleep quickly so they kept talking to a minimum as they slipped into the bedroom. Finally laying down, Akaashi could feel all the bruises and aches in his body. His wrist had been strapped up by Kenma but it still throbbed whenever it was touched. Kuroo was careful with him, gently pulling him close enough to kiss his forehead and wrap and arm around him.</p>
<p>“Keiji.” He breathed.</p>
<p>“Hm?”</p>
<p>“I love you.”</p>
<p>Akaashi smiled in the darkness. “I love you too.”</p>
<p>Kuroo’s hand splayed on his back and gently rubbed soothing circles into his aching muscles. Akaashi fell asleep quickly.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>In the dawn’s light, the ruins of the palace looked more impressive. Impressive in the sense that somehow no-one had died in the chaos. Many put that fact down to Hinata’s quick thinking enabling everyone to escape before the entire roof collapsed inward and the subsequent rallying of the Brotherhood’s leadership. Many of the guards that night had been spooked by the chain of events, a few had some nasty injuries from falling debris but nothing fatal.</p>
<p>As the rest of the city woke up and heard the official news, as opposed to seeing the flames the previous night, many questions were starting to arise. Akiteru was labelled the perpetrator but how the palace caught fire and quickly fell apart was also being asked. Without an official place to hold court meetings, Yachi had called small groups of nobles together in her family’s second residence; a manor not unlike the Miya’s but much less frequently used. These meetings lasted most of the morning, arguing and complaining about the damages and the cost of rebuilding were high on the list but there was the obvious question on everyone’s lips.</p>
<p>What would happen to Akiteru?</p>
<p>This had been a question Yachi had considered through most of the morning. By right, she could demand his neck in a noose for the crime, but she was also acutely aware of his crimes elsewhere and those who had been wanting his head for a great deal longer than her.</p>
<p>She summoned Tobio and Tooru to her manor along with whomever they deemed fit to discuss such matters. Iwaizumi and Asahi naturally followed, the invitation was extended to the Brotherhood. Daichi politely asked Bokuto to accompany him as he firmly believed Suga and Kuroo didn’t need to be disturbed. Likewise Hinata was left behind, Tobio hadn’t had the heart to wake him.</p>
<p>Now as they entered the lavish furnishings of the empress’ manor, Tobio could afford to feel a little more optimistic about everything. They were shown through to the parlour where Yachi was sat with only a single guard present. The room was large but it had a cosy feeling to it, whilst there was a fireplace there was no fire lit currently. The mantelpiece was decorated with trinkets and vases of fresh flowers, more vases sat on side tables and a writing desk that sat against the far wall. Yachi smiled at them as they entered. Given everything that had happened, she seemed calm, happy even. Her robes were neatly folded as always, her hair pinned back with the same white feather pin from the previous night.</p>
<p>“Don’t worry about formalities and titles,” she told them as she gestured to the chairs that formed a circle, “I feel like after last night, we’re all on friendlier terms.”</p>
<p>Daichi had to smile at that. They took their seats and waited for her to explain why she had summoned them.</p>
<p>“I’ve spoken to many of the nobility.” She got to the point quickly. “Many of them wish to see Akiteru hang for what happened, a direct attempt on my life and destroying the palace are both punishable by death obviously. However,” she glanced between Tobio and Tooru, “I was told by Ryuunosuke last night of the true scale of Akiteru’s crimes, not just here in Hinode but in both your kingdoms. So I’d like to hear if you have any strong feelings.”</p>
<p>Tobio said nothing, gesturing for Tooru to speak first. Tooru nodded, letting out a small sigh. “He killed my father, I’m still not entirely sure <em>how</em>, but he did. He also manipulated soldiers to march on House Kageyama and slaughtered them.” He waited as Yachi nodded, the news not surprising her but she didn’t seek to interrupt. “Tobio and I made a deal a few days back, we agreed he’d deal with Kei and I’d deal with Akiteru.”</p>
<p>Yachi nodded, slower this time. “Do you want to take him back with you?”</p>
<p>Tooru wasn’t expecting the blunt question but took it in his stride. “If I did, I could put my poor mother’s heart to rest. Both her and my sister have agonised over the death of my father, finally having answers and a person to firmly hold accountable…” he trailed off, shakily sighing. Iwaizumi reached over and took his hand, offering a gentle squeeze of reassurance. “It would help us move on, yes.”</p>
<p>Yachi folded her hands in her lap, turning her gaze to Tobio. “And what would you prefer?”</p>
<p>“Honestly,” Tobio shrugged, “as Tooru said, we made an agreement. I’ve made peace with my family being gone. I know taking Akiteru’s life won’t bring them back. My quarrel is still with Kei, so I’ll be taking him back and he’ll be repaying me for the hurt he inflicted.”</p>
<p>“I see.” Yachi then looked to Daichi and Bokuto. “Does the Brotherhood have any thoughts?”</p>
<p>Daichi shook his head. “Whilst individuals have been affected by Akiteru’s actions, we’ve always been working to support both Tooru and Tobio in this. We have no desire to deal the blow ourselves.”</p>
<p>There was a pause as Yachi nodded again. She glanced behind her at the guard. “Fetch me some parchment please.”</p>
<p>He nodded and swiftly crossed the parlour to the writing desk and picked up a thin piece of wood with some parchment clipped to it with an iron clip. The wood offered a flat surface to write upon as well as a small bracket for an inkpot to rest in. As Yachi accepted it from the guard along with a quill, she smiled back at the group.</p>
<p>“I believe, that as much as Akiteru is guilty of many things up here,” she dipped the end of the quill into the inkpot, “it would be a show of good faith to those who came to our aid for me to hand him over to you, Tooru.” She began slowly writing on the parchment. “Do you agree?”</p>
<p>Tooru’s eyes were wide as he processed the ramifications of such a declaration. “Yes, I agree.”</p>
<p>Yachi nodded. “Very well. I will see to it that he is transported to your kingdom, to whichever fortress or dungeon you see fit and you may do what you wish with him.” Her writing speed increased quickly as she spoke. “As much as I would like to appease my nobles in that regard, I will wash my hands of the issue.” She set the quill down. “He will get no fanfare from me.”</p>
<p>The guard took note of the finished declaration and offered to take it from her only to return with a fresh roll of parchment for her to continue writing. She nodded in thanks before turning her attention to Tobio.</p>
<p>“Now, in regard to the Treaty of the Eagle.” She continued smiling. “I promised I’d rip it up, I will keep that promise. In fact, I propose we replace it entirely with a new one.”</p>
<p>Tobio hadn’t quite expected that. “Uh, saying what exactly?”</p>
<p>Yachi picked up the quill once more. “I told Shoyo last night that the empire is in his debt. Obviously, he came up here because of a treaty that forbade his kind from fighting on battlefields, a treaty drawn up after our two forces met and a mage tore the imperial army apart.” She spoke calmly of such matters that had been inflammatory once before. “Tobio, I am not asking for an alliance, but perhaps we can acknowledge the bravery of your mages, of all who took part in stopping Akiteru.”</p>
<p>Tobio felt if Hinata had been there he would’ve begun tearing up at such a sentiment. He looked to Daichi and Bokuto for help, both seemed surprised but willing to hear more of such a declaration.</p>
<p>“And what do you have in mind?”</p>
<p>She dipped the quill into the inkpot once more. “How about something along the lines of this,”</p>
<p>
  <em>‘The Empire of the Summer Vale recognises that without the intervention of several brave souls, tyranny and anarchy would have prevailed and cast a dark shadow upon the land.</em>
</p>
<p><em>We also recognise that without the kingdoms of Kageyama and Oikawa, the crimes of the guilty would not have been exposed. Both King Tobio and King Tooru are to be viewed as Heralds of order.</em>’</p>
<p>
  <em>Additionally, the Empire recognises the bravery and wit that the Silver Owl Brotherhood brought to the task of bringing justice for the victims of the Old City District fire. Without their determination and varying methods of investigation, the cause may have remained a mystery for eternity, instead souls may rest easy now and rebuilding can begin.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>The Empire of the Summer Vale thanks each of the factions mentioned above, for without their combined efforts many more may have suffered at the hands of the guilty. Those involved are hereby pardoned of any wrongdoing committed in the extended effort to bring about this peace.</em>
  <em>’</em>
</p>
<p>She paused, letting the group mull over the words. “Any additions?”</p>
<p>“Not an addition exactly,” Tobio wryly smiled, “but what will this declaration be called?”</p>
<p>Yachi shrugged. “What feels appropriate to you?”</p>
<p>There were many names that stood out to him, some were more pompous than others. As he mulled over the events and how many people had come together to bring down a threat to them all, he remembered Hinata telling him about the dream the Kirin showed him.</p>
<p>“…I mean with it replacing the Treaty of the Eagle, perhaps another bird could fill that spot?”</p>
<p>Yachi smiled. “Yeah?”</p>
<p>“Something Shoyo told me a short while ago, something that meant a lot to him as things started to heat up around here. He used some analogy to explain how he saw everything panning out. He said something akin to ‘whilst a flock of crows may be able to fell a mighty eagle, perhaps this flock could save her.’.” He smiled, almost embarrassed to be speaking in poetic terms. “Perhaps he was right, when you consider how each of us played a part, big or small, we worked together.”</p>
<p>Daichi couldn’t help but interject. “Together we persevered through the shadows, like crows flocking.”</p>
<p>Tooru merely nodded, deciding to keep quiet as Yachi glanced around and seemed charmed by the analogy. “Alright,” she murmured, “then I declare this shall be known as the Treaty of the Crow. A written declaration honouring the deeds of those under your banners, absolving them of any crimes committed in the process…like breaking into my dungeon.” She raised an eyebrow at Daichi. “An impressive feat in itself.”</p>
<p>Daichi and Bokuto chuckled as Yachi quickly added some wording to the end of the declaration before offering it to the guard. They watched as the guard approached the writing desk and set both pieces of parchment aside before lighting a purple candle. Hot wax was dripped onto both pieces as Yachi rose from her seat and joined him. She pressed her seal into the wax, imprinting the eagle of the empire into it.</p>
<p>“If you have your seals with you, we can sign them now.” She offered. “Or you can take them home and send them back with a courier.”</p>
<p>It was decided that Tobio would take the treaty first and then send it to Tooru who would send both the treaty and the declaration of taking care of Akiteru’s punishment back to Yachi. Bureaucracy out of the way, Yachi returned to her seat and nodded in thanks to all of them.</p>
<p>“Honestly, words cannot convey how grateful I am to all of you for what you’ve done. It’ll take time for us to rebuild the palace and get things smoothed out again, but I’d like to invite you back when work is complete for a genuine ball this time.” She smiled.</p>
<p>Tooru chuckled. “Or we could invite you to our ball.”</p>
<p>Iwaizumi gave him a confused look. “Since when were we—”</p>
<p>“Since I think we need to properly pay thanks to the Brotherhood.” Tooru stated with a smile, looking to Daichi. “Like I told you, you’ve deserved recognition if only for the nobility to understand that without you we would’ve lost so much.”</p>
<p>Daichi nervously laughed. “Oh gods, I dunno.”</p>
<p>“It won’t be immediate, don’t you worry.” Tooru laughed louder.</p>
<p>“Good, because I was actually going to dismiss the Brotherhood for a time.” He got wide-eyed expressions from the others, prompting him to elaborate. “It’s not breaking up, I just feel like after the year we’ve had, many of us need a long break. Many have gone through life-altering events, some of them need a chance to breathe.”</p>
<p>Bokuto nodded in agreement. He could already see the cracks beginning to show in just how exhausted everyone was. “And some of us have families we haven’t seen in months.”</p>
<p>“Exactly.” Daichi smiled. “We’ll still be kicking around Kēpu yōsai don’t worry.” He chuckled. “But I am going to encourage many of them to go home if they can, to see their families, to remember what we all fought for on that battlefield. Some of them will be stubborn about it, some may end up at your fortress Tobio.”</p>
<p>Tobio snorted. “Trust me, you’re all more than welcome. Considering Shoyo is pretty much living there now anyway.”</p>
<p>Daichi smiled warmly. “Well I hope you have room for Kenma and Lev, ‘cause they’re pretty attached to him.”</p>
<p>Tobio shrugged. “I always thought Hokubujōsai could do with an extension…”</p>
<p>There was shared laughter at the remark. Daichi was content that Tobio seemed open to housing some of the Brotherhood. He knew that many like Akaashi, Yaku and Suga had families to return to, to catch up with and rekindle relationships. He also knew some of them had no-one, that the Brotherhood was all they had and the idea of leaving was daunting.</p>
<p>But as Daichi had assured everyone. It wouldn’t be a breaking up, more of a taking a breather. He was confident that when the Brotherhood reunited afterwards, they’d be ready to take on all manner of crazy adventures.</p>
<p>“Well,” Yachi looked to Daichi, “there was something I wanted to ask about your Brotherhood actually.”</p>
<p>“Yeah?”</p>
<p>“May I come and see them, not today necessarily but before you depart. I wish to meet them properly, to extend my thanks personally.”</p>
<p>Daichi could see no-one objecting to that. “Certainly, I’m sure Kiyoko and Tanaka would be glad to see you again.”</p>
<p>Her smile grew. “I look forward to it.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0081"><h2>81. Numb</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>LXXXI</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Numb</strong>
</p>
<p>As the delicate dance of politics was happening elsewhere, the rest of the manor could finally take a breath. The end was finally in sight, the rest was out of their hands mostly. They could finally go home. Not that all of them were exactly fit to travel, but simply knowing they didn’t have to be paranoid about being arrested or killed was enough.</p>
<p>Most of the guild had bounced back after a good night’s rest, then again most hadn’t been in the thick of it. When Hinata woke up to an empty bed, he felt a pang of fear that something had gone awry.</p>
<p>“Hey.” A calm composed voice spooked him. He bolted upright, regretting it immediately as his entire upper body ached in protest at the rapid movement. Kenma snorted from where he was sat at the end of the bed. “Calm down, it’s okay.”</p>
<p>“Where’s—”</p>
<p>“Meeting with Yachi.” Kenma supplied. “Tooru went with him, Daichi and Bokuto are also there. Don’t worry.”</p>
<p>Hinata sighed in relief, flopping back against the bed “Alright, okay.” He wasn’t sure why his first thought had been so dire, then again after dealing with Akiteru, who could blame him.</p>
<p>Kenma scooted closer, giving Hinata curious look before appearing to drop it. Just one look at Hinata showed the signs of the battle that had taken place the previous night; the scars outlined with black ink appeared red and sore, cuts and grazes from the building collapsing around them littered his shoulders, arms and face. His fingertips appeared bruised, almost frostbitten. To put it simply, Hinata looked like he had been to hell and back.</p>
<p>“If you’d like, I can get a bath drawn for you.” Kenma offered.</p>
<p>Hinata shook his head. “Nah, I mean,” he sighed slightly, “not now.”</p>
<p>Kenma watched him for a few moments. It was easy to see that Hinata was troubled by something, or perhaps many things in the way he picked at the loose threads on the blanket, how his gaze darted around the room, mainly to the door almost expectantly.</p>
<p>“What’s eating at you?” Kenma asked, reaching out and taking Hinata’s hand in his.</p>
<p>Hinata usually tried to shrug off such questions, he merely sighed slightly. “It’s…I thought being successful would feel better but…I just feel empty.”</p>
<p>Kenma squeezed his hand. “Ah.”</p>
<p>“Like, Akiteru was caught alive, and that’s good right? It means Tooru can deal out a judgement. And no-one died, so there shouldn’t be any sadness but…” He shrugged. “I was hoping Tobio might tell me I was just tired or something—”</p>
<p>“He wouldn’t be wrong y’know.” Kenma remarked, reaching up and cupping Hinata’s cheek. “Shoyo, you literally woke up a few minutes ago. You don’t have to analyse all your feelings at once.” He smiled. “Last night was chaotic, from what I’ve heard, you and the others pulled off some death-defying shit, you’re allowed to feel numb for a few days whilst you process it all.”</p>
<p>Hearing Kenma speak so frankly was refreshing. He leaned into Kenma’s touch, letting a slightly ragged breath leave him. Feeling numb wasn’t great, it almost felt like he was tied to an anchor or something. Taking his silence for acceptance, Kenma shuffled again until he was sat next to Hinata properly.</p>
<p>“I dunno know long Tobio will be, but there’s no reason you can’t go back to sleep.” He said. “No-one will blame you for wanting to stay in bed all day.”</p>
<p>Hinata met his gaze, usually bright eyes were a little dull but there was a small, tired smile. “Will you stay?”</p>
<p>“Of course.” Kenma answered without hesitation. “I’ll stay however long you need me to.”</p>
<p>Hinata nodded before promptly wriggling further under the blankets. Kenma waited for him to get settled before gently setting a hand on his head. He wasn’t tired, but he didn’t mind sitting in the quiet if it meant Hinata felt more at peace.</p>
<p>As much as the danger had passed, there was now the unpleasant aftermath to deal with. They hadn’t had time to process the Battle of the Dynasty before being thrown into this latest cycle of chaos. He wasn’t sure how much longer they’d be able to solider on before the horrors of what they had all seen and experienced would catch up to them. He wasn’t sure how everyone was going to take it once they were back home and truly out of danger.</p>
<p>He had heard rumblings from the others that morning that Daichi was intending to dismiss the entire Brotherhood for a time, to insist they took some well needed rest. He knew Kuroo was intending to take Akaashi home, he knew Bokuto wanted to see his brothers. He sort of envied both of them for having somewhere to return to. He glanced down at Hinata who was already half asleep once more. As much as he felt homesick for a distant memory, he had accepted long ago that his home was wherever the Brotherhood was. Recently, within the last year or so, he had grown to associate Hinata with the feeling of home.</p>
<p>There was no doubt in his mind, like he had told Suga back by the lake near Tobu Misaki-Mura, if Hinata left, he would go with him. The Brotherhood’s future might be somewhat in the air, but there was one thing they could all agree on; as long as they were together in spirit, the Brotherhood would live on.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Though her memory was hazy, Kiyoko remembered enough of the previous night. Even if she didn’t remember all the details, the way her entire body ached was enough to indicate she had been through <em>something</em> vaguely traumatic. She felt stiff, but that was the least of her problems as any movement sent flashes of pain through her. Almost as soon as she was awake, she was aware that Suga was sat on the edge of the bed by her side. Whether he had actually slept was unknown to her as his hand took hers.</p>
<p>“How do you feel?” His voice was quiet as he squeezed her hand.</p>
<p>“I’ve felt better.” She murmured, appreciating the smile he gave her for the remark. “But I’ve felt worse too so eh.”</p>
<p>“From what Kenma told me, it was close.” He squeezed her hand again.</p>
<p>That loosely explained the ache in her bones. She moved her free hand around and slowly began to feel herself for obvious injuries. Suga was silent as she did so, watching her wince every so often but ultimately finishing her self-assessment within a few moments. It was quiet, the normal noise that came with the manor was suspiciously absent. A gentle murmur of conversation could be heard if she focused, but it was <em>definitely</em> quieter than normal.</p>
<p>“Where is everyone?”</p>
<p>Suga glanced further into the room for a moment before meeting her gaze again. “Semi and Shirabu are here, some of the others are probably sleeping still. I know Yachi politely requested Tobio and Tooru talk to her and Daichi went with them.”</p>
<p>“…what happened to Akiteru?”</p>
<p>“Captured, uh, I’m not sure how but he’s being held until they decide what to do with him.”</p>
<p>She sighed in relief. They had managed to achieve what they set out to do. Sure, she was in pain, but they had Akiteru in chains, she could deal with being bed bound for a few days.</p>
<p>“And the others? Keiji and Hinata?”</p>
<p>“Haven’t seen them today, but they were both well enough last night to be talking to everyone.”</p>
<p>Another sigh of relief. Just processing that they had managed to pull off the crazy plan was taking a lot out of her so early in the day. Suga’s hand gently stroking the back of hers coaxed her to try and relax. Truthfully she still felt exhausted.</p>
<p>“Don’t fret about getting up.” He told her. “Just rest, you deserve it.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, I will.” She whispered, already feeling her eyes drooping. He watched as she fell asleep as quickly as she had awoken.</p>
<p>Glancing back into the room, he met Semi’s gaze. “She’s not nearly as unruly as some people.” He remarked.</p>
<p>Semi snorted from where he lay. He wasn’t going to rise to that remark, he was more preoccupied with more of the blankets being stolen from him. When Shirabu had asked him to ‘talk him to sleep’, he hadn’t quite envisaged the other being reluctant to sleep alone. Semi hadn’t questioned it. Whether it was the fact he felt too exhausted to care or he was actually entertaining the slight soft spot he had for Shirabu, he wasn’t sure. He let Shirabu bury his face in his shoulder before falling asleep abruptly.</p>
<p>When Semi had awoken with Shirabu still beside him and the dawn’s light pouring in through the shutters that had been left open by accident, he had almost forgotten the chaotic night. As he had become aware of Suga being awake, he tried to put a little bit of space between him and Shirabu. That was harder than it seemed as Shirabu seem intent on clinging to him under the blankets. He settled for linking his fingers together and resting them under his head. As Kiyoko had awoken and the quiet conversation played out, Semi wondered how much Shirabu would remember.</p>
<p>He didn’t have to wait long as Shirabu finally stirred. He felt the other’s hold on him loosen as the blankets shifted. For a few moments there was silence. He wasn’t sure if Suga was paying attention but didn’t dare glance over as the blankets moved more abruptly. Shirabu bolted upright, instantly clutching at his forehead.</p>
<p>“Morning to you too.” Semi remarked as Shirabu took in the room and then where he had woken up. He didn’t seem startled by the sleeping arrangement at least, even if he winced and rubbed his forehead. “You good?”</p>
<p>“…yeah.” Shirabu lied, his head pounded and he felt as if he had been sat in front of a furnace for hours on end. Semi’s brows furrowed at the hesitant response, prompting Shirabu to sigh slightly. “I mean, as good as could be expected?”</p>
<p>“Huh.” Semi made no attempt to move. “Well, if it’s any consolation, I had no intention of getting up but—”</p>
<p>“I swear if you suggest cuddling or some shit, I might vomit.” Shirabu wrinkled his nose. There was a poorly muffled laugh from Suga’s general direction as Semi raised an eyebrow.</p>
<p>“I was <em>going</em> to say, if you’d rather have your own bed, <em>I</em> don’t mind getting up so you can stay here.”</p>
<p>“Oh.” Shirabu seemed caught out by the act of generosity. “I mean don’t feel like you have to stay. I just have the mother of all headaches, I’m sure I’ll be fine to get up now.”</p>
<p>“Uh huh.” Semi released one of his hands from behind his head and grabbed Shirabu’s arm. “And I’m sure Suga over there would say something like ‘bed-rest is the best cure for headaches’ or some shit like that.” He gently tugged on Shirabu’s arm. “And I dunno about you, but I’m not gonna argue with him.”</p>
<p>Shirabu glanced over and saw Suga shrug and offer a knowing smile. He wasn’t sure how he felt about it being suggested that he was showing his softer side specifically around Semi. After everything though, maybe it wouldn’t hurt to let his guard down a little more. Glancing back at Semi, he relented. It felt strange to lay back down next to Semi in the dawn’s light, with both of them a lot more awake than the previous night. He couldn’t hide behind exhaustion this time as he buried his face in Semi’s shirt. A sense of relief came with Semi’s arm wrapping around him. Feelings were hard to untangle from the racing thoughts and the flashes of memories he had seen when trying to pull Akaashi back from the brink. He shoved them all aside as he tried to let himself fall back to sleep.</p>
<p>He could articulate his thoughts later when his head wasn’t pounding.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Whilst many would assume he’d sleep the day away, Akaashi wouldn’t have it. Kuroo wasn’t overly surprised at his refusal to take it easy, this was Akaashi after all. He was also acutely aware that only a select few knew what happened in that throne room, all everyone else knew was that Akiteru had been subdued after a long, brutal encounter. Kuroo had figured something big had taken place if only because Lev was no longer a lion but back to being a cat. There had been a loose explanation that Lev had ‘given up the Kirin’s blessing’ to save Kiyoko but aside from that, no-one knew how dire the situation had been.</p>
<p>Kuroo knew Akaashi would tell him in due course, but it wasn’t something he was going to press immediately. For now at least, he wouldn’t question Akaashi’s choice to keep himself busy.</p>
<p>The manor was quiet but not because everyone was out, it was because for the first time in <em>weeks</em> that they could afford to relax. A large game of cards was in progress in the parlour between many of the Brotherhood and their extended entourage. Goshiki seemed to be giving most of them a run for their money if his grin was anything to go by as Yaku scoffed loudly and threw down his hand. Kuroo wasn’t partaking in the card game, he found watching more interesting. He could see how tired everyone was, even if they had been able to get a decent night’s rest, the smiles didn’t hide the dark shadows under their eyes.</p>
<p>Akaashi for his part had taken himself out to the walled garden. He had intended to be alone with his thoughts but a familiar furry companion followed him. As much as Lev didn’t look like a lion any more, he was still granted with his ability to speak. He no longer glowed purple at random intervals, nor did he seem to be aware of any strange forces. Though the latter could be down to such forces not being present anymore.</p>
<p>“So,” Lev broke the silence as they sat on the damp grass, “that was a wild night.”</p>
<p>Akaashi snorted, breaking into a chuckle. “You don’t say.”</p>
<p>“Well I mean we had the palace burn down around us, so that alone was pretty momentous.”</p>
<p>Akaashi petted Lev’s head. “And the whole ‘taking down a mad mage’ was just a sideshow, yeah.”</p>
<p>“Hey now I didn’t say that.” Lev’s tail thrashed from side to side, kicking up dew in the process. “I just didn’t wanna jump in and be like ‘<em>so how</em><em>’s your head, and your soul, oh and your magic</em>’.”</p>
<p>Akaashi shrugged. Questions were going to be asked, right now everyone was too scared of prompting a breakdown of sorts to ask him anything about it. He hadn’t spoken to Hinata since sleeping, he hadn’t spoken to Shirabu or Kiyoko either. Until he had spoken to all of them, it didn’t feel right to try and explain any of it to anyone who wasn’t there.</p>
<p>How could he explain that Akiteru had bested him like he predicted without being able to explain how Hinata burst in and threw everything he had at Akiteru? How could he possibly articulate just how ferociously Kiyoko had fought, being slammed repeatedly against walls until she was broken and bleeding? How could he <em>begin</em> to explain what feat of magic Shirabu achieved <em>and</em> how his rash but stubborn attitude had been just what Akaashi needed to pull him back from the edge? Sure, he may have been the person who set out to beat Akiteru, but he hadn’t done it alone. He had been passed out for some of it, only brought back through the efforts of others.</p>
<p>Lev headbutted his arm, bringing him out of his thoughts.</p>
<p>“Y’know, there’s probably going to be some sort of accolade given out.” Lev remarked. “Reckon they’ll knight me?”</p>
<p>Akaashi chuckled, feeling the dampened mood lift a little. “Sir Lev, I mean it’s got a nice ring to it.”</p>
<p>“Damn right.” Lev purred, fur puffing up a little. “Maybe I’ll get a fancy painting done—”</p>
<p>As Lev continued to talk about the possible accolades he and the entire Brotherhood could be awarded, Akaashi’s attention began to wander. He wasn’t entirely sure he wanted accolades handed to him. Sure, the Brotherhood as a whole deserved some form of recognition for their hard work and near-death experiences. He, however, didn’t feel like anything he did deserved a title or declaration. He was just doing what had to be done.</p>
<p>“And who knows, maybe the Brotherhood will be declared allies of the realm or something.” Lev continued.</p>
<p>“Allies of the realm?” Akaashi repeated. “You make it sound like we’re some order of warriors from bard songs.”</p>
<p>Lev’s nose twitched. “I mean, we sort of <em>are</em> and order of warriors from a bard song. A song that hasn’t been written yet, but y’know.” His tail thrashed back and forth. “I don’t mean to be rude but will you just accept that what you all pulled off last night is nothing short of a miracle?”</p>
<p>Akaashi snorted but quickly sighed in defeat. “I guess.”</p>
<p>“It’s still raw, I get it, it’ll take time to figure it out.”</p>
<p>“How are you so calm about it all then?”</p>
<p>Lev blinked. “Because I’m a cat. We’re built differently.”</p>
<p>Akaashi couldn’t help but chuckle. It was sometimes hard to remember that Lev was indeed a cat first and foremost, a cat that could speak and comprehend complex topics and situations, but still a cat. Lev showed no inclination to expand on that point but he didn’t need to. Akaashi reached over and petted his head again, scratching just behind his hears and getting a loud purr from him.</p>
<p>For a while they sat in silence, appreciating the calmness in the air. The sun was shining that day, the storm clouds from the day before were nowhere to be seen. There was a faint smell of smoke on the breeze but the standard smells of the city were mixing with it and taking the harsh edge off. As much as he appreciated this patch of green in the city, he longed to see the rolling fields and rugged coastline of the south. As much as the north was wild, there was something familiar and almost homey about the southern coast’s wilderness.</p>
<p>“I can’t wait to go home.” He murmured aloud, glancing down at Lev who had flopped down on the grass and was now rolling around.</p>
<p>“Kēpu yōsai will feel weird after all this.” Lev replied, pausing in his wriggling. “Stone walls, so many stairs up and town that tower…”</p>
<p>Akaashi smiled weakly. “I wasn’t talking about Kēpu yōsai.”</p>
<p>Lev’s ears twitched as he met Akaashi’s gaze. “Oh?”</p>
<p>“My father should’ve made it home by now, the voyage back to the western isles to drop off those who aided us in the battle doesn’t take much longer than a week. Assuming the Lionheart didn’t get waylaid in port, he probably got home a few days ago.”</p>
<p>“You want to go visit your father?”</p>
<p>“And my siblings.” Akaashi nodded, picking at some of the strands of grass. “I…I just think that’s the best thing for me right now.”</p>
<p>Lev sat up once more, tilting his head as he held Akaashi’s gaze. “I think so too.”</p>
<p>“Yeah?”</p>
<p>“I mean, I don’t think anyone would blame you for wanting to step away for a short while. I reckon quite a few of them will be thinking similar things honestly. Like, you got Yaku’s family in Kitamine, Kunimi’s mom still works in the palace, pretty sure Tanaka and Nishinoya haven’t been home since <em>I</em> joined the guild.”</p>
<p>The more Akaashi thought about it, the less guilty he felt about wanting to break away for a short time. As much as the Brotherhood called Kēpu yōsai home, a lot of them still had families elsewhere. Families they had yet to return to in at least a year. It did prompt a thought though.</p>
<p>“Reckon Hinata will go home?”</p>
<p>Lev snorted. “From what I’ve heard, he’s intending on having them visit Hokubujōsai. And if him and Tobio are a thing now, it’ll be rather entertaining.”</p>
<p>As much as Akaashi almost wanted to see how that went down, he had no doubt in his mind that there would be more than enough people around. He was almost willing to be gold pieces that Kenma would be there, and of course Inuoka and the rest of the House Kageyama’s staff. The more he thought about it, he was glad he’d have an excuse to be far away from that chaos.</p>
<p>“Well, I guess once things are settled here, we’ll be leaving.” Akaashi glanced up at the sky again. “Might make it home before the height of the dry season.”</p>
<p>“Wouldn’t that be grand eh.”</p>
<p>“Would you be going with Yaku back to Kitamine?”</p>
<p>Lev made a noncommittal noise. “I dunno yet. Don’t really have anything to go back there for. Hokubujōsai is more fun, plus I can try and convince the Kirin to make me a lion again.”</p>
<p>Akaashi chuckled again. “You let me know how that goes, yeah?”</p>
<p>Lev’s fur puffed up momentarily like he was offended at the idea of the Kirin saying no, which only succeeded in making Akaashi laugh louder. It felt good to laugh.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0082"><h2>82. Only Human</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>LXXXII</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Only Human</strong>
</p>
<p>When Tooru returned to the manor, it was still quiet. A strange sense of peace had fallen like a veil over the building, he didn’t <em>dislike</em> it, but it felt odd. For once there was no sense of dread hanging over them, no impending doom or ill-fortune. It was calm. He nodded in greeting to those in the parlour but quickly made his way upstairs. Tobio had stopped to talk to those playing cards, not looking to be in a hurry to reunite with Hinata just yet, not that Tooru really cared in that moment.</p>
<p>He found the closed door and knocked, waiting for someone to answer. As the door opened, he met Suga’s gaze and smiled.</p>
<p>“Is she awake?”</p>
<p>“Sort of.” Suga opened the door wider to allow him in. “Just keep your voice down.”</p>
<p>Tooru nodded, stepping into the room. He immediately took notice of the other two occupants of the room but pushed his more juvenile side away for the time being, instead focusing on his reason for being there. Suga gestured for him to sit on the edge of the bed where Kiyoko was resting, she was awake but clearly exhausted still as she weakly smiled at him. He took hold of her hand as he tried to word his thoughts.</p>
<p>“I know we’ve not really known each other on a personal level,” he spoke quietly as Suga requested, “but it felt wrong to put any of this onto parchment when you’re right here.”</p>
<p>Her smile grew slightly, despite how exhausted she still looked, her eyes lit up. “Yeah?”</p>
<p>“I wanted to thank you personally, not just for what you did last night in apprehending Akiteru, but for everything you’ve done since you burst into my throne room to argue for Akira’s innocence.”</p>
<p>She let out a breathless giggle. “Seems so long ago now.”</p>
<p>“It does, but that doesn’t take away from the fact you’ve been a force to reckon with, both in battle and in politics.” He squeezed her hand. “And I know you don’t want to be elevated to noble status or anything fanciful like that, and I wouldn’t want to tear you from your family either,” he glanced to Suga for a moment before returning his gaze to her, “but I will be putting your deeds to parchment. I will make sure everything you’ve done for the kingdom is recorded.”</p>
<p>“I’m guessing I can’t decline such an honour.” She remarked with a coy smile.</p>
<p>Tooru mirrored it. “I’d understand if you’d rather I didn’t—”</p>
<p>“Oh you can, but I insist on one thing.”</p>
<p>He raised an eyebrow. “And what would that be?”</p>
<p>She squeezed his hand. “Make sure that my name isn’t the only one on that parchment. I wouldn’t have been able to do any of it if it weren’t for the others. Hell, I’d still be a dragon.”</p>
<p>Tooru let a beat of silence pass before nodding. “Very well. I’ll make sure we record the deeds of the Brotherhood as a whole.”</p>
<p>“Moniwa can help with that.” She gave him another coy smile. “And I’m sure Shirabu will have a thing or two to say.”</p>
<p>“Hm, yes.” Tooru glanced over at the other occupied bed. Both Shirabu and Semi were asleep, neither had stirred since he entered. “Last I heard, he regarded you all as ‘lunatics who kept dragging him into shit’.”</p>
<p>“And yet he’s still here.” Suga remarked. “I dare say he likes our company.”</p>
<p>Tooru chuckled, returning his gaze to Kiyoko once more. “Again, thank you for all you’ve done. I hope you feel better soon and are able to take some much-deserved rest.”</p>
<p>“I hear that.” She whispered, blinking slowly. “Thank you for trusting us all this time.”</p>
<p>Tooru patted her hand. “Rest well Kiyoko.”</p>
<p>She smiled in reply and let his hand slip away from hers. He nodded in parting to Suga before seeing himself out. There had been so much more to say, questions to ask about the encounter with Akiteru, but he had to honour the fact she was still recovering. They were all beaten and bruised in more ways than one. As exhausting as the ordeal had been for him on a political front, they had put themselves on the line a great deal. He felt that needed to be honoured somehow.</p>
<p>Even if Daichi was intending to give everyone a break, Tooru wasn’t going to let that stop him organising <em>something</em> to recognise their efforts. Balls could be thrown when the Brotherhood was back together, but written records could be done easily enough with only one or two individuals to hand. And if Shirabu’s sudden attachment to a certain former serpent was anything to go by, he was going to have at least one guest to help him with that.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>It was strange for an entire afternoon to go by without anything happening. After weeks of feeling like things could take a turn for the worst at any moment, not having that feeling hanging over them was bizarre. No-one was complaining though. Once word had passed through the manor that Kiyoko had woken up and was doing well, all things considered, they could afford to relax a little. Daichi had passed on Yachi’s well wishes and desire to meet the Brotherhood before they returned home. No-one was going to object.</p>
<p>Tooru had made a point to sit with the others in the parlour, Iwaizumi and Yamamoto joined him along with House Kageyama’s staff. Tobio had drifted between sitting with Hinata in their room and surrounding himself with the others. In this new frontier of not feeling like the world was trying to kill him, he found himself unsure of how to adequately act. Hinata was still tired, not exhausted but he still needed to rest and not be smothered. Likewise Tobio wanted to reassure him in this strange aftermath.</p>
<p>It was tricky to keep himself in check, if not just for his own sanity but Hinata’s too. He was simply happy to be around those he called friends, to be able to laugh and smile with them and not be fearful.</p>
<p>Hinata was thankful for Tobio’s affection, but he was equally thankful that he wasn’t crowding him and asking loads of questions. Kenma had left him to rest and came back at random intervals to check on him. He had slept through some of these visits, waking up with the blankets tucked in around him and the shutters pulled shut to keep the harsher daylight out.</p>
<p>He was starting to get hungry as he woke up once more. He was somewhat fearful that he had slept through the entire day as the room felt gloomy. As he sat up, he felt achy. The toll of everything from last night was catching up to him now as he felt along his chest and lower neck, fingers rubbing over the sore skin between inked black lines. Bruises littered his torso, the grazes, and cuts from falling rubble were scabbed over now but many still looked nasty.</p>
<p>He looked around the room for his jacket before remembering how he gave it to Kei for safekeeping. Evidently, Kei hadn’t arrived with it nor his circlet and runestone. It somewhat worried him, he wasn’t sure if the spirits of House Kageyama would appreciate him losing an heirloom like Yukio’s jacket.</p>
<p>As he was wondering whether to get up, the door opened slightly. Yamaguchi entered with a smile, closing the door behind him as he waved in greeting.</p>
<p>“Ah, you’re awake.” He said. “How are you feeling?”</p>
<p>“Uh, sore, but also hungry.”</p>
<p>“Ah, well, some of the others have been cooking. I’m not sure how good it is as Suga’s been with Kiyoko all day—”</p>
<p>“How is she?” Hinata couldn’t help himself. “And Akaashi?”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi had expected such a reaction. “Akaashi is up and about, keeping to himself mainly but he seems more or less okay.” He replied with a soft smile. “Kiyoko is still resting, though she’s woken up a few times and Suga seems to think she’s merely exhausted, though Shirabu still needs to check her over again once he’s rested.”</p>
<p>Hinata let out a sigh of relief. “Good, good…”</p>
<p>“You’re all lucky.” Yamaguchi slowly walked over to the edge of the bed. “By looking at the ruins of the palace, it’s a miracle you all survived.”</p>
<p>Hinata laughed weakly, he anticipated hearing that sentiment voiced many more times as they came to terms with what happened. He was already slightly tired of it all, he just wanted things to go back to normal.</p>
<p>“Do you need any help getting up?”</p>
<p>Hinata nodded, he didn’t really need help, but having a comforting hand take his made it feel less daunting. Yamaguchi didn’t make any remarks about the bruises and cuts, he did raise an eyebrow at the tattoos and how sore they looked. With only minor discomfort, Hinata pulled on a shirt and combed his hand through his hair to try and make himself look vaguely presentable. He was missing the comforting warmth of the runestone around his neck.</p>
<p>Walking out into the hallway, the aroma of roasting meat caught his nose. He inhaled sharply, his stomach growling in protest. Yamaguchi laughed.</p>
<p>“Bokuto was very insistent that they made ‘a meal worthy of heroes’ or something like that.”</p>
<p>Hinata could already imagine how that went down. If Suga wasn’t involved then it probably fell to the others to take charge of cooking. When they got to the dining room he was surprised to find most of the others still sat eating. At his arrival there were several loud cheers and remarks that he was finally awake. He almost felt like there was too much attention on him as he froze in the doorway.</p>
<p>Yamaguchi glanced at him and noticed the slight paleness in his complexion. He gently took Hinata by the arm and ushered him towards the door into the kitchen. Kenma was quick to shove away his empty plate and followed them into the much warmer room. The fire in the hearth crackled, roasting meat was being diligently turned on the spit by Bokuto but the main chef in the kitchen was Ukai who gave the trio a confused look.</p>
<p>“What’s wrong?” He looked to Kenma as Yamaguchi sat Hinata down on an upturned crate.</p>
<p>Kenma shrugged, even if he could guess what was happening. His conversation earlier with Hinata had given him a vague insight into how the other’s mental state was faring. Yamaguchi was quick to offer him a clay cup of water and encourage him to drink.</p>
<p>“He’s not eaten since before the ball.” Yamaguchi stated. “So he’s probably—”</p>
<p>“I’m fine.” Hinata lied. He was not fine really, his body was trembling a little at the sudden explosion of noise and attention. He wasn’t sure why his heart was racing so much. Kenma shook his head and knelt down in front of him before encouraging him to drink more water.</p>
<p>Ukai exchanged a glance with Bokuto before deciding to take control of the situation. “Alright, we’ll fix him something light but filling. Best you can do is give him some space.”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi nodded, already making his way back to the door. Kenma lingered for a few more moments before gently ruffling Hinata’s hair and following suit. With them both gone, Ukai was quick to start clattering around, finding a plate and dishing up rice with some meat freshly carved from the joint roasting over the fire. Bokuto busied himself with organising other meals, even if he flashed worried glances over his shoulder at Hinata as he did so.</p>
<p>Ukai offered the simple meal to Hinata and refilled the cup of water as he took a tentative bite. He watched in silence for a few moments, making sure Hinata wasn’t showing any ill-effects of suddenly eating rich food after nearly an entire day of not eating anything. He waited until Bokuto left with the two plates bound for upstairs before breaking the silence.</p>
<p>“I bet you’re feeling all shook up from that welcome.” He remarked, wiping his hands on a rag. “Your family is a heck of a loud one.”</p>
<p>Hinata half-smiled into his rice. “Yeah. They are.”</p>
<p>Ukai let the pause hang in the air for a moment. “You’re probably gonna get asked this a lot, but how are you doing?”</p>
<p>Hinata could appreciate the self-awareness. He took another mouthful of rice before nodding in reply. “I mean,” he mumbled, “it’s kinda weird, I don’t really feel anything.”</p>
<p>Ukai made a point to keep himself busy with tasks in the kitchen as Hinata ate so not to make him feel like he was being watched. “Yeah? Like, you just feel numb.”</p>
<p>Hinata’s gaze snapped to his. “How…I mean yes.”</p>
<p>“It’s normal.” Ukai turned the spit over to make sure the meat didn’t burn. “I’ve read about what this Battle of the Dynasty entailed, for you especially. I’ve heard the stories from you and the others. And now, well, now you’ve just pulled off a similar feat against an empath mage of all things…” he wiped his sweaty forehead with the back of his hand. “I’d be feeling numb too.”</p>
<p>Hinata looked down at the half-eaten dish. “But…”</p>
<p>“Hey, kid,” Ukai paced over and crouched down so he was more on Hinata’s level, “I’m not gonna stand here and say I know what it feels like, ‘cause everyone experiences trauma differently, but I will say that the three of you who were in that throne room went through something momentous. You alone have experienced things that my academy chalked up to fables and myths. And that sorta shit is going to leave marks, not just on your skin but on your soul and in here.” He gently tapped Hinata’s forehead. “And it’s okay to feel numb, it’s okay to feel unsure of yourself, it’s okay to want the ground to swallow you up. It’s a normal reaction, so don’t feel bad about it.”</p>
<p>Hinata could only nod. Words were too hard to articulate right now as he kept his gaze on the plate in his hands, on the grains of rice that were getting blurrier by the second. Gently, Ukai’s hand took the plate out of his grasp.</p>
<p>“Listen, I know that the folks out in that dining room love you, they want you to know that everything will be okay as you head home. They see you as a hero, all three of you.” Ukai kept his voice quiet and calm as Hinata sniffed loudly. “But it’s okay to tell them you need some space, that you appreciate their love but what’s best for you currently is space and time to heal.”</p>
<p>“But they went through so much, the battle, the politics, the…the…”</p>
<p>“Hinata.” Ukai set a hand on Hinata’s shoulder and squeezed. “From what I’ve heard, you threw yourself into a volcano and then summoned a dragon of legend to a battlefield. That’s not normal and you know that.”</p>
<p>Hinata couldn’t argue. “…so what do I do?”</p>
<p>Ukai gave him a sad smile. It wasn’t the first time he found himself trying to help a troubled mage despite not having much to offer. In truth he wasn’t sure what to suggest. Dealing with Goshiki was one thing, but Hinata was on a whole different level. Regardless of the power he could wield, he was still human. He was not a god, even if he had powers similar to one. He was not invincible, even if his actions said otherwise. He was a kid by all accounts, a kid who felt the pressure of keeping kingdoms from crumbling and his friends from dying.</p>
<p>“What do you do?” Ukai repeated back to him, squeezing his shoulder again. “What do you want to do?”</p>
<p>Hinata shook his head. “I don’t know…”</p>
<p>“You do.” Ukai murmured. “What do you want more than anything right now?”</p>
<p>Another shake of the head. Hinata huffed, staring his hands. “I just want…to stop seeing it.”</p>
<p>Ukai’s brows furrowed. “Stop seeing what?”</p>
<p>“Everything. All of it.” Hinata’s voice cracked. “I can’t do it anymore.”</p>
<p>Ukai took the plate from Hinata’s trembling hands and set it aside. “Alright, let’s go somewhere quieter and where we’re less likely to be interrupted.”</p>
<p>Hinata nodded, there was a weight on his chest as Ukai tidied away a few things before ushering him back through the door. He felt the gaze of the others on him as Ukai waved them off and mentioned something about wanting to show him some old books he had stashed away. Whether the others totally believed him was up for debate, but no-one challenged him.</p>
<p>He wasn’t sure where Ukai was taking him as they left the manor. Hinode felt different that day, the air felt lighter even if the smell of smoke was strong on the breeze. The usual hustle and bustle of the city-folk was one welcome part of their surroundings, he felt a little more normal as they moved between the crowds that spoke fervently about the state of things.</p>
<p>He didn’t expect to be led towards the old district, he didn’t expect Ukai to take him back to the academy. It hadn’t changed since he was last there. Ukai encouraged him into the library, dusting off one of the many chairs and gesturing for him to take a seat. The smell of old books was comforting, familiar. It reminded him of the old guild, specifically of Kenma’s room that he had stumbled into only a year ago now.</p>
<p>“Y’know,” Ukai broke the silence as he studied the books left on the shelf, “I hope Moniwa intends to make copies of his journals. They could be historical treasures in years to come given what they contain.”</p>
<p>Hinata shrugged. “I…don’t know.”</p>
<p>“He speaks highly of you all in them,” Ukai continued with a slight smile, running is fingertip over the spines of some of the books, “he talks of a Brotherhood that stops at nothing to protect one another. One bound by deeds, not blood. The complex mixture of personalities and ideals all coexisting in harmony…most of the time.” He chuckled. “Bandits, servants, common folk…all united together by one thing.” He glanced over at Hinata. “Love. Love for each other. And love makes us do the unthinkable, it gives us courage, it pushes us to face our fears, to sacrifice things for others.”</p>
<p>Hinata nodded along. “Yeah.”</p>
<p>Ukai pulled his hand from the shelf. “You love your family, and I’m going to guess that you’ve done a lot more for them then they realise.”</p>
<p>There was a lump in Hinata’s throat as he dared to meet Ukai’s gaze. The other showed no sign of knowing exactly what had transpired, but it didn’t really require many leaps of imagination.</p>
<p>“I don’t want them to feel like they owe me anything.” He mumbled. “I did…stuff so that we’d—” he cut himself off. “Akiteru figured it out.”</p>
<p>Ukai was quiet for a few moments as he glanced around the room and found a wooden stool. He set it down across from Hinata and took a seat. There was a heavy feeling in the air as Hinata toyed with the ring on his finger.</p>
<p>“What happened in that throne room?” Ukai asked. “What did Akiteru—”</p>
<p>“It started before then.” He abruptly replied. “Way before then.”</p>
<p>“What started?”</p>
<p> Hinata inhaled sharply. He couldn’t do it anymore. He needed to get the burden off his shoulders. He could lie to the others to protect them, he had seen it tear them apart once before and couldn’t bear to see any glimmer of that again. Neither Hēishān nor the Kirin had said what would happen if he told anyone the full story if he broke his oath of silence. He knew telling Akiteru had been out of the question, even when he had considered it the previous night.</p>
<p>But someone like Ukai was different. Ukai hadn’t shown a single bad bone in his body. He had shown concern for them, a desire to help them just as they had helped him. If Hinata had to bring himself to tell anyone, Ukai seemed the safest bet in terms of mental stability and trustworthiness to not tell anyone else.</p>
<p>“It all went wrong.” He murmured, twisting the ring still as he looked up at Ukai. “I-I can’t tell the others, they…Hēishān and the Kirin made me promise I wouldn’t tell anyone how I did it or, or what happened but I just…” he let out a shaky breath, sniffing loudly. “Everything I’ve done, I’ve done to make sure I didn’t have to see them torn apart again.”</p>
<p>Ukai held his gaze, the faint calming aura that washed over him made Hinata feel a little less worked up. “What went wrong?”</p>
<p>Hinata stiffened. “The battle…it…we…” he wiped his teary eyes with the back of his hand. “We lost.”</p>
<p>Ukai blinked, confusion evident in his furrowed brows. “But you won? <em>You</em> won that—”</p>
<p>“After I…fixed everything.” Hinata breathed. He wasn’t sure how to word anything, even telling Ukai as much as he had was risky. It was eating away at him though. And if he was going to stop himself going crazy, he needed to tell someone. He sniffed loudly. “I broke a lot of taboo rules on magic, some of which weren’t even written down but…it was either that or see my family tear itself apart.”</p>
<p>Ukai didn’t say anything. Hinata wasn’t making much sense, but then again he had been through a lot. It was hard to tell if Akiteru had brought up something from his past if there had been empath magic at play during that confrontation and it was still lingering around.</p>
<p>“I watched Kuroo die.” Hinata breathed. “But it was more than just…watching.” He spoke barely above a whisper. “It was a nightmare no-one could wake up from. A nightmare Akaashi couldn’t wake up from and I had to watch him unhinge.”</p>
<p>Ukai nodded slowly. Hinata was talking in vague terms on purpose. He could sense there was a lot more to this but there was the remark from earlier about Hēishān and the Kirin making him promise not to speak on it. He had heard in snippets about a supposed vision of ‘what could go wrong at the battle’ and that had been Hinata’s reasoning for demanding so many things of people like Kyoutani.</p>
<p>But now, which this new phrasing, it seemed a lot more than a vision.</p>
<p>“I feel like I know what you’re implying.” Ukai carefully put. “I’ve never heard of someone manipulating events to that extent.”</p>
<p>Hinata’s glassy eyes widened, he roughly wiped at his tear-stained cheeks. “Hēishān said that nothing is impossible…not if I put my heart and soul into it.”</p>
<p>“Even so,” Ukai raised his eyebrows, “and you’ve been carrying that around all this time?”</p>
<p>He nodded, his breathing quickening as he started rambling. “I’ve lied to the others, told them it was all a vision, told them it was a warning. Akaashi was never meant to know but he accidentally saw it and then I told Kenma because it was all—”</p>
<p>Ukai set a hand on his knee. “Hey, breathe.”</p>
<p>Hinata took it as an instruction to slow his breathing. He nodded quickly, hands trembling as he twisted the ring around his finger. “When Akiteru…he saw into Akaashi’s memories and saw it.” He continued. “Akaashi was sure it was a vision because <em>I</em> told him…but Akiteru could see it was a lie and—” he cut himself off, covering his mouth with a hand as he sharply inhaled. “I…If I had told him from the start maybe he would’ve—”</p>
<p>Ukai shook his head. “No.” He squeezed Hinata’s knee. “Don’t start thinking like that.”</p>
<p>“But he was…he had given up.”</p>
<p>“And then Shirabu screamed for him to pull himself together.” Ukai told him. “Semi and I watched and heard the exchange, at least Shirabu’s side anyway. And if Akaashi had <em>really</em> given up, Shirabu wouldn’t have been able to pull him back like he did.”</p>
<p>Hinata sniffed. “What did Shirabu say?”</p>
<p>Ukai shook his head. “A lot. A lot of stuff about giving up at the last hurdle, about carrying so much alone, about being ‘a stubborn bastard’, about being as bad as…you when it comes to ridiculous plans.”</p>
<p>The last remark made Hinata smile slightly. He and Akaashi were really more alike than many realised.</p>
<p>“I’m not going to say I understand everything, heck half of what you’ve said doesn’t sound plausible, but,” Ukai sat back and folded his arms across his chest, “for what it’s worth Hinata, even if you did tell anyone I doubt many would believe you.”</p>
<p>“The Brotherhood would.” Hinata replied quickly. “They always…they always have.” He thought about how even in the most ridiculous situations with the vaguest of explanations the others always believed him. They always had his back.</p>
<p>Even on that day when none of them knew how to make time travel work, they believed him. Kenma questioned him but only to check his logic, he nearly always followed through with confidence. Nishinoya always erred on the side of caution but then threw his all into it. Inuoka weighed his options carefully, balancing his duty to his king and his duty to his friends. They had all answered his plea as the palace burned around him, they had put their faith in him time and time again.</p>
<p>If he came out and confessed to all the magic he had performed, they would believe him even if the rest of the world didn’t.</p>
<p>“So, this Hēishān and these Kirin told you not to tell anyone.” Ukai hummed.</p>
<p>“They said I couldn’t tell anyone once I went back. I had to let things happen naturally for the most part.”</p>
<p>“…that just sounds like they didn’t want you telling anyone until you had ‘fixed’ everything.” Ukai shrugged. “I admit I don’t know anything about manipulating time, but it makes sense to keep your mouth shut until the imminent past…or future has passed.”</p>
<p>“I…” Hinata blinked. There had been a lot of focus on not telling anyone, but since the battle, the Kirin hadn’t mentioned keeping it a secret. Had he been focused on it for no reason? True, letting Akaashi know that Kuroo had died was no doubt a <em>horrendously </em>bad thing to do whilst they were still in danger. But now that they were <em>out</em> of danger…would it be that bad? Especially given that Akiteru had planted the idea in his head that it was all truth anyway, telling him would put his mind at ease surely?</p>
<p>“Do you think I should tell Akaashi the truth?”</p>
<p>Ukai raised an eyebrow. “You know him better than I do, and you were the one in the throne room with him. I can’t tell you what to do. But if your brotherhood is as close-knit as you say, then I would try to honour that bond any way you can. Sometimes, our friends are all we have.”</p>
<p>Hinata stiffened. He recalled a long time ago how Akaashi had mentioned something similar, that one should always honour promises made to their friends. Sure, he had been talking about how Hinata hadn’t fulfilled a promise to Kenma, but the two situations weren’t wholly dissimilar.</p>
<p>And he <em>had</em> promised to talk about the previous night in more detail.</p>
<p>“…I owe it to him.” He whispered. “He should know…even if, even if something bad happens. I’ll, I’ll deal with the aftermath like I always do.” He forced an optimistic smile.</p>
<p>“If there is one.” Ukai remarked. “Do you feel a little better now?”</p>
<p>Hinata nodded, he still felt jittery but there was a new sense of peace about him. Ukai seemed satisfied with the answer as he rose from his seat. Ukai spent a few minutes glancing over the bookshelves before stating they should get back before nightfall.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Dusk was starting to fall as they finally left the academy. Before they set off across the city, Ukai glanced back at the empty building for a few moments. Hinata followed his gaze. The way the ivy crept up the walls looked like nature was still trying to reclaim the building even in the faint violet light of the day. As Hinata looked back and forth between Ukai and the academy, he saw a pensive look but also a glimmer of hope in his eyes.</p>
<p>“Sorry,” he shook his head, “I was just thinking about…what’ll happen now.”</p>
<p>“Yeah?” Hinata asked. “Like, now that Yachi knows what happened?”</p>
<p>Ukai nodded. “Now that the truth is out there, there’s nothing to stop us rebuilding. Question is, who’ll take charge, what’ll happen…will the mages from before return?”</p>
<p>“I’m sure they will!” Hinata replied quickly. “Like, I dunno Yachi but…the others think she’s a good leader, like, Tobio and Tooru reckon she’ll be good when she’s allowed to be. And I’m sure with the twins and people like you and Goshiki around, this entire district will go back to being…being great.”</p>
<p>Ukai glanced down at Hinata and saw the grin on his face. He realised that this must be the infectious optimism the others kept talking about. It was refreshing in a way, and certainly gave him pause for thought. After everything he had been through, it was comforting in a way to consider the idea of rebuilding.</p>
<p>“You think Yachi would let some half-useful mage like me help rebuild an entire district?” He remarked as he rubbed his stubbly chin.</p>
<p>“I reckon so!” Hinata beamed at him. “I mean, you’re probably the one who’ll know what’s best, right?” He gestured to the ruins of the academy. “No-one else is around to help her apart from stuck up nobles. She’ll need someone who knows at least <em>something</em> about the situation from this side of things or else it’ll all end up a mess of noble stuff y’know?”</p>
<p>Ukai smiled slightly. “Yeah…hm, well, maybe I’ll try and get one or both of your kings to put in a good word eh?” He looked back at the academy and for a moment felt a sense of renewed hope. “Let’s get a move on before anyone sends a search party.”</p>
<p>Hinata nodded. Compared to how he felt earlier that afternoon, having gotten at least some of his jumbled emotions and thoughts out to someone not directly affected by them, he felt like a weight had lifted. The walk back through Hinode was quiet, the manor itself still had the veil of calm hanging over it. Once inside, it didn’t take long for Hinata to find Tobio taking his hand and tugging him upstairs. It was too early to sleep, but he figured Tobio was doing a good job of masking his concern until they were alone.</p>
<p>The door closed softly, Tobio turned back to him with a curious gaze.</p>
<p>“Are you okay?” He asked, squeezing Hinata’s hand. “Tadashi wouldn’t tell me anything beyond you seemed shaken up about something.”</p>
<p>Hinata smiled at him, hoping to alleviate some anxiety. “I’m okay, just, yeah shaken up.” He returned the hand squeeze. “A lot happened and…thoughts are catching up.”</p>
<p>Tobio nodded. “Yeah, yeah I can imagine. A lot of questioning yourself, wondering if you could’ve done something different?”</p>
<p>A sigh left Hinata, relief that Tobio understood some of what he was feeling. “Yeah. Just, a lot.”</p>
<p>Tobio nodded again, gently tugging Hinata’s hand towards him, coaxing him into a hug. Wrapping his arms around Hinata, he pressed a kiss to the top of his head. He felt Hinata sag against him, burying his face in his chest. He could say a lot of things, like how he had experienced similar thoughts and rushes of emotion in the days after he fled his home, how the battle still replayed in his mind weeks after the fact, how the fear of losing Hinata to the events of the previous night had gnawed away at him.</p>
<p>But none of that mattered in that moment. He held Hinata close, remaining silent as he felt hands splay against his back.</p>
<p>“So how did talking to Yachi go?” Hinata murmured after several moments of silence.</p>
<p>Tobio hummed, not entirely sure he wanted to overload Hinata with more information but maybe some good news wouldn’t go amiss. Pulling back slightly, he smiled at Hinata. “Well, she stuck to her word; the Treaty of the Eagle is no more.”</p>
<p>Hinata’s eyes widened. “Really?”</p>
<p>“Yup, it’s been replaced. Wanna see the new one?”</p>
<p>Quickly nodding, Hinata released Tobio and watched as he rummaged around in their belongings and produced a roll of parchment. There was no seal on it, but there was a leather cord tied around the centre with a silver medallion hanging from it. Tobio carefully untied the cord and unrolled the scroll. The ink was bold, clearly written earlier that day as he offered it to Hinata to read. The words ‘Treaty of The Crow’ were bold, the rest of the terms written by a quick but eloquent hand.</p>
<p>As he read the terms, or more accurately, the declaration that everyone had been pardoned and even <em>thanked</em> for their efforts, he felt himself tearing up. Tobio said nothing as he let Hinata soak in the wording and the implications of what this meant. Fingertips brushed over the purple wax seal at the bottom, the signature of the Empire that sealed the deal.</p>
<p>“We’re taking it home so I can add my own,” Tobio said, “then I’m sending it to Tooru for him to sign and then it’ll return here.”</p>
<p>“Huh…” Hinata felt perilously close to crying. “We…we really…”</p>
<p>Tobio took the parchment back and carefully rolled it up once more, securing the leather cord around it to keep it fastened for the journey home. As he returned to Hinata’s side, he saw the tears trickling down his cheeks. A brief wave of panic washed over him before he saw Hinata smiling. These were not tears of sadness or frustration, they were tears of relief, perhaps even joy.</p>
<p>He stepped in front of Hinata and cupped his face, tilting his gaze up to meet his. Brushing the pads of his thumbs over the rise of Hinata’s cheekbones to wipe away the tears, he offered a calm smile.</p>
<p>“I named it after your weird vision.”</p>
<p>Hinata sniffed, still smiling. “Yeah?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, you were the one who said a lot about crows flocking right? It seemed appropriate that a treaty detailing how everyone worked together would be named accordingly.”</p>
<p>“Thank-you.” He whispered.</p>
<p>“No, it’s me who should be thanking you Shoyo.” Tobio’s voice lowered to a whisper. “You saved Akaashi, you saved Yachi, you saved <em>me</em>.”</p>
<p>“Heh.” Hinata wanted to dismiss all the praise, he didn’t want to take all the glory for what happened. It had been a group effort, they had worked together and save the empire and everyone around them <em>together</em>. “I guess.”</p>
<p>Tobio shook his head. “You <em>guess</em>.” He breathed. “Well, hopefully after this, you won’t have to save the kingdom for a long time. We’ll have some semblance of peace for a few months…maybe even years.”</p>
<p>Hinata remembered what the Kirin had said about his actions ensuring peace would fall. That his legacy would be the one who defied the odds and various laws to do so.</p>
<p>“Heh, let’s hope yeah?” He echoed.</p>
<p>Tobio slowly leaned closer and kissed him, smiling into the kiss. The slow, soft exchange left Hinata feeling warm and giddy inside. He beamed at Tobio as the other pulled back. There were a few moments of silence before a loud growl came from his stomach. Tobio quirked an eyebrow before laughing.</p>
<p>“Come on dumbass, you need an actual meal.” He kissed Hinata’s forehead. “I’m sure we can convince Tadashi or someone to fix you something.”</p>
<p>Hinata allowed Tobio to seize his hand and half-drag him out of the room. There was still a small amount of anxiety within him at the idea of talking to the others but for now, he was going to focus on what was immediately important, eating.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0083"><h2>83. A New Era</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>LXXXIII</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>A New Era</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It had been a strange day by all accounts. No-one was going to argue it would take time to get used to not having to be forever looking over their shoulders. It would’ve been a tough ask of anyone to snap back to exactly how they were before all this madness began, but for a few of them, things were never really going to be the same.</p>
<p>They had seen things, heard things, <em>felt </em>things that many others had no concept of. This had been Akaashi’s reality for years, as it had been many other mage’s reality. He had grown used to the invasive thoughts and creeping memories, the sensation of always having something <em>else</em> in the recesses of his mind.</p>
<p>Shirabu was not used to that sensation, and whilst he had no regrets about what he did, the effects of forcing himself into the middle of the storm that had been swirling in that throne room were starting to show. Whilst it was Akaashi who asked to talk to him, Shirabu had many questions for the other.</p>
<p>They waited until after everyone had eaten supper, the euphoria of victory had carried many though the day but exhaustion was still prominent in many, both physical and emotional. Akaashi had brushed off many questions about how he was feeling, he simply wanted to clear the air with the others and get out of Hinode as quickly as possible. Shirabu felt his apprehension around talking about his thoughts even before they stood alone at the window of the parlour. Outside the city was slowing down, the sun had long set and the traders long packed up. It was quiet as Akaashi kept his gaze on the view and not Shirabu.</p>
<p>“Y’know, Tooru is probably gonna want to get back soon.” Shirabu broke the silence between them as he disregarded the view of the window and watched for Akaashi’s reaction. “I’d give it like…two days at most before he starts getting antsy.”</p>
<p>Akaashi hummed, wincing slightly as he let out a heavy sigh. “Yeah, same here.”</p>
<p>“You wanna get back to Kēpu yōsai?”</p>
<p>Akaashi shook his head. “No, further west. I just…” another heavy sigh, “I want to be away for a while.”</p>
<p>“I get that.”</p>
<p>There was a pause as Akaashi considered what to say next. It seemed silly that he was so caught up on wording after everything. It was like saying it aloud acknowledged how perilous the situation had been.</p>
<p>“Kenjirou.” He kept his gaze on the window. “I’m not sure how much you saw—”</p>
<p>Shirabu snorted, cutting Akaashi off. “A lot.” He uttered. “A lot of fucked up shit.”</p>
<p>“I’m sorry.”</p>
<p>“What the hell are you apologising for?”</p>
<p>Akaashi didn’t want to say it, he couldn’t even bring himself to look at the other. “For giving up like I did and making Hinata resort to dragging you into it.”</p>
<p>“Hey.” Shirabu harshly jabbed him in the side, Akaashi winced but it succeeded in making him finally meet Shirabu’s gaze. The no-nonsense scowl that the court mage used to be renowned for was back. “Cut that shit out, <em>now</em>.”</p>
<p>Akaashi rubbed his side where Shirabu had jabbed him. “It’s true though—”</p>
<p>“And <em>I</em><em>’m</em> saying that I could’ve said no.” Shirabu replied curtly. “And you know why I didn’t? Because your damn Brotherhood always goes on about working together to overcome the odds, to do whatever you can for each other, and so when Hinata started pleading for help I did what any of the others would’ve done if they were in my position.”</p>
<p>There was a flicker of a smile on Akaashi’s face as he returned to looking out the window. “…sounds weird coming from you, Mr ‘leave me out of your shenanigans’.”</p>
<p>Shirabu snorted. “Yeah well…” he shrugged. “Maybe you lunatics have grown on me.”</p>
<p>“Considering what I’ve been hearing about you and the others, not surprised.”</p>
<p>Shirabu didn’t rise to the remark, he had already figured news would’ve travelled quickly about sleeping arrangements and whatnot. That was not his concern right now. “Answer me this,”</p>
<p>Akaashi nodded slightly, waiting for the question.</p>
<p>“With all these…things you’ve seen,” he gestured towards his head, “that now I’m aware of, how do you stop yourself going crazy with them?”</p>
<p>Akaashi quirked an eyebrow. “I’d say for someone like you, someone not a natural empath mage, it might be possible to…do something about them. Transfer them to a vessel of sorts, a runestone or something equally…” He trailed off. “Or you can make peace with them.”</p>
<p>Shirabu nodded. “So, how come you never did anything of the sort?”</p>
<p>Caught out, Akaashi met his gaze. “I see.”</p>
<p>Shirabu gave him a somewhat smug smile. “That’s not an answer.”</p>
<p>“I didn’t let go of them because I thought they’d help me fend off Akiteru. And they did…for a time.”</p>
<p>“And what about now?”</p>
<p>Akaashi shook his head. He hadn’t thought much about ‘afterwards’. He had agreed to go and visit his home but on the magic side of things, he hadn’t thought into it at all. Part of him wanted to ignore it, to let the memories and emotions bubble away and dealt with at a later time. The more rational side of him knew that wasn’t going to end well at all.</p>
<p>“I guess I was going to ignore it.” He confessed, not appreciating the smug smile. “Why?”</p>
<p>Shirabu threw his hands in the air in mild frustration. “I mean, I literally pulled you back from the brink of unhinging dude, so I guess to answer your ‘why’, it would be because I don’t want you to get overwhelmed after everything I put myself through, after everything Hinata, Kiyoko and Lev did.”</p>
<p>“Hm.”</p>
<p>Shirabu sensed that he had gotten as far as he would on this matter. “Alright, so you say I can unload all of this shit into something like a runestone? That shouldn’t be too hard to achieve.” He shrugged. “Unless you have anything else you wanna talk about, I’m gonna go hit the hay.”</p>
<p>Akaashi shook his head. “Sleep well.”</p>
<p>“I’ll try, you too.”</p>
<p>Akaashi watched him leave the parlour, hearing the door click shut and leaving him entirely alone. Shirabu’s sentiment was a sound one, now that there was no threat, there was really no reason to hang on to the memories from before. The trauma that the others had lived through served no purpose to him now. Though as easy as it sounded to make peace with the flashing images and gut-churning feelings, there were some memories that were more stubborn.</p>
<p>Hinata had promised they weren’t in danger, but the curiosity was gnawing at him. The memory of Kuroo’s death seemed so real, like he had lived it before. It didn’t make any sense to him. He needed Hinata to explain what the hell it was, what sorcery was at play because Kuroo was <em>very much alive</em>.</p>
<p>He figured that until he knew what that was all about, he couldn’t be at peace. As he glanced down at his hands, the cuts and gashes that were still healing had a faint ripple of purple light pass over them. As much as going home would be nice, he couldn’t go home in this state. He needed that explanation sooner rather than later.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>As relieved as he was about the new treaty, Tooru still had unfinished business. As soon as breakfast was cleared, he made his intentions known to both Daichi and Tobio; he was going to talk to the twins about what happens next. As much as he respected Yachi taking back control of her empire, he wanted to get Atsumu and Osamu’s thoughts. He half expected Tobio to want to tag along, but the other declined on the grounds he wished to spend some time organising their departure. Daichi didn’t voice any desire to accompany Tooru, stating he too needed to prepare for the return to the south and figure out whether they were taking more people back than they arrived with.</p>
<p>Tooru could understand both reasons, he asked Yamamoto to remain and assist in any way he could whilst Iwaizumi naturally accompanied him across the city. It was a pleasant walk by all accounts, the sun was shining, the birds singing, the early market trading had already begun. Given his usual kingly attire, many gave him and Iwaizumi a wide berth as they traversed the city. He caught glimpses of the burnt-out palace, and faintly wondered how Yachi was even going to begin rebuilding it.</p>
<p>Reaching the door of the Miya family manor, Iwaizumi knocked for him. Aone answered and gave them both a courteous nod in greeting before allowing them in. The parlour had returned to order after the chaotic events of the recent night, Osamu was already sat by the unlit fire frowning in thought at a letter. Once he noticed Tooru and Iwaizumi, he invited them to sit.</p>
<p>“Atsumu is with Yachi.” He explained. “We take it in turns to sit in on meetings and other business.”</p>
<p>Tooru raised an eyebrow as a serving boy offered him some tea. He took the beverage offered with a smile and quiet thanks before returning his attention to Osamu. “Ah, you were both quick to move into Akiteru’s position.”</p>
<p>Osamu shrugged. “She asked us to.” He folded the letter up and rested it across his lap. “Has she told you her plan to reinstate a Grand Council?”</p>
<p>Tooru sipped his tea. “No.”</p>
<p>“Ah, well, she thinks that it’ll do the realm some good to have a council of representatives again, this time from kingdoms and territories outside of the empire invited to have a seat at the table.”</p>
<p>“I see.” Another sip of tea as Tooru didn’t show his displeasure at the idea of having to attend more noble meetings.</p>
<p>“Of course, who the kingdoms send is up to them,” Osamu continued, “you kings could represent yourselves or you could send a noble in your steed.”</p>
<p>Tooru would definitely go with the latter, though he knew Tobio had no nobles to speak of, then again that wasn’t his problem.</p>
<p>“And what exactly would this council do?”</p>
<p>Osamu shrugged. “The previous Grand Council made sure conflicts between kingdoms were quashed before fighting broke out. They also tried to keep trade balanced and stuck up for the smaller, less powerful members.”</p>
<p>“And remind me what happened to this council?” Tooru took another sip.</p>
<p>“Most died of old age, a few were…disposed of by unhappy mercenaries.”</p>
<p>“Ah, of course.”</p>
<p>“But that council was from a previous era, an attempt by a power-hungry empire to keep a choke-hold on the continent.”</p>
<p>Tooru set his now empty cup down, leaning back and pressing his fingertips together. “And what makes this iteration so different?”</p>
<p>Osamu sat a little straighter. “We believe this is a new era, one of looking at what we already have and improving it before trying to expand further. Therefore this iteration would be more focused on inter-realm relations. Kingdoms talking to one another, trade routes that benefit everyone and not just nobility.”</p>
<p>“We being, you and Atsumu.” Tooru corrected. “No offence, but I don’t exactly trust any of you lot right now.” He continued pressing his fingertips together. “Until I see some evidence that Yachi intends to keep within her own borders, I won’t believe it whole-heartedly.”</p>
<p>Osamu raised an eyebrow. “What if I shared with you the identity of the person Yachi intends to put at the wheel of this ship?”</p>
<p>That had Tooru’s attention. “Hm? You know who she wants?”</p>
<p>Osamu nodded. “It’s merely a matter of what conditions are laid down, concessions are on the table should they be needed. I can’t imagine they’ll agree immediately, there’ll be a lot of talking before—”</p>
<p>“Spill.” Tooru sat forward. “Who does she want?”</p>
<p>Osamu smiled, like he had been waiting for this change of demeanour. “I’ll tell you, but I have a favour to ask of you.”</p>
<p>Tooru rolled his eyes, glancing at Iwaizumi as if to say ‘of course’. “Right, what is it?”</p>
<p>Osamu offered the folded-up letter to Tooru. “Take this to House Kyoutani for us.”</p>
<p>“Us as in—”</p>
<p>“My brother and I.”</p>
<p>“Okay, what’s the deal—”</p>
<p>“We wish to extend an offer of friendship and acknowledge that he is the one maintaining the peace with the Northern territories.”</p>
<p>Tooru snorted. “You do realise he’s <em>my noble</em>.”</p>
<p>“Yes, but he’s residing outside your border, correct? He’s the one who has taken up residence in the wilderness and is making sure conflict is kept to a minimum?”</p>
<p>“Hmpf.” Tooru scanned the letter and it really was just a short acknowledgement that Kyoutani and his dragon were protecting the border of House Oikawa’s lands from the Northern Territories and in turn, the north from House Oikawa. There was no underhand political agenda it seemed. “He is, but still, I’d appreciate it if you treated him as one of mine and went through my palace in future.”</p>
<p>Osamu smirked slightly. “Of course. My mistake. Truthfully we want little to do with him but we wanted to at least make contact just in case—”</p>
<p>“<em>I</em><em>’ll </em>talk to him on my way back.” Tooru cut in. “No doubt he’ll be thrilled to see me.”</p>
<p>Iwaizumi could already envisage that meeting playing out. Kyoutani was going to probably shrug it all off and ask if there was any other reason Tooru was dropping in on him.</p>
<p>“So, now with that squared away.” Tooru slipped the letter into a pocket. “Who is this candidate for the council?”</p>
<p>Osamu nodded. “Of course, but can I request you don’t mention it to anyone? We shouldn’t interfere with proceedings, but I know you’re…how do you put it, a slut for gossip?”</p>
<p>Tooru laughed. “Don’t act like you and Atsumu aren’t that dissimilar to me.”</p>
<p>“Quite.” Osamu chuckled. “Anyway, I’ll satisfy your curiosity…”</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>The second dawn wasn’t as bad as the first. She could at least move without feeling waves of intense pain ripped up her back. She still ached all over, but the dizziness and exhaustion had faded. Not that it seemed to matter as Suga insisted that she wait for Shirabu and Kenma to give her a full check over before she got more than five steps away from the bed unassisted.</p>
<p>It was weird to be the one on the receiving end of Suga’s motherly concern. She didn’t mind it though, it was nice to be fussed over. Kenma was less ‘motherly’ in his actions, more calculated and concerned about lasting damage. He voiced his concern about the idea of her riding on horseback on the way home, at least for long periods of time but aside from that, he seemed content that she was making a good recovery.</p>
<p>Shirabu was less formal about it all. He sat on the edge of the bed and took her hand in his. He seemed to barely take more than a minute before he nodded in approval.</p>
<p>“You’re basically just really sore.” He shrugged, letting go of her hand. “Like I fixed all the…bad stuff on the night it happened.”</p>
<p>“Are you powers that good?” Suga seemed genuinely surprised.</p>
<p>“Well I was hooked up to some crazy energy pool called ‘Lev the lion’ at the time so yeah, they are.”</p>
<p>“Is Lev okay?” Kiyoko asked. “I haven’t seen him since that night.”</p>
<p>“Oh he’s fine.” Shirabu chuckled. “He’s no longer a lion though, he’s a cat. From what I gather, he ‘gave up’ his lion powers to save you. I dunno how it works, it’s all way above my position as a court mage. That’s all Hinata-level nonsense.”</p>
<p>Kiyoko’s eyes widened, but she didn’t seem completely surprised, more curious. “Did, was he that injured?”</p>
<p>Shirabu hummed noncommittally. “He was cut up a bit, but he seems fine now.”</p>
<p>She nodded, looking to Suga. “Can we go downstairs? I feel like I need to see the others properly.”</p>
<p>“’Course.” Suga offered her his hand as Shirabu quickly moved out of the way and set off ahead of them. Kiyoko winced every now and then as she changed clothes, the bruises littered her body but most of them were quickly covered by clothing. She flashed Suga a warm smile as she met his gaze.</p>
<p>She wasn’t sure how this was going to go, she had been visited by a few of them in the past day but seeing them all together would be a different feeling. Suga linked his fingers with hers as they made their way downstairs. The parlour was busy that day, two games of cards were in progress but both were quickly abandoned as they entered the room.</p>
<p>“Kiyoko!” Nishinoya shot up from where he was sat, he bounded over, catching himself before he barrelled into her. Suga let go of her hand to allow her to hug Nishinoya. Tanaka was quick to follow suit. Careful hugs were exchanged between her and various members of the Brotherhood, no-one wanted to squeeze her too hard for fear of aggravating her injuries.</p>
<p>Suga found himself smiling as Daichi nudged his side. “You doing okay?”</p>
<p>“Hm, yeah.” He replied.</p>
<p>Daichi raised an eyebrow as he followed Suga’s gaze. Kiyoko was being given a very over the top account of the drama in the ballroom by Nishinoya as Tanaka kept cutting into elaborate on how ‘crazy’ it had been in the moment. Others watched on in amusement, the card games completely abandoned.</p>
<p>“So, a little bird told me you might be considering taking her back to meet your parents.” Daichi remarked.</p>
<p>Suga’s cheeks flushed red. “Uh, what? Who…what bird?”</p>
<p>Daichi laughed. “I’m joking, no-one told me anything.” He smirked. “But your reaction said it all hm? You <em>are</em> thinking about it.”</p>
<p>Suga playfully punched his arm. “You’re hilarious Dai.”</p>
<p>“You’re not denying it.” Daichi didn’t react to the soft punch. “So?”</p>
<p>Suga shrugged, casting his gaze back over the scene of the parlour alive with excitable conversation. “Maybe. I dunno. I’d wanna send a letter first…ma would kill me if I showed up with…a lady unannounced.</p>
<p>Daichi didn’t miss how Suga’s cheeks were still a rosy colour. “Well, better get writing because I won’t be waiting long to dismiss everyone for a short while.”</p>
<p>“Hm.” Suga nodded. “A short while yeah?”</p>
<p>Daichi placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “A short while, yes. I promise.” He squeezed Suga’s shoulder. “Do you really think I can keep these lunatics apart permanently even if I tried?”</p>
<p>They shared a laugh. Suga felt a sense of calm wash over him. Things were good. Everyone was fine, no-one was gravely injured. There were some mental and emotional wounds still healing but for the most part, they were on their way to being back to full strength.</p>
<p>“Hey Daichi,” he murmured, “reckon you can do me a favour before we leave Hinode?”</p>
<p>Daichi nodded. “Sure, what is it?”</p>
<p>“I need you to acquire something, <em>covertly</em>.”</p>
<p>Daichi chuckled. “Ooh? I’m sure I can manage that.”</p>
<p>Suga smiled. “Good. I’m trusting you here.”</p>
<p>“I’m guessing this ‘thing’ is a gift?”</p>
<p>Suga raised his eyebrows, glancing over at the others briefly. “Of sorts, yeah.”</p>
<p>“Say no more. I got it.” Daichi winked at him.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0084"><h2>84. A Proposition</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>LXXXIV</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>A Proposition</strong>
</p>
<p>With the new treaty in effect, Tobio didn’t feel the need to stick around much longer. Once Tooru had told him that the twins were now taking over the position Akiteru held, he figured his work was done. Of course he knew Yachi wanted to meet the Brotherhood but that didn’t mean he had to sit around doing nothing. He was already thinking about what his first order of business back home would be and wondering what the plucky young steward he left in charge had done in his absence. Evidently, nothing dramatic had happened, but that didn’t mean he’d be walking into a calm atmosphere.</p>
<p>Yamaguchi was all too happy to talk these things through as they slowly packed up their belongings with the intention to leave within two days. Tobio honestly wished he could stay in Hinode a little longer but he needed to get back, this had already taken way longer than he wished. Hinata had fessed up that he had ‘misplaced’ the House Kageyama jacket, and the new circlet, and his solitary runestone. Well, misplaced as in he gave it to Kei in a moment of madness and the other had yet to turn up.</p>
<p>Tobio knew Kei wouldn’t be so dumb as to <em>not </em>return them, but it did mean they were somewhat stuck until he turned up. He didn’t mind per se, but it was another delay he didn't really want.</p>
<p>They passed the time in the parlour with some of the Brotherhood, specifically Kunimi, Tanaka and Bokuto. Hinata was still jumpy and easily spooked by anyone raising their voice, but he forced a smile through his trembling. The others seemed to understand without being told, there was a significant drop in volume overall anyway. It seemed that after so many weeks of loud, chaotic scenes, they all wanted some peace and quiet.</p>
<p>A heavy knocking at the front door startled Hinata. Kunimi sighed loudly as he was deemed the closest to the door and therefore the one who should answer. As the door swung open, he took a hesitant step back before nodding and allowing the visitors to enter.</p>
<p>Ushijima was first in followed by two armed guards before Yachi stepped into the foyer. Kunimi looked to Tobio for help but got no further than that before Ushijima spoke.</p>
<p>“Summon the Brotherhood, her Imperial Majesty wishes to speak with all of you.”</p>
<p>Kunimi glanced to Yachi before nodding and setting off around the manor. Hinata impulsively reached for Tobio’s hand as Ushijima invited Yachi into the parlour and gestured to the vacant bench beside the unlit hearth. Tobio smiled in greeting as the two-armed guards took up their post at the doorway. Ushijima was more formal than usual but Tobio figured it was down to his apparent promotion. As the rest of the Brotherhood began to trickle into the parlour, many surprised glances were exchanged between those who hadn’t had the pleasure at officially meeting the empress. Those who had met her already were less daunted but still surprised. Lev had been carried in by Yaku but Yachi didn’t seem to register that he was <em>the</em> Lev given he was a cat now.</p>
<p>It wasn’t until Kunimi managed to herd Akaashi and Kuroo in that Yachi seemed ready to explain her presence in their parlour relatively unannounced. Now with the entire Brotherhood, and the addition that was Tobio, gathered, Yachi spoke for the first time.</p>
<p>“I apologise for not sending word, I didn’t want to spook the nobles too much.” She bowed her head to Daichi. “But I did say I wanted to meet your Brotherhood.”</p>
<p>Daichi rubbed the back of his neck as he got several glances that practically screamed ‘you could’ve mentioned this y’know’. “Aha, yes, sorry for not telling them of your request properly. It’s been hectic.”</p>
<p>She giggled. “I can imagine, it’s not a problem.” She glanced around the group. “Do you mind if you introduce them to me? I’d like to know the names of those I’m thanking and what part they played in the other night’s events.”</p>
<p>Daichi was caught off guard but nodded, quickly stepping forth. “I, uh okay,” he turned around trying to pinpoint where to start, “well, let’s start with the mages…who you’ve probably already met already.”</p>
<p>Yachi smiled and nodded encouragingly. “Please, tell me all your names again, I…it was a hectic night so my memory is hazy.”</p>
<p>Daichi nodded, gesturing to Nishinoya. “Well, they’re more than simple mages let me tell you that. Nishinoya is our self-proclaimed thunder-mage. He can summon storms and—”</p>
<p>“And tell a good story.” Nishinoya interrupted, stepping forth and doing an unnecessarily dramatic bow.</p>
<p>“Ah yes! I remember you and Ryuunosuke telling me stories now.” Yachi nodded enthusiastically. “And you summon storms?”</p>
<p>Nishinoya puffed out his chest. “Heck yeah!”</p>
<p>Daichi cleared his throat. “And Kenma would always maintain he’s—”</p>
<p>“An alchemist first, mage second.” Kenma finished with a coy smile as he stepped forward and simply bowed. “I’m glad to have been of service.”</p>
<p>Yachi returned the gesture with a short nod. “I’m forever grateful for your help.”</p>
<p>Daichi was quick to move on. “And well, then we have the rest of the…crowd.” He stopped himself calling them lunatics in front of such esteemed company, not that it would’ve mattered no doubt. He gestured for Bokuto to step forward. “Bokuto, are resident blacksmith and muscle-man.”</p>
<p>Bokuto took that as permission to flex his biceps, getting a reception of playful scoffs and jeers from the others whilst Yachi merely giggled endearingly at the comedic show. Daichi moved onto Tanaka who had already been recognised by Yachi, he too decided to flex almost as if to compete with Bokuto. As the jeers and scoffs died down, Daichi continued around the room.</p>
<p>“Uh, then we have our more…elusive individuals.” He wryly smiled. “Also known as the two who broke Hinata out of your dungeon.” Yachi raised her eyebrows as Kunimi snorted and shared a glance with Yaku. “Kunimi was actually one of Tooru’s former palace servants before he joined us, he’s pretty lethal.”</p>
<p>Kunimi snorted again, rolling his eyes. “Pft, I killed a mad mage once and they won’t let me forget it.” He shrugged, not making a show of anything as he nodded to Yachi in greeting. “Also your dungeon is ridiculously easy to break into.”</p>
<p>Daichi shook his head in mild dismay as Yachi seemed unsure how to take Kunimi’s comment. “And Yaku hails from Kitamine, as does Lev, the cat.”</p>
<p>“Cat?” Yachi tilted her head. “I swear—”</p>
<p>“Yeah he’s a cat now.” Yaku sighed. “A dumb, over-enthusiastic cat.” He tried to keep Lev from wriggling out of his hold. “I can’t explain it but we’re just leaving it at ‘magic was involved’.”</p>
<p>Yachi nodded slowly, still smiling. “Well, it should be noted that both of you are pardoned in regard to breaking into the dungeon. I suppose Wakatoshi here will be able to take any critiques of its security from you…”</p>
<p>Ushijima nodded, prompting Daichi to continue. “And then we have Kindaichi, another former Blue Palace worker, he was keeping our horses secure.”</p>
<p>“I uh, also alerted the guards to the fire on the roof quickly spreading.” Kindaichi added. “I saw the flames before any of them did apparently.”</p>
<p>“Ah!” Yachi nodded. “Well, your alert no doubt got them to rally just in time. So thank you for that.”</p>
<p>Daichi continued. “And you’ve already met Suga and Kiyoko, but—”</p>
<p>“I have indeed, I’ve heard many tales from Kiyoko about your Brotherhood.” Yachi smiled knowingly as she glanced between the two of them. “And I feel like I’m repeating myself, but I’m grateful for your efforts, Kiyoko. I don’t know where I’d be without you.”</p>
<p>“Honestly, same.” Suga remarked, getting a nudge in the ribs from Kiyoko for his smart-ass comment. The gesture got a few poorly muffled chuckles from the others before Kiyoko smiled and half-bowed to Yachi.</p>
<p>“It was nothing, really.” She smiled.</p>
<p>“I don’t call being thrown against a wall several times, ‘nothing’.” Tanaka remarked.</p>
<p>Kiyoko made it a point to ignore him. Yachi giggled but chose not to add any remarks of her own on that matter. “Even so, again, thank-you.”</p>
<p>Daichi was happy he was starting to run out of people to introduce. “And uh, well whilst not in the palace itself, both Moniwa and Semi played their part in the preparations.”</p>
<p>Moniwa gave a small wave before Daichi decided to expand on his point. “Moniwa’s actually been keeping a written record of everything we’ve encountered. If we have time, we’ll be sure to make a copy for your archives.”</p>
<p>Yachi’s eyes widened. “A written record? Of everything? Including Akiteru’s—”</p>
<p>“Everything the Brotherhood has uncovered, including Akiteru’s crimes, yes.” Daichi nodded. “And Semi was a key instigator in making Akiteru reveal himself for the traitor he was.”</p>
<p>Semi appreciated Daichi leaving out his former allegiance, he gave Yachi a short nod but remained silent. Daichi didn’t press him to say anything, moving right along to the last two he needed to properly introduce.</p>
<p>“And so we finally come to this dumbass.” He remarked, slapping Kuroo’s shoulder in a playful manner. “This is Kuroo, the sort-of mastermind behind many of our endeavours.”</p>
<p>“I don’t know if I should be offended or not.” Kuroo wryly replied. “You insulted me then sort of complimented me? What sort of mixed messages are you sending our beloved empress?”</p>
<p>Yachi took the cue from the others to laugh at the display. Kuroo shrugged off the act and bowed. “A pleasure, your imperial majesty. I must confess, we have met already.”</p>
<p>“We have?”</p>
<p>“At the ball to welcome Tobio.” Kuroo smiled. “The Greatest Guild ring any bells?”</p>
<p>Realisation dawned on Yachi, she covered her mouth with her hand as she glanced around the group and seemed to put two and two together. “Oh my, I didn’t—”</p>
<p>“You weren’t meant to realise.” Kuroo chuckled. “We’re very good at what we do.”</p>
<p>“If that’s a new way of saying you’re good at playing the fool, then yes.” Yaku remarked.</p>
<p>Kuroo pouted at Yaku’s remark but shrugged it off. “I’ll have you know Morisuke, I’m the one who just got called a mastermind.”</p>
<p>“Pretty sure Daichi said ‘sort of’.” Kunimi piped up.</p>
<p>Daichi sighed heavily. “Alright, pipe down.” He clapped his hands and gently shoved Kuroo to fall back in line. He smiled at Akaashi and tried to think how to possibly introduce him. “Uh, well, this is Akaashi, whom I imagine you’ve heard about already.”</p>
<p>Akaashi met Yachi’s gaze and smiled. “I uh, yeah.”</p>
<p>Yachi didn’t say anything at first, merely returning the smile. “I don’t think there’s anything I could say that wouldn’t sound like straight out of a bard song, except maybe just, thank-you. Thank you for what you did.”</p>
<p>Akaashi shook his head. “I’m not the only one who deserves that thanks, really. I just, I held his attention long enough.” He gestured to Hinata and then to Kiyoko. “They both deserve just as much gratitude as I do. And Shirabu as well.”</p>
<p>Yachi looked to Daichi. “Shirabu?”</p>
<p>“Ah, he’s Tooru’s court mage, but he’s not really part of the—”</p>
<p>“I want to meet him. If he had a part to play, I want to thank him.”</p>
<p>Daichi exchanged a glance with Semi. “Uh, you know where he is?”</p>
<p>Semi nodded. “Out. He went with Ukai and Goshiki…somewhere.”</p>
<p>Daichi understood. “Ah, well when they return I can—”</p>
<p>“I’ll wait.” Yachi smiled. “I just, I want to make sure I thank everyone personally, no matter how big or small a part they played in all of this.”</p>
<p>“You’ll be waiting a few hours then.” Semi said. “Kenjirou said they’d be busy for a while.”</p>
<p>Curiosity mounted in the room at both Semi’s remark and the use of Shirabu’s first name. Yachi seemed fine with the idea though, turning her attention back to Akaashi. She stood up from the bench and stepped closer to him.</p>
<p>“I mean it Akaashi, I can’t thank you, or the others, enough for rescuing me from his clutches. It would’ve been easy to slit his throat and be done with it but you took him on at his own game.” She offered her hands to him, he cautiously took them, she immediately squeezed his hands. “What you did was brave, and you deserve to be recognised for that as much as anyone else.” She glanced at Kiyoko and then to Hinata. “I want to give the three of you a token of my gratitude, if only for it to be a fanciful trinket on the mantelpiece of wherever you call home.”</p>
<p>Akaashi kept hold of one of her hands as Ushijima stepped forth and reached within the folds of his jacket. He produced a leather pouch and offered it to Yachi. With her free hand, she reached in and pulled out three thin leather cords, each had a golden medallion attached, not too dissimilar to the ones the guards carried. Engraved on the medallion was the image of an eagle along with the phrase; <em>‘United As One, The Light in the Darkness.’. </em>She let go of Akaashi’s hand only to immediately hand him one of them.</p>
<p>“A token, as I said, of not just my gratitude but the entire empire’s.” She said, offering another to Kiyoko and then the last to Hinata. “Typically these would say the empire’s motto, but I thought this was a more fitting phrase.”</p>
<p>Hinata ran his fingertips over the engraved words. As he glanced back up, he caught Yachi’s gaze and panicked. “I, uh, uhm, thank-you very much!” He hastily bowed.</p>
<p>Tobio had to stop himself laughing at Hinata’s skittish nature. Yachi giggled. “Shoyo, I’m the one thanking <em>you</em>.” She set a hand on his shoulder. “You don’t need to bow to me.”</p>
<p>Hinata hesitantly straightened his posture and gave her a more relaxed smile that was only partly forced. She mirrored the smile back at him. He remained stood cradling the medallion until Tobio appeared next to him and gently coaxed him to close his fingers around it. Hinata let out a small sigh as Tobio kissed his forehead.</p>
<p>Yachi turned her attention back to Yaku who was still holding Lev in his arms. “So you say that the lion that accompanied me is now that cat in your arms?”</p>
<p>Yaku chuckled. “Yeah, yeah. Uh, it’s a long story but…he was a lion for a time.”</p>
<p>“I see…well, usually we don’t give out honours to animals but, well, there’s always a first.” She slowly walked over and extended a hand to pet Lev. “I can’t really knight him, but I can give him a fanciful title.” She giggled.</p>
<p>Yaku could already imagine Lev’s overjoyed remarks, but thankfully the idiot kept quiet as Yachi continued to pet him. “Yeah? What do you have in mind?”</p>
<p>“How about, Ally of The Empress?” She suggested, still smiling as Lev meowed loudly in agreement, prompting a round of laughter from the others in the room.</p>
<p>“Sounds fitting.” Yaku agreed. “Lev, the Ally of The Empress.”</p>
<p>Before any further conversation could continue, another knock at the door disturbed them. Daichi strode over and opened it, exchanging a few words with the new visitor before allowing them in. Hinata met Kei’s gaze for a split second before noticing the bundle of cloth tied with string in his hands.</p>
<p>“Ah, I uh, just came to return your stuff.” Kei murmured, casting his gaze around the parlour as he realised he interrupted something. “Uhm.” He met Yachi’s gaze and nodded. “Your imperial majesty.”</p>
<p>“Kei Tsukishima.” She greeted with a small smile. “Do come in, I was just thanking the Brotherhood on their efforts to apprehend your brother.”</p>
<p>Kei nodded, stepping through the doorway, and offering the bundle of cloth to Hinata. “I kept it safe, I tried to get the soot off the circlet but…yeah.”</p>
<p>Hinata accepted the bundle and pulled the string loose. Wrapped up within the bolt of cloth was the jacket of Yukio, the circlet and even his single runestone. The things he had entrusted to Kei in the middle of the madness that was the palace fire. The jacket was in dire need of a scrub to return to its full colour, the circlet needed polishing and the runestone looked as shabby as it always did but they were all intact. He smiled at Kei and nodded.</p>
<p>“Thanks for doing that.”</p>
<p>Kei shrugged. “It was the least I could do, you were putting yourself in danger to stop my dumbass brother.” He straightened his posture and turned to address Yachi directly. “I assume Tooru taking him?”</p>
<p>Yachi nodded. “As agreed yes. And you’re going with Tobio.”</p>
<p>“Then what happens to the manor?” Kei didn’t seem fazed at talking plainly to Yachi, maybe it was due to the fact he wasn’t going to be hanging around much longer.</p>
<p>Yachi shrugged. “It technically belongs to your father. However, if you have a suggested use I’d love to hear it.”</p>
<p>Kei was quiet for a few moments, casting his gaze around the parlour once more before meeting Daichi’s gaze. “Are you taking Goshiki back with you?”</p>
<p>Daichi shook his head. “I think the idea is for him to stay here with Ennoshita and Ukai. They’re of course all welcome down south, but we thought it would be better for him to stay in familiar territory for now.”</p>
<p>Kei nodded sharply, turning his attention back to Yachi. “Then if it’s alright with you, I’ll take whatever I need from the house and label any heirlooms to go back east, then you can hand over the manor and its contents to Goshiki and Ennoshita.” He didn’t miss a beat even as the Brotherhood and Yachi both reacted with varying degrees of surprise. “My brother committed atrocities against other mages, I think it’s fit that the manor is handed over as some attempt at compensation. If my father argues, send Tobio a letter and I’ll handle it.”</p>
<p>Yachi considered the offer for a few moments, twiddling her thumbs. “Very well. I’ll have something drafted up before you leave. Take whatever you need, and whatever Tobio permits you to have, and the rest will be left to those you mentioned.”</p>
<p>Kei nodded again, turning to leave before Tobio grabbed his arm and made him halt. Tobio stepped close enough to lower his voice so only Kei heard him.</p>
<p>“As long as it can be carried by one horse, take as much as you wish.” He told Kei. “As much as you’re in debt to me, you’re not a prisoner.” He said. “I know how it feels to walk away from your home with nothing to cherish, don’t leave keepsakes behind if you’d rather bring them with you.”</p>
<p>“…understood.” Kei murmured, daring to meet Tobio’s gaze. “Thank-you.”</p>
<p>Tobio released him. Kei nodded in parting to everyone before making his hasty exit.</p>
<p>There was a beat of silence before Tobio sighed and offered Hinata a smile. “Well, I guess there’s nothing stopping us going home tomorrow.”</p>
<p>Hinata glanced at Daichi who nodded in agreement. “I mean, yeah? I guess?”</p>
<p>Yachi rose from the bench and cleared her throat. “Then may I request that we have a meal together tonight? All of you, plus the royal entourages and your friends here in Hinode.”</p>
<p>“Hell yeah free food.” Bokuto remarked immediately, getting a laugh from the room.</p>
<p>“It would be an <em>honour</em>.” Daichi said, directing a half-hearted glare at Bokuto. “Here or?”</p>
<p>“I’ll send Wakatoshi to collect you all.” Yachi smiled. “And in the meantime, do you mind if I wait around for Shirabu to return?”</p>
<p>Semi found himself being looked to for an answer. He shrugged. “I mean, I dunno how long they’ll be but I guess he won’t mind talking to you?”</p>
<p>Yachi nodded. “Splendid.”</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>With the conversation with Hinata fresh in his mind still, Ukai wanted to get some other thoughts. Goshiki agreed to come with him to see the old district for the first time since everything went down. Shirabu was an unexpected but welcome tag along. Hinode felt lighter, as much as there was a certain amount of mild confusion in the general public, word of Yachi’s more confident handle on things seemed to spread. Gone were the rumblings of coups and rebellions, replaced now with gossiping about Akiteru’s fate and the true extent of his actions. The nobles had kept quiet for the most part, a veiled threat from the Miya family had ensured calm for now it seemed whilst the dust settled.</p>
<p>Ukai figured questions would rise soon about what happened to the old district, and more importantly, what was going to happen now. After all, the Brotherhood had been asked to find out what had happened so that the matter could be put to bed. Answers had been found, so rebuilding could begin finally.</p>
<p>“Hinata reckons I should put myself forward as some sort of ambassador.” Ukai chuckled as the three of them stood at the front gate of the academy. “I think he’s worried it’ll become a pissing contest between nobles.”</p>
<p>Shirabu snorted. “If they’re anything like Tooru’s, it will be.” He kicked a rock as he walked through the gates, watching it clatter along the path and into the overgrown grass. “Got anything in mind?”</p>
<p>Ukai shrugged. “What do you reckon?”</p>
<p>Shirabu halted and turned back to look at them both. “Well, most of these buildings are totalled. They’d need tearing down and rebuilding.”</p>
<p>Goshiki nodded in agreement. “Some of them have collapsed after years of bad winters. I’d be surprised if many more survived this winter.”</p>
<p>“And then this place,” Shirabu gestured to the academy, “obviously a lot of the mages have moved on. You’ll have a hard time getting them back.”</p>
<p>Ukai nodded. “True, but I think…I think it’s worth a try.” He shoved his hands in his pockets and began walking towards the academy, Goshiki quickly following. “It’ll take a lot of hard work to restore it to its full glory, but I’m willing to try.”</p>
<p>Shirabu smiled, following his gaze to the building covered in ivy and crumbling in various places. “Yeah, I think it’s worth a try.”</p>
<p>Goshiki let out a pensive hum. “Question is, will the rest of Hinode agree?”</p>
<p>“Probably not.” Shirabu shrugged. “But if Yachi wants to do it, then she’ll find a way. The twins seem eager to do <em>something</em> about it. Tooru was telling me about this Lady Nametsu whose family took in the mages that escaped, said that she seemed eager to try and put it right.”</p>
<p>“Lady Nametsu.” Ukai repeated. “Hm, maybe we can lobby for her region to assist.”</p>
<p>Shirabu shrugged again. “Now you’re talking about things above my position.” He remarked with a wry smile. “That’s a conversation for you and Yachi, I’m sure.”</p>
<p>“Oh yeah, I imagine you’ll be leaving with Tooru?” Ukai met his gaze.</p>
<p>“Yep, the Blue Palace is where I’ll be.” Shirabu looked to Goshiki. “I think Daichi and the others were suggesting you remain here for now for your own sanity. The South is a very different place.”</p>
<p>Goshiki chuckled, shaking his head. “Honestly, as much as I’m grateful for what you all did, I prefer it here.” He looked at the academy. “This is where I belong.”</p>
<p>Shirabu felt a swelling of pride at the remark. As much as the Brotherhood were all-accepting and willing to take on all manner of people, sometimes it was better to leave them be. “Yeah? Well, you can always visit the lunatics if you want to. Hell, even come and spend some time in the Blue Palace if you really want.”</p>
<p>Goshiki smiled, raising an eyebrow. “Yeah? Maybe I will. It’d be nice to see somewhere outside these walls.”</p>
<p>“Consider my door always open for you.” Shirabu nodded. “Do either of you know what Ennoshita is planning on doing?”</p>
<p>Ukai shook his head. “I reckon he’ll probably make a decision tonight. He didn’t say much to me at least on the matter. He doesn’t seem enamoured with the Brotherhood, even now.”</p>
<p>Shirabu laughed. “To be honest, after everything he’s been through, I don’t fucking blame him.”</p>
<p>Goshiki and Ukai shared a laugh. It was no secret Ennoshita was still harbouring a slight animosity towards Kuroo. They found it very unlikely that he’d suddenly jump ship now. “Well,” Ukai sighed, “if he stays, he’s more than welcome to help us out.”</p>
<p>“From what Eita told me, he’s pretty good with a quill. Good with numbers too.”</p>
<p>Goshiki raised an eyebrow. “Eita?”</p>
<p>Shirabu inhaled sharply. “Semi. The…the other former serpent.”</p>
<p>Goshiki was quiet for a beat. “Didn’t realise you were close.”</p>
<p>“Shut up.” Shirabu immediately replied. “It’s not like <em>that</em>. I’m just, not good with making…friends. And neither is he. So, it’s a thing.”</p>
<p>Ukai would argue Shirabu was actually quite good at making friends if Hinata and the others were anything to go by, but he kept that thought to himself as Shirabu hastily changed the subject back to the improvements they’d be looking to make to the district. They walked around the deserted streets together, pointing out buildings that vaguely remained standing in good enough condition to not need tearing down completely. The tavern was gutted, there was no way to save it. There was also the minor issue of all the bodies still inside.</p>
<p>Goshiki was quiet as they assessed the damage, an unpleasant feeling rising up within him. Ukai gave him a concerned glance that he shook off.</p>
<p>“I think before any rebuilding happens,” Goshiki interrupted the current talk of replacing the tavern with something more open, “we should get Yachi to hold some sort of ceremony, like…belated funereal rites or something.” He mumbled. “I just…something.”</p>
<p>Ukai nodded. “I’ll be sure it’s one of the first things that happens.”</p>
<p>“Good. And I…I feel like maybe building some sort of…monument might help those who lost someone come to terms with it?”</p>
<p>Ukai reached out and placed a hand on Goshiki’s head in a reassuring manner. “We’ll make sure of it, don’t worry.”</p>
<p>Goshiki nodded, letting out a shaky sigh. “Yeah. Good.”</p>
<p>They lingered for a while, taking in the scene and reflecting on what would become of the space. Ukai decided he had done enough contemplating and voiced his desire to return to the manor. Shirabu agreed but they allowed Goshiki a few more moments to gather his thoughts. Walking back into the manor, they were immediately thrown off by Ushijima’s presence, then the armed guards in the parlour.</p>
<p>“What’s all this?” Ukai asked as Goshiki slunk back to somewhat hide himself behind Shirabu.</p>
<p>Ushijima nodded to the three of them. “Her Imperial Majesty wishes to talk to you Shirabu, but also you two.”</p>
<p>“Us?” Ukai clarified, glancing back at Goshiki. “…we’re not in trouble, right?”</p>
<p>“No.” Ushijima smiled. “Quite the opposite, please.” He beckoned for them to proceed into the parlour.</p>
<p> Ukai was relieved to see that Hinata and Akaashi were there along with Moniwa, at least they weren’t going to be alone. Goshiki visibly relaxed at seeing the familiar faces before freezing up at seeing Yachi. Shirabu was the least fazed out of the trio, far too used to being in the presence of nobility and royalty alike. He nodded in greeting to Yachi as he halted.</p>
<p>“Your imperial majesty.” He greeted. “Kenjirou Shirabu, court mage to Tooru Oikawa.”</p>
<p>Yachi’s calm smile didn’t waver as she returned the nod. “I hear from your friends in the Brotherhood that you are largely responsible for them coming to my aide.”</p>
<p>Shirabu flashed a glance at Hinata and Akaashi but refrained from handing out the sass just yet. “In a way, yes.”</p>
<p>“I also hear you were originally of Hinode.” She kept her tone light even if her gaze portrayed the slight sombreness that came with the topic being broached. “That you escaped the fate that many others met.”</p>
<p>Shirabu sharply inhaled. “I escaped some of it.” He reached up and tugged his shirt collar down enough to show the scar that never healed. “Akiteru left his mark though.”</p>
<p>She was quiet for a moment. “Yes, well—”</p>
<p>“And I was lucky.” Shirabu cut in, looking to Ukai. “Some of us weren’t.”</p>
<p>Ukai nodded, flashing a glance to Goshiki for a moment before meeting Yachi’s gaze. “Keishin Ukai, I was in your dungeon with Hinata.”</p>
<p>“Ah.” She nodded slowly. “You’re the other one that Kunimi and Yaku rescued.”</p>
<p>Ukai wryly smiled. “For what it’s worth, it was against my will but—”</p>
<p>She put up a hand. “It’s okay, from what records I could find, my aunt was pressured into a great many poor choices. I’m trying to right them as I reveal them. As such, you’re hereby pardoned and the empire will compensate you for the trouble.”</p>
<p>Ukai had expected such a deal, but he wasn’t really bothered with such things. He wasn’t guilty and he knew that. Goshiki however, that was a different story. Ukai looked to Hinata. “Does she know about Tsutomu?”</p>
<p>Hinata shook his head. “Not from me. I wanted to wait ‘til you were back before explaining.”</p>
<p>Ukai could understand that. Shirabu acted first, walking to the doors and closing them as Yachi gave them all a puzzled look. Akaashi was silent, not really wanting to be there but Hinata had asked him to be present. Moniwa likewise didn’t really want to be there but he had been talked into keeping a record of what was agreed by parties present.</p>
<p>With the doors closed, Ukai decided he’d at least start the conversation. “Your imperial majesty, how much have the Brotherhood told you about their findings of the old city district?”</p>
<p>Yachi didn’t appear thrown off by the question. “Tanaka told me that Akiteru had coerced another mage into doing it. He didn’t mention names.”</p>
<p>Goshiki felt her gaze on him before he even stepped forward, he was the only one there who hadn’t introduced himself after all. He glanced at Hinata and got a reassuring nod in return. Yachi titled her head slightly, waiting for him to say something as Ukai didn’t continue speaking.</p>
<p>“Uh, uhm, I’m…that mage.” He mumbled. “…Tsutomu Goshiki.”</p>
<p>The guards in the room exchanged a glance, hands reaching for their weapons before Yachi put up a hand to stop them. She swallowed, taking a moment to process this news. “I trust the Brotherhood,” she told her guards, “do not draw your swords.”</p>
<p>Goshiki took a hesitant step back. “I didn’t—”</p>
<p>“Tanaka told me.” Yachi repeated. “He didn’t give many details of how it happened, but I know you were…you didn’t do it willingly.”</p>
<p>Goshiki shook his head. “I didn’t.”</p>
<p>“Akiteru forced you.”</p>
<p>“He…” Goshiki inhaled sharply, summoning some bravado from somewhere. “He used his magic on me, he manipulated me. By the time I realised what was happening it was…I was….” He brought his trembling hands up. “I didn’t want to do it.” He hung his head. “I’m sorry.”</p>
<p>Yachi shook her head, folding her hands in her lap. “You don’t need to apologise.” she whispered. “I understand.”</p>
<p>Ukai placed a hand on Goshiki’s head. “If I may,” he spoke up, “I know the two situations are not exactly alike, but as Kei is going back with Tobio to try to compensate for what he did, perhaps something similar can be applied here?”</p>
<p>Yachi tilted her head. “Do you have something in mind?”</p>
<p>Ukai nodded. “Tsutomu wants to help make things right, I want to see the old district rebuilt. Perhaps the two of us can work to help that happen?”</p>
<p>“You…want to rebuild the district?”</p>
<p>“Yes.”</p>
<p>“Such a thing would need to be run by some of the nobles…” she trailed off. “But I suppose…hm.”</p>
<p>Hinata stood up unprompted, attracting her attention. “I think it’s a great idea.” He stated with a smile. “Who better to help put it back together than mages? And you said the empire wants to compensate Ukai anyway, I’d say it’s a pretty good trade-off.”</p>
<p>Both Shirabu and Akaashi exchanged a glance, they shouldn’t have been surprised at Hinata’s audacity to challenge the empress, but it was still brave. Moniwa was quickly scribbling notes on how the conversation was playing out, as the silence fell between Hinata and Yachi.</p>
<p>“I want to at least run it past Atsumu and Osamu.” She finally stated. “But I will say this,” she met Goshiki’s gaze, “I hereby pardon you on any count of murder due to Akiteru’s influence. You are innocent in my eyes, and just as much a victim of him as everyone else.”</p>
<p>Goshiki’s eyes widened. Ukai ruffled his hair. Shirabu let out a small sigh of relief as Hinata shot Goshiki a wide smile.</p>
<p>“I uh, thank-you.” Goshiki bowed deeply. “I-I don’t know what to say.”</p>
<p>Yachi stood up and closed the gap between them before setting a hand on Goshiki’s shoulder. He bolted upright and hastily wiped his damp eyes. “You don’t need to say anything,” she told him, “much like I told the others, it’s me and the empire who should thank all of you.” She glanced at both him and Shirabu, “without your help, without your bravery to share your stories of Akiteru’s abuse against you, we wouldn’t have been able to judge him guilty.” She squeezed Goshiki’s shoulder. “I know it’s probably of little consolation, but there is another matter.”</p>
<p>“Another matter?” Goshiki repeated back.</p>
<p>She nodded. “Kei has deemed it fit that the ownership of the family manor be passed to you. He said that it’s a small attempt at compensation.”</p>
<p>Goshiki was confused for a moment. A manor? A manor was being given to him? “Just…me?”</p>
<p>“Well, you and…Ennoshita?” She looked to Shirabu. “I’ve not met this Ennoshita.”</p>
<p>Shirabu snorted. “Ah, uh, he’s not really part of any…group. Akiteru held him hostage and he knows some of the Brotherhood from before. He’s certainly…well actually I don’t know if he’s—”</p>
<p>“Daichi said he’s not coming back with us.” Akaashi stated. “I think he’s staying here with Ukai and Goshiki.”</p>
<p>Shirabu nodded. That sounded more reasonable. He wondered if Ennoshita knew he had just been given a house. “I can go and find him if you want.”</p>
<p>Yachi nodded. “If you wish, sure. I should be getting back if there’s to be this feast. I can’t imagine Atsumu will be impressed at such short notice but oh well.” She giggled. “He’ll get used to it.”</p>
<p>No-one said anything but they found the idea of Atsumu getting annoyed at such trivial things amusing. Shirabu excused himself to go and see if he could find Ennoshita. The manor was a little more alive than the day before, excited conversations about what everyone was going to do upon getting home were happening in the dining room and some of the rooms on the upper floor. He found himself being directed to a closed door by Yaku. He stopped short of knocking, opting to press his ear to the door instead, catching the tail-end of a conversation.</p>
<p>“Are you sure though?” Semi sounded resigned.</p>
<p>Ennoshita didn’t reply immediately, letting the silence rest for a moment. “Yeah, yeah. Like, as much as…look Eita, you belong with them. They might have a weird way of showing it, but they do like you. I’m just, I’m not ready to get involved in a huge group again.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, they do have a weird way of showing it.” Semi snorted. “But hey, you know you can drop in anytime, right? I dunno how long this break Daichi is planning will be, but the door is always open.”</p>
<p>Another pause, Shirabu wondered if he should just knock and enter already. </p>
<p>“Gods this has been a weird few months.” Ennoshita sighed. “And now you’re saying the empress is giving me and that Goshiki kid the manor that Kei is vacating?”</p>
<p>“Hah, I mean, free house? It’s not like him or Akiteru are gonna need it.” Semi replied. “And yeah, it’s been a weird few months. But I think it’s for the better.”</p>
<p>“Y’know something Eita?”</p>
<p>“What’s that?”</p>
<p>A pause rested before Ennoshita continued. “I’m sort of glad Suguru lost…”</p>
<p>Shirabu’s eyes widened, he heard Semi clear his throat. “I’m…I won’t say him dying didn’t sting, but…well there’s been a silver lining to this storm cloud.”</p>
<p>“Silver lining eh? Is that you telling me the rumour is true?”</p>
<p>Semi hummed in curiosity. “What rumour would that be?”</p>
<p>“Something about you and the court mage of House Oikawa.”</p>
<p>Shirabu tore himself from the door, taking several steps back in mild panic. He figured he had eavesdropped long enough. Ennoshita knew about the manor and that was good enough for him. He turned on his heel and made his way back downstairs, trying to forget about this ‘rumour’ and how it possibly started.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Once Yachi departed, things calmed down once more. There was an element of excitement surrounding this feast she had in mind. Despite wanting to leave as soon as possible, Tobio wasn’t going to turn down some genuine hospitality. Tooru needed to stick around another day or so to finalise exactly where to send Akiteru, but he too was looking forward to a non-pompous, non-political evening of eating.</p>
<p>The venue of choice wasn’t a manor belonging to any noble, nor was it any official building, especially considering the palace was in no state to host any sort of event. Instead, a local business was asked to host the festivity. When Bokuto and Kuroo heard where they’d be headed that evening, they shared a smile.</p>
<p>The aroma of lavender was refreshing after the night in the palace that stank of burnt cinnamon. Even with the noble guests, the decor of the Lavender Hall was largely the same from when Bokuto, Kuroo and Daichi had visited it; bushels of the vibrant purple flowers hung around the large hall, vases had been replenished, large candlesticks sat atop the tables that had all been moved to form a single horseshoe shape. The barkeep looked tired but also excited to be hosting such an important event, the staff Yachi and the Miya twins had enlisted to help were all under his instruction as they all arrived.</p>
<p>Yachi had been adamant this wasn’t a formal affair, it was a celebration amongst newly made friends. She had dressed down for the occasion but still retained her modest, well put-together style. As soon as everyone was seated, drinks were served and light conversation was quick to pick up. Both twins made an effort to talk to Tobio and Tooru, assuring them that Yachi would be allowed to flourish under their continued protection and make her own choices on the direction the empire went in. Tobio was less suspicious of them than Tooru, but both made it clear that any indication that Yachi was being coerced again would spark an immediate visit. Atsumu found the idea of Tobio marching up to the empire amusing and cute in equal measure, but he couldn’t fault either of them for not whole-heartedly believing them.</p>
<p>Yachi for her part, made the rounds of the room, eager to hear everyone’s stories and thoughts on how the empire should proceed. She spoke in great length with Shirabu and Goshiki about how to try and appeal to the mages scorned by the events, what direction to head into how there was no-one to stop her. As she got around to Hinata, she smiled warmly at him.</p>
<p>“Ah, I feel like we’ve not had many opportunities to talk.” She sighed. “Yet you’re one of the ones whose opinion I’d love to hear most.”</p>
<p>Hinata laughed nervously, clutching the cup of water he had been given in place of wine. “Aha, I’m, flattered?”</p>
<p>“I’ll admit, mages of your kind aren’t common knowledge up here.” She continued smiling. “If you weren’t heading back so soon, I’d almost want to ask you help Ukai and the others out with the old district.”</p>
<p>He flashed a glance to Tobio who was embroiled in a debate with Osamu about trade routes or something equally mundane. As much as staying in Hinode would no doubt help the old district’s progression, he wasn’t strictly <em>needed</em>.</p>
<p>“Well, if the others need my help, they know where I’ll be.” He settled on. “I’m needed back home, Tobio’s probably going to have…a lot to deal with.”</p>
<p>Yachi nodded. “Of course, I understand.” She raised her cup and took a sip as Hinata’s gaze dwelt on Tobio’s rather emphatic gestures as he spoke. She followed his gaze and giggled slightly. “I’ll admit Shoyo,” her voice was quieter as she leaned closer to him, “when Tobio announced you were his consort I was a little disappointed.”</p>
<p>“D-Disappointed?” Hinata repeated back to her, catching her gaze and seeing the sparkle in her eyes.</p>
<p>“You’re lucky to have each other.” She smiled. “I know many ladies in the court who were intrigued by him, many already expressed their desires before he even stepped foot in the palace that day.” She took another sip. “I hear many expressed disappointment once it was clear he had already pledged his heart to someone else.”</p>
<p>Hinata wasn’t sure if he was supposed to feel jealous or amused. He laughed more confidently as Yachi shook her head. “I uh…hah.”</p>
<p>“I know, and well, Tooru has turned a few heads for sure. Your entire entourage has ruffled feathers. I imagine there’ll be many letters flying back and forth, pleading for me to throw another fanciful ball to try and get you all back up here.”</p>
<p>“I mean, free food will do it.” Hinata remarked, gesturing to the tables now being ladened with lavish food. Some of it barely had time to settle before being plucked from platters and devoured. Yachi laughed at the sight, it was refreshing to be in the company of those who didn’t feel the need to keep up facades. “And uh, yeah, I’m sure we’ll visit anyway. If Goshiki and Ukai are staying then we’ll <em>have</em> to, y’know?”</p>
<p>Yachi nodded again. “I look forward to it. Maybe try and convince Tobio to send us a bit more warning next time?” She winked.</p>
<p>“I’ll do my best, can’t make any promises.” Hinata winked back.</p>
<p>They shared a laugh before Yachi took her leave. She was quick to seek out Kiyoko in the comforting chaos that was the food being served. Both Kiyoko and Suga were indulging in one of Iwaizumi’s more embarrassing stories of a younger Prince Tooru and the shenanigans of past royal engagements. At her arrival, Kiyoko nodded in greeting, stepping away so Iwaizumi could go into even further detail to Suga about ‘the time Tooru tried to demand to be allowed to bathe in wine’.</p>
<p>“Ah, how are you faring?” Kiyoko asked Yachi with a polite smile.</p>
<p>“I’m doing well,” Yachi smiled, “Atsumu reckons we’ll have the last of the court documents retrieved tomorrow so we can start to fully understand what Akiteru coerced me into signing. More importantly, how are you?”</p>
<p>“There’s still an ache in my lower back,” Kiyoko shrugged, “but Shirabu thinks I’ll be fine once I rest a bit more. Koushi is probably going to ban me from any sword training for a few weeks.” She laughed.</p>
<p>“I’d have to agree with him. You deserve rest!”</p>
<p>Kiyoko shrugged again. “It’s what I trained for, well, sort of…being thrown against walls wasn’t in my training…”</p>
<p>They shared a laugh before Yachi tilted her head to the side. “Say, may I run something by you?”</p>
<p>“Of course.”</p>
<p>“I would’ve preferred to wait a little longer to ask, but given your imminent departure, I feel it’s only right to ask in person than through several letters.” She glanced around briefly as she inhaled. “In short, I’m putting together another iteration of the Grand Council. And whilst it would be easy to put any noble or general in the position to lead it, I don’t want just anyone in charge,” she paused for a moment, “would you consider taking up that position?”</p>
<p>Kiyoko hadn’t been expecting that. The implications were wild, a Grand Council was one thing, but a different iteration to the one that had been in place previously? One that by the sound of things was going to be <em>different</em> on many levels? And she was being asked to lead it.</p>
<p>Kiyoko was quiet for a moment, processing the question and its wider implications. “I, uh, your imperial majesty I’m honoured….” She let out a huff. “I don’t know what…why me?”</p>
<p>Yachi had expected that question. “I want someone I trust in that position, but someone who also is trusted by others from many creeds. You’ve garnered favour from both southern kings, from lords and vigilantes alike. You’ve shown yourself to be a steadfast warden of what’s right and one willing to fight for it.” She replied. “I won’t ask you to decide right this second, in fact I’d implore you to think on it. Talk to Koushi, talk to your Brotherhood and whoever else you need to. This will take time to set up, and I don’t want to pressure you to say yes.”</p>
<p>Kiyoko nodded, still a little shocked at being asked to fill such a role. “I’ll think on it, and if I may, would you be able to put it in writing? Sort of like…what exactly you’d have me do?”</p>
<p>“Certainly. I’ll have it delivered to…Kēpu yōsai was it? Your fortress in the south?”</p>
<p>“I’m sure Moniwa can point you in the right direction with it.”</p>
<p>“Very well, as I said, it’ll take time to put into place on this end so take your time.” Yachi smiled.</p>
<p>Kiyoko had several different thoughts running through her head as Yachi excused herself to continue making rounds of the hall. As she returned to Suga’s side, he gave her a curious glance. Iwaizumi saw the pensive expression on her face and had a feeling he knew what had just happened.</p>
<p>“Yachi had a proposition for me.” Kiyoko smiled, taking Suga’s hand and linking their fingers together. “It’s, uh, quite an outlandish one.”</p>
<p>Suga raised an eyebrow. “Yeah? How outlandish?”</p>
<p>“In short, she’s putting together a new council of sorts, a Grand Council. I’m not sure what it’s all about yet, but she asked if I would be…be open to leading it.”</p>
<p>“You?” Suga squeezed her hand.</p>
<p>Kiyoko nodded. “She said something about how I’ve garnered favour from many different people and factions…that I always fight for what’s right.” She shook her head slightly. “She also said to think on it and that she’ll put some of it in writing and send it to Kēpu yōsai.”</p>
<p>“Well, that’s certainly something.” Suga glanced at Iwaizumi. “You know anything about this?”</p>
<p>Iwaizumi nodded. “Osamu told Tooru that Kiyoko was the front-runner so to speak.” He nodded to her. “For what it’s worth, both him and I think you’d be a good fit.”</p>
<p>Kiyoko smiled in appreciation. “Fit for what though? All I know is there was a Grand Council before who wrote all the treaties that are now null.”</p>
<p>“Osamu spoke of a new iteration, like it would be the same in name and influence only.” Iwaizumi shrugged. “I’d say wait for Yachi’s letter to spell it out for you before agreeing to anything.”</p>
<p>“Oh don’t you worry, I won’t make any hasty choices just yet.” Kiyoko remarked.</p>
<p>Both Iwaizumi and Suga shared a smile. They returned to much lighter conversation as the food continued to be brought out and served.</p>
<p>Lively chatter filled the airy hall along with clinking tankards and the clattering of plates. It was a relaxed evening, one sorely needed for everyone after the recent events. To sit and enjoy the company of each other whilst looking excitedly towards the future. As the imminent departure of both the Brotherhood and House Kageyama was at the forefront of many minds, the matter of what those remaining behind cropped up several times in conversation.</p>
<p>It had been decided already by those involved, but only now did the rest of the company get told what the arrangements were going to be. Ennoshita was going to take up Kei’s offer of taking over the Tsukishima family manor, but only until significant progress was made in the rebuilding of the old district. As, in his own words, “<em>I ain</em><em>’t a noble, nor do I want to live like one</em>.”. He was content to help where he could, but also try to get back to some semblance of a normal life, if such a thing could exist for him anymore.</p>
<p>Both Ukai and Goshiki were to stay with him, likewise until the old district was more inhabitable. Between the three of them they were going to take charge of drawing up plans and meeting with Yachi and the twins to discuss what would happen and when. It was also noted that should either king or the Brotherhood return to Hinode, they would be allowed to stay in that manor with them. It was an informal agreement, one spoken candidly amongst the relevant parties.</p>
<p>As much as having Goshiki live with the Brotherhood would’ve been an option, everyone, including Goshiki himself, agreed for now he was better off in familiar territory. He said he wanted to help put things right. After all, manipulated or not, he <em>was</em> the one responsible for the destruction. He was no prisoner though, he could leave if he wanted. Hinata didn’t pretend to be upset at this development, he knew Goshiki was where he should be for now.</p>
<p>As the evening drew on, Yachi summoned everyone’s attention. “I’ll keep this short,” she smiled as everyone looked to her to hear what she wanted to say, “I simply wanted to extend my thanks once more to all of you for the part you played in help us take down Akiteru and restore order.” She raised her drink. “I hope this is just the beginning of a new era of peace between our domains.”</p>
<p>Tankards and cups were raised in response to her toast as cheers of agreement rang out in the hall. It would be the last time for a while that the four factions would be together under one roof, bonds had been forged and strengthened during the turbulent time together. Those same bonds would define the start of a new era for the realm as a whole, the start of a new legacy.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0085"><h2>85. Going Home</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>LXXXV</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Going Home</strong>
</p>
<p>With treaties stowed for travelling, the route southward plotted out and the horses saddled and ready to go, the departure from Hinode was imminent. The early morning sun had greeted them and had steadily rose in the clear blue skies as preparations to leave were made. Tooru didn’t need to worry about such things as he wasn’t due to leave for another two days as he was still waiting to finalise where Akiteru was going to be sent. However, he did make sure to be around to see them off.</p>
<p>And he was not the only one. Goshiki sought out Hinata in the manor, ducking out of the way of the others bustling about packing up the last of their belongings. He found Hinata helping Kenma tidy away the last of the alchemy supplies into a satchel, knocking on the doorframe to summon his attention.</p>
<p>“Uh, I just wanted a…word?” He offered.</p>
<p>Hinata beamed at him and nodded. “Of course.” He nodded in parting to Kenma before moving past Goshiki into the hallway. “Uh, is here good or do you want somewhere—”</p>
<p>“Here is fine.” Goshiki made the effort to smile, getting another beaming smile back from Hinata. “I just wanted to thank you again, for everything.”</p>
<p>“It’s fine!” Hinata waved him off. “Just doing what was needed, and if it wasn’t for Shirabu and Kenma and Kei and y’know, everyone <em>else</em>, then it would’ve been all—”</p>
<p>Goshiki shook his head. “No, not…Hinata, I’m talking more about what you said to me. All that stuff about taking the first step on the path I want to take.” He sighed slightly. “It’s still hard, I still get flashes of it all but…like you said it’s a rough road but it’s possible to walk it.”</p>
<p>Hinata nodded, there was a sense of pride bubbling up in him at hearing Goshiki talk more optimistically. “You got Ukai looking out for you, and we’re just a messenger crow away…well unless Inuoka has told Ukai how to make portals work.” Hinata rubbed his chin in thought. “But yeah, I’m sure you’ll be fine!”</p>
<p>Goshiki chuckled. “Yeah, yeah I’m sure too. We’ll start putting things right again up here.” He glanced around the hallway, the light streaming in through the open doors to various rooms that lay empty now. “It’ll be really quiet here without you guys.”</p>
<p>“Yeah well, Hokubujōsai is probably too used to the quiet without us.” Hinata laughed. “And we’ll probably be back soon, or you can visit us!”</p>
<p>“That’d be nice.” Goshiki smiled. “I’d like to see all these places you keep talking about, maybe even this Kirin you’ve mentioned.”</p>
<p>Mentioning the Kirin gave Hinata a slightly bittersweet feeling. Despite her intervention in the chaos they had to deal with, he wasn’t entirely sure how much longer she’d be around. Part of the reason <em>he</em> was so eager to get back stemmed from that uncertainty.</p>
<p>“Yeah!” He forced a smile. “It’ll be fun.”</p>
<p>There were distant calls from downstairs to hurry up and get the last bits and pieces loaded onto horses. Hinata sighed heavily.</p>
<p>“Well, I guess I better get a move on, Tobio wants to get near to one of the border villages by dusk.” He remarked. “So I catch you later.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, catch you later.” Goshiki nodded, already beginning to turn away when he was pulled into a hug. Hinata squeezed him tightly.</p>
<p>“It’ll be alright. You’re strong.” Hinata murmured.</p>
<p>Goshiki let out a hum, slowly wrapping his arms around Hinata to return the hug. “You are too. Take care of yourself.”</p>
<p>There was a pause as they remained in the tight hug. Hinata felt Goshiki sigh heavily. As they parted, Kenma emerged from one of the rooms with his alchemy satchel in hand. He nodded to Goshiki and they exchanged pleasantries briefly before the trio made their way downstairs and out into the street in front of the manor. True to Hinata’s assumption, Tobio was eager to get going, but not enough to be barking orders at anyone. In fact, Tobio was still talking to Tooru as Hinata arrived at his side.</p>
<p>“Ah, you’re here, perfect.” Tobio smiled at him. “I was just agreeing to taking Shirabu with us.”</p>
<p>“Shirabu?” Hinata looked to Tooru who shrugged slightly.</p>
<p>“He’s not needed here, he might as well leave with you all and spend some time doing…whatever it is you mages do.” He waved a hand dismissively. “And I gather he’s grown attached to Semi, seems unfair to tear them apart right now.”</p>
<p>Hinata wrinkled his nose, casting a glance around at the horses being prepared to leave. Shirabu was adjusting a saddle on one of the horses whilst talking to Nishinoya about something. He hadn’t heard of Semi and Shirabu being close, then again he had been focused on many other things.</p>
<p>“So yes, Shirabu will be staying with us for a few days. I think he’s more of a Brotherhood guest than ours but we’re all travelling together to Tobu Misaki-Mura anyway.” Tobio shrugged. “Either way, we should get going.”</p>
<p>Tooru nodded. “Have fun.” He waved.</p>
<p>Tobio snorted. “You too, try not to get too impatient.”</p>
<p>“Me, impatient?” Tooru feigned being offended. “Don’t know what you’re—”</p>
<p>“Yeah yeah.” Tobio laughed. “Whatever, see you soon Tooru.”</p>
<p>He turned on his heel and beckoned Hinata to follow him to their assigned horses. The Brotherhood were ready to leave within moments, Daichi was quick to set up a riding order and get everyone moving through the city. Tobio lingered for a few moments, waiting for their last travelling companion to make his appearance.</p>
<p>Kei didn’t make a show of arriving at the manor on horseback. There were a few bundles of cloth and saddlebags secured to his horse but overall he seemed ready to toss the noble life behind him. Tobio greeted him with a nod, gesturing for him to follow the Brotherhood’s main procession through the main street of the city.</p>
<p>Passing through the city, the common folk waved them off, many having heard by now of the events in the palace and Yachi’s declaration of friendship with the southern kingdoms. Tobio allowed himself to revel in the praise as the approached the southern gate. Unexpected by all them, a banner had been hung from between the guard towers, the message was simple but to the point.</p>
<p>‘<em>The Empire thanks the heroes from The Southern Kingdoms.</em>’</p>
<p>Once past the gate, the ravine opened up. The brisk breeze and sound of thundering water below was welcoming as much as it was slightly bittersweet. They had spent just over a month in the city and now they were finally on their way home.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>The journey towards the border felt a lot less stressful than their trip to Hinode. The pace was slower but still with an element of urgency. Though the wilderness stretched out either side of them, there was no sense of danger in their large procession. The weather was good, the horses calm and more importantly, everyone felt relieved to be finally on the way back to more familiar lands.</p>
<p>Throughout the day conversations were carried on the breeze, the formation of riders changed frequently as they stopped to take in their surroundings and allow the horses to drink from creeks. The sun was high in the sky for what felt like longer than usual, Hinata found himself almost basking in it as his horse diligently followed the one in front of it. The closer to the border they got, the more clearly they could see the mountains that divided north from south. It had taken four days to get to Hinode and they had ridden with haste, but somehow the imposing mountains seemed to rush up on them.</p>
<p>Home was on the horizon, but out of reach for now.</p>
<p>The sun had dipped lower in the sky but it was still far from setting. Even so, Daichi called time on their travelling for that day as he sighted a settlement in the distance. Tobio had remained quiet for most of the day, deep in thought about what awaited him back home. When he did speak it was to Yamaguchi, simply voicing his immediate thoughts aloud whilst the more boisterous chattering continued around them.</p>
<p>The settlement Daichi had sighted wasn’t one they had stopped in before, though it did have a tavern, it was a rather modest one. It was certainly going to be a squeeze that night, not that anyone strictly minded. The barkeep was confused at the sudden explosion of patrons but he took it in his stride, vowing to find everyone a place to sleep and provide a cooked meal even if he had to rally three of his neighbour’s sons to help. Daichi was quick to volunteer Bokuto and Tanaka to assist in the endeavour, ignoring the squawks of protest from them both.</p>
<p>Tables were left where they were, instead the group crowded around the tables, often moving between them as a humble meal was served. The feeling in the tavern was one of relief in many ways. Whilst they weren’t in their own beds just yet, as it had been with many of their journeys; home was wherever they were. As plates were cleared away, Moniwa set about recording the day’s events, his brow furrowed as he turned to find only a single blank page left in his journal.</p>
<p>“Huh.” He half-laughed. “I guess I need a new one.”</p>
<p>There were raised eyebrows at the situation, Kuroo chuckled as he held out a hand to take the journal from Moniwa. “You write pretty small right?” He idly flicked back through the pages of inked words. “Wow, how long has this one—”</p>
<p>“I started it just before the whole Battle of The Dynasty happened, like <em>way</em> before. Before you even went to Kōshi.”</p>
<p>Kuroo’s eyebrows raised again. “Damn. That’s…how long?”</p>
<p>Moniwa hummed. “Well, we’ve been up here for nearly thirty days so—”</p>
<p>Hinata’s attention was grabbed by the number. “Huh?” He turned around on his stool and interrupted the conversation. “How many?”</p>
<p>By now several of the others were listening in; those immediately sat with Moniwa including Kuroo, Akaashi and Daichi, as well as those in close proximity including Tobio, Kenma and Inuoka. Moniwa took his journal back from Kuroo and flicked to a certain page. “Well, we left close to the end of the growing season and passed into the summer season just as we left Tobio’s kingdom…” he counted on his fingers, “so yeah we’re now about midway through the first month of the summer season? The sun was high in the sky today so it’s—”</p>
<p>“The twenty first day.” Hinata supplied.</p>
<p>Moniwa paused, everyone else looked between the two of them. “Yes…that means something to you?”</p>
<p>Hinata nervously laughed, rubbing the back of his head before shrugging. “Well yeah, ‘cause that means today is my nameday.”</p>
<p>There were a few moments of quiet as everyone registered what Hinata said. Tobio was the first to react.</p>
<p>“You dumbass, you never told me this!” He cuffed Hinata around the back of the head playfully.</p>
<p>“Ack!” Hinata squawked, flailing his arms in a vain effort to not be assaulted further, playfully, or not. “Sorry for it never really seeming relevant between getting, nearly dying, getting arrested and all that other stuff!”</p>
<p>Daichi and Kuroo exchanged a glance before laughing as Hinata was berated even more for not sharing ‘important information’ with his king in a time of crisis.</p>
<p>“Y’know,” Akaashi remarked, swirling the contents of his tankard, “I vaguely remember him mentioning this way back when he first showed up…”</p>
<p>“And that was how long ago?” Daichi snorted.</p>
<p>“Just over a year.” Akaashi raised his tankard and drained it quickly. “Not that I’m counting.” He flashed a glance over to where Tobio was quizzing Hinata on how old he <em>really</em> was whilst pinching his cheeks. “If anything, a load of name-days have been missed in that time.”</p>
<p>“Well,” Kuroo pointedly ignored the squawk of indignation from Tobio at finding out Hinata was actually older than him, “hopefully we won’t get dragged into any massive plots of treason and murder for a while so maybe we can make up for lost time eh?”</p>
<p>Akaashi raised his eyebrows, setting his empty tankard down. “We’ll see,” he smirked, “I don’t trust any of us not to somehow get tangled up in something and I <em>certainly</em> don’t trust them not to either.” He nodded to Hinata who was still being berated.</p>
<p>“Look,” Hinata caught Tobio’s hands and linked their fingers together. “How was I supposed to know you’d wanna know that?”</p>
<p>Tobio scoffed, the smile on his face indicated he wasn’t actually mad, more astonished that this had even become a thing. “Any other secrets you’re keeping from me?”</p>
<p>Hinata shook his head, flashing Kenma a pleading glance. Kenma was staying out of this, he loudly sipped his ale from his tankard and glanced at Inuoka who was enjoying this strange argument between king and consort.</p>
<p>“Why does it matter anyway?” Hinata asked. “It’s just—”</p>
<p>“It matters because it’s <em>you</em>, dumbass.”</p>
<p>“Stop calling me names or I’ll start calling you….something.”</p>
<p>Tobio gave Hinata smug smile. “Would you really insult your king?”</p>
<p>“I’d insult you, because you’re <em>you</em>.” Hinata returned the smug smile.</p>
<p>Kenma laughed, nearly spluttering as Inuoka howled with laughter at the conversation. Tobio seemed to consider his options carefully, squeezing Hinata’s hands.</p>
<p>“And what, pray tell, would this insult be hm?”</p>
<p>Hinata wasn’t sure if this was flirting or a ploy to give Tobio an excuse to berate him more. He figured it was probably the latter. “Hm, something about being moody all the time.”</p>
<p>“Moody?!” Tobio sounded indignant.</p>
<p>Kenma and Inuoka laughed harder as Hinata tried to keep a straight face despite the obvious hilarity of the exchange. “Well, yes, you are moody a lot.”</p>
<p>“I’ll have you know—”</p>
<p>“What Tobio?” Hinata interrupted. “That ‘being a king is stressful’. Well so is being me, a mage of crazy power.”</p>
<p>“I was <em>going</em> to say, that I’ll have you know, me being moody was clearly something you found attractive.”</p>
<p>“Pffft.” Hinata rolled his eyes. “By <em>that</em> logic, me being a ‘dumbass’ must be hot as hell.”</p>
<p>“You did throw yourself into a volcano.” Tobio shrugged.</p>
<p>Inuoka fell off his stool, still howling with laughter. By now the entire group was privy to this strange disagreement happening. Kenma couldn’t keep a straight face as Tobio seemed unbothered by the audience. Hinata was speechless, more out of confusion that Tobio was so blasé about it.</p>
<p>“Hey,” Tanaka called from a few tables away, “get a fucking room.”</p>
<p>He was promptly slapped by Kiyoko and told to stop being rude.</p>
<p>Tobio raised an eyebrow at Hinata, a silent question. Whether it was the fact everyone was now invested in what was going to happen next, or that the wordless proposition actually didn’t sound that bad, Hinata found himself nodding. There were chuckles and a few distant ‘oyaoya’s as they left a still somewhat hysterical Inuoka to pick himself off the floor with little effort being exerted by Kenma.</p>
<p>The upstairs of the tavern felt a little narrow in comparison to the manor they had grown accustomed to. The barkeep had assured them all that no-one else was staying so they had the run of the place and pick of the rooms. Tobio didn’t look very hard or long before finding one he deemed adequate.</p>
<p>Adequate for what exactly, Hinata wasn’t sure, but his hand was taken and he was pulled into a room that felt like an over-sized cupboard. A double bed took up most of the floorspace, jammed in the corner of the room and only a narrow area of exposed flooring down one side. A nightstand stood in the tight space next to the bed, an unlit candle was soon ignited with a snap of Hinata’s fingers. The warm glow of the flame made him feel a little less wound up as Tobio closed the door.</p>
<p>“Just so you know,” Tobio broke the silence, “I have no intention of doing whatever Tanaka was implying.”</p>
<p>A small sigh left Hinata, his hand was taken again but this time brought up to Tobio’s lips. A light kiss was placed on his knuckles. Cobalt eyes regarded him silently for a few moments as he let a more relaxed smile grace his face.</p>
<p>“Then why’d you…bring me up here?”</p>
<p>Tobio returned the smile. “It’s not every day I find out it’s your birthday and I nearly <em>missed it</em>.” He remarked. “I simply wanted to…spend what remained of it with you alone.” Tobio was quick to gesture to the bed. “Do you wish to sit—”</p>
<p>Hinata chuckled. “You don’t have to be so formal Tobio.” He tugged the other to follow him as he stepped towards the bed. “But yes, sit.”</p>
<p>They took a moment to remove some of their travelling clothes, leaving the dust and dirt of the road folded within cloaks and jackets before sitting atop the neatly tucked in bed covers. It was too early to properly consider sleep, but as Tobio said, he wished to spend some time alone. It was to be the new normal for them both after all. A hand cupped Hinata’s cheek as they sat there in comfortable silence. Through the closed door they could hear the loud conversation from downstairs continuing, tankards clattered against tables and every so often there’d be a loud hoot of laughter or an equally loud remark directed at someone.</p>
<p>“You know,” Hinata murmured, “this marks it being over a year since I’ve seen my family.”</p>
<p>Tobio ran the pad of his thumb over the rise of Hinata’s cheekbone. “And you’ll see them soon. As soon as we’re back, we’ll send a courier directly to them.”</p>
<p>Hinata smiled, leaning into Tobio’s hand. “I don’t know how my mom will take the news of me being a king’s consort.” He chuckled.</p>
<p>“Just…don’t tell her that part in the letter.”</p>
<p>“And how do I explain that I’m living in your fortress?”</p>
<p>Tobio shrugged. “You’re an esteemed guest?”</p>
<p>Hinata’s laughter was louder this time. He reached up and took hold of the hand cupping his cheek, pulling it away from his face and linking their fingers together. Tobio watched him, leaning on his other hand as he made no other move.</p>
<p>“How do you think your people will react?”</p>
<p>Tobio had thought idly about it, there was already a healthy amount of speculation around Hinata’s presence in the fortress. Those who had been on the battlefield with them had fuelled that speculation with stories of Hinata summoning dragons to save their king, to save his ‘one true love’. If they came out and confirmed all that speculation, a whole different level of gossiping would begin; talks about heirs and succession would become more frequent. He still maintained he had it easier than Tooru in the regard that he didn’t have to entertain those questions from nobles quite as often.</p>
<p>“I mean, I imagine a lot of bets will be fulfilled.” He remarked. “I can’t see there being a strong reaction beyond the usual hysteria that greets any announcement like that.”</p>
<p>“So no lavish parties in the streets?”</p>
<p>“I fucking hope not.” Tobio snorted, squeezing Hinata’s hand. “Now if we were actually holding like a massive royal wedding or some shit—”</p>
<p>“Woah now,” Hinata laughed before he began babbling, “no-I mean, not that I <em>don’t</em>— I mean, you’re great but—” He gestured wildly with his free hand, cheeks flushed red as he stammered and stumbled over wording his thoughts.</p>
<p>Tobio shook his head before leaning closer. Hinata stopped babbling as lips pressed against his. The rush of anxiety that had flared up was quickly beaten back by the safe sense of familiarity of Tobio’s presence. He returned the kiss, eager to return the affection. He brought his hands up to hold Tobio’s face as noses bumped between kisses but was quick to trail one down Tobio’s chest and gently grip his shirt. He could feel Tobio’s heart racing as they parted briefly, foreheads pressed against one another’s.</p>
<p>“I don’t care about formalities right now Shoyo.” Tobio murmured. “I care about you. And you’ve done some fucking crazy shit recently for me and others.” He punctuated his statement with a slow, chaste kiss. “Just for a while, don’t think about what’s happened before and what happens next. Just…think about here and now.”</p>
<p>Hinata’s grip on Tobio’s shirt tightened. As general as Tobio’s statements were, he had spoken of the truth. The last few weeks had been a non-stop journey across the land and through many emotions. He had stared death in the face too many times for someone as young as him. He had dabbled with magic beyond common knowledge and found loopholes in the laws that bound the world together in order to stop himself going crazy. He had seen his friends put themselves in harm’s way time and time again and called upon divine magic to save them.</p>
<p> He had been so busy thinking about pasts and futures colliding that he had barely kept tabs on the present. He was exhausted.</p>
<p>“Here and now.” Hinata whispered back.</p>
<p>Tobio was quiet for a moment, covering Hinata’s hand on his chest with his own. “Yeah, focus on us. Here. In this tavern. Not a king and his consort, but two lovers finally able to have a moment’s peace without worrying about the world outside.”</p>
<p>Hinata pulled on Tobio’s shirt, just a light tug but it was enough. He was quickly caged against the bed with Tobio’s lips on his again. His heart was racing and his chest felt tight. His eyes slipped shut as Tobio’s kisses strayed to his neck, slow and chaste. Much like Tobio had said earlier; he showed no intention of taking things any further than they had been before. Every movement, every gentle touch was innocent and only sought to relax Hinata, to ease his thoughts and calm his soul.</p>
<p>It didn’t take Tobio long to move to lay beside Hinata, still close enough to kiss him but no longer looming over him. Their legs intertwined as Tobio pulled Hinata close, wrapping an arm around his waist and gazing at him fondly in the dim candlelight. There was still the distant chatter from downstairs filtering up through floorboards but it was mere background noise as Hinata’s focus was wholly on Tobio.</p>
<p>“Can I ask you something?” Hinata murmured.</p>
<p>“Of course.”</p>
<p>He chewed on his lip momentarily, eyes searching Tobio’s for any hints as to how he’d answer the question on his mind. “Uhm, well, it’s kinda stupid but it’s, I just kinda wanted to know…why me?” He paused before quickly adding some sort of explanation for the question. “Like, when we were in Hinode, all the noble ladies were swooning over you and Tooru. They were all like…fawning to be, to be in my position…why’d you…why me instead of a noble?”</p>
<p>Tobio wasn’t entirely surprised at the question, he had expected it to come up at some point. He didn’t reply immediately, trailing fingertips up Hinata’s arm as he let the silence settle.</p>
<p>“To put it bluntly, I don’t want someone who just wants a step up in status.” He spoke softly. “I want someone who I know cares for me…has seen me at my worst and stayed despite it. And well, you’ve seen me at my worst multiple times and you’ve not only stuck around, but you’ve pulled me through it…” he took Hinata’s hand and brought it to his lips. “And I’d rather have no-one else by my side. It’s like I said to you, as long as you’re with me, I feel invincible.”</p>
<p>Hinata honestly didn’t know what he expected Tobio to say but hearing him reaffirm it made relief wash over him. He sighed, bumping his forehead against Tobio’s as he smiled. “Thank-you.”</p>
<p>Tobio wrinkled his nose. “Uh, sure.” He hummed. “Not sure what for but—”</p>
<p>“For being you.” Hinata settled on. “And not being the scary Tobio from when I first met you.”</p>
<p>“Scary Tobio.”</p>
<p>“Mhm.”</p>
<p>Tobio didn’t say anything, merely tilting his face to softly kiss Hinata. There would be many more soft exchanges as the night wore on, for the first time in a long time, they didn’t need to worry about the next day. They could enjoy each other’s company, undisturbed.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0086"><h2>86. Bonds</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>LXXXVI</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Bonds</strong>
</p>
<p>The mountain pass was a less cold on their way home than it had been on their way north. Kunimi was complaining about the chill in the air still, some things never changed. Tobu Misaki-Mura came into view by the evening of the fifth day. The roar of the waterfalls greeted them like an old friend, the smell of pine trees felt sharp and fresh to the senses after so long in another land entirely. The horses were slowed as they came upon the outer boundary of the city, a call rose up from the guard-tower at sighting the party before beacons were lit.</p>
<p>Tobio smiled warmly at the guardsman who sent another ahead to the inner city to announce the king’s return. The party reshuffled the procession to allow Tobio to take the lead into the city. Hinata urged his horse to walk alongside Tobio’s, flashing him a smile as the beacons in the guard towers continued to signal their arrival.</p>
<p>“Y’know,” Tobio remarked as the dirt path was replaced by paved stone, “there’s no sense hiding anything from them now.”</p>
<p>Hinata chuckled nervously. “True…” He adjusted the grip on his reins, “but we could keep it from them for just a while longer?”</p>
<p>Tobio nodded. “As you wish.”</p>
<p>The further into the city they got, the more people they saw lining the streets. The common folk didn’t know the true extent of what they had faced in the north, but the length of time they had been away was enough to clue some of them into it. Kings didn’t spend entire weeks away from their kingdoms for no reason.</p>
<p>“When we get to Hokubujōsai, I’ll need to talk to the kid we left in charge.” He told Hinata. “Hopefully it won’t take too long, but afterwards,” he reached across and rested his hand atop Hinata’s, “I wish to go to the shrine with you.”</p>
<p>Hinata remembered him mentioning the shrine visit in the aftermath of the fight with Akiteru, so he wasn’t surprised. He was still a little confused about what exactly this visit was for but decided not to question it. He smiled and nodded in reply.</p>
<p>“And I guess we’ll eat later?”</p>
<p>Tobio laughed, retracting his hand, and urging his horse to speed up to a trot. “It’ll be a feast to remember.”</p>
<p>Hinata laughed, following his lead. The fortress of Hokubujōsai rose up from the city, the hill on which it sat seemed more imposing than ever after so long in the flattened city of Hinode. The large oak doors swung open as they dismounted, guards nodding in greeting as Tobio strode into the fortress. Hinata followed him diligently, the rest of House Kageyama’s staff weren’t too far behind, but Tobio was slightly impatient.</p>
<p>The throne room felt familiar, it felt safe. Hinata paused for a moment and took in the familiar surroundings of pillars extending up to the roof and the hanging tapestries and banners that depicted Hēishān in his various wing and non-winged forms. The motto of House Kageyama had been stitched into new banners, words larger and clearer than the previous banners and decorations.</p>
<p><em>‘Never Conquered, Always Feared.</em>’</p>
<p>Tobio was already in an intense conversation with the steward Yamaguchi had nominated to keep things in order whilst they were gone. The guy seemed of a similar age to them both but a lot more experienced, or at least he seemed less panicky than Hinata would be in his position; being interrogated by Tobio on what had been happening, whether there was anything that required Tobio’s immediate attention and so on.</p>
<p>Hinata got lost in his thoughts, looking around the throne room as Tobio continued talking at length. He heard the others piling into the fortress, muffled conversation carried through the open doors. Yamaguchi stepped up beside him and chuckled slightly.</p>
<p>“Well, he was quick to get back to work.”</p>
<p>Hinata smiled. “Yeah,” he flashed Yamaguchi a smile, “he said something about wanting to take me to the shrine?”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi raised an eyebrow. “The shrine? Huh, wonder what that’s about.”</p>
<p>“You don’t…know?”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi shook his head. “He hasn’t said anything to me. I’m guessing he’s got something in mind.”</p>
<p>Hinata wasn’t going to discount that. Tobio had been oddly insistent about it but not really explaining much beyond ‘thanking the spirits’, he figured all would be explained once they were down there. Before he could ask Yamaguchi for any ideas on what Tobio was thinking, Tobio finished up the conversation and strode back to him.</p>
<p>“You ready?” He asked Hinata.</p>
<p>Hinata nodded, not exactly sure what he should be ready for. “Uh, do I need—”</p>
<p>“Just yourself.” Tobio offered his hand to Hinata.</p>
<p>Yamaguchi took his leave, remarking that he’d handle getting all the horses unpacked and sort out some food for later. Tobio nodded as Hinata took his offered hand and squeezed. The hot springs under the fortress were welcoming with their warm air and quiet trickling of water over stone. They didn’t dwell long, there would be time later for relaxing in the springs. Tobio squeezed Hinata’s hand as he opened the fence panel to reveal the narrow path towards the back of the caverns. Neither said anything as they took the dimly lit pathway. The stone archway beckoned them in the darkness.</p>
<p>A brief snap of Hinata’s fingers ignited the braziers hanging either side of the archway. Dancing flames illuminated the serpent-like form of Hēishān that wrapped around the raised platform, his head loomed above the stone table. Hinata hadn’t actually been to the shrine in person before, he knew it existed but had never made the trip himself. Tobio was quick to climb the few steps and begin lighting the larger brazier on the table. The scales of the statue shimmered in the orange glow. From the brazier, Tobio lit the incense sticks and set them in the dish of dried herbs and flower petals.</p>
<p>Slowly following him up the steps, Hinata cast a wary glance around. The air felt cool, a tad too cool. Tobio inhaled sharply as he stepped back from the table and glanced up at the unyielding gaze of Hēishān’s statue.</p>
<p>“Okay.” He murmured, turning, and smiling at Hinata. “I know this isn’t your first conversation with spirits and ancestors.”</p>
<p>“Hah…” Hinata gave him a sheepish smile. “But, I mean, I haven’t spoken to yours in…here?”</p>
<p>“True.” Tobio glanced back at the statue of Hēishān. “Is this how you saw him?”</p>
<p>Hinata followed Tobio’s gaze. The serpent-like beast did bear a striking resemblance to Hēishān, complete with the four feet with talons, the piercing eyes and looming presence. Even if he knew Hēishān was long gone, the statue almost made Hinata feel a part of him remained behind.</p>
<p>“Yeah.” He replied quietly. “It’s pretty accurate.”</p>
<p>“I’m glad.” Tobio reached out and took both of Hinata’s hands, bringing his attention back to him. “So, about why I brought you here.”</p>
<p>Hinata nodded, expecting some speech about how they needed to so a ritual or make an offering to the ancestors to thank them for everything. Yet Tobio’s gaze moved to the ring adorning Hinata’s finger. The simple silver band decorated with carvings of dragons. Hinata once again followed his gaze.</p>
<p>“May I?” Tobio asked, gently taking hold of the ring between his finger and thumb.</p>
<p>“Uh…sure?”</p>
<p>Tobio gently slid the ring off his finger and turned to the table of the shrine. He set it in the dish with the petals and herbs before taking a step back and clapping his hands together. There were a few moments of silence as Tobio seemed deep in thought or prayer, only the faintest of murmurs passing between his lips as Hinata watched on. The trickling of water echoing off the cavern walls and the crackling of kindling in braziers filled the silence. There was a strange feeling in the air, like they were being watched. Hinata recognised it from the ballroom of the Empire’s palace but also from the crypt below the Blue Palace.</p>
<p>It was a strange sensation, like the eyes of many who lived before them were watching, waiting to see what their intentions were, judging their every move and word.</p>
<p>Another clap jolted Hinata from his thoughts. He watched Tobio pick up the ring once more and turn back to face him.</p>
<p>“This is going to sound a little ridiculous considering everything that’s happened as of late, but…will you humour me for the sake of tradition?”</p>
<p>Hinata’s brow furrowed, looking at the ring and then back at Tobio. “…humour you?”</p>
<p>“Giving you my mother’s ring as a sign of love, of commitment, that was only half of the…pact.”</p>
<p>“Pact.” Hinata couldn’t help but chuckle. “Me being bound to your family in spirit wasn’t enough?”</p>
<p>Tobio returned the chuckle, a soft, innocent sound Hinata still couldn’t help but smile at hearing. “This is more of an…individual pact. Between two souls, witnessed by only the ancestors.” He turned the ring over in his hand. “My mother and father made the same pact, and my grandfather and grandmother before them…”</p>
<p>It started to click in Hinata’s mind. “You…you’re asking me to marry you?”</p>
<p>“Not in those terms, it’s more like a promise of…a promise to one another.” Tobio’s cheeks were beginning to flush red in the firelight.</p>
<p>Hinata was close to laughing but controlled himself. It was evident in how Tobio was acting that this was important to him. Anything involving Tobio’s family was no laughing matter, especially given how Hinata was now bound to the line of Kageyama. There was nothing to say they had to seal the deal with an actual marriage anyway. The lack of other witnesses also spoke to how personal this was, this wasn’t a custom that needed to be done and signed off like official documents. This wasn’t for show, or even a boost in status. This was something Tobio wanted to do as himself, not as King of House Kageyama.</p>
<p>There had been a few beats of silence as Hinata quickly thought it over. The fire crackled in the brazier, flames danced in the gentle cavern breeze.</p>
<p>“Alright.” Hinata smiled more softly. “I’ll humour you.” He offered his hand. Watching Tobio’s face light up was a new sensation. His chest ached slightly as he saw the glimmer in dark blue eyes and the bashful smile he had rarely seen before.</p>
<p>“Okay.” Tobio breathed, taking Hinata’s hand. “Then, uh, I’m not really sure on what the wording is…I only heard about it once or twice—”</p>
<p>“So we make up our own pact?” Hinata supplied.</p>
<p>“Y-Yeah…yeah okay.” Tobio let out a small sigh. “Uhm, and supposedly the ancestors will…chip in?”</p>
<p>“Alright, let’s do it.” Hinata beamed at him. A nervous feeling was rising in him as he really considered the situation. Sure, many would probably say they were rushing, that this whirlwind of emotions between them had only seen times of stress, that they didn’t really <em>know</em> one another yet. But he would argue that he was already bound to Tobio in spirit, why shouldn’t he be bound in heart and body too?</p>
<p>He loved Tobio. And whilst lavish parties and ceremonies for all to see made his knees buckle in anxiety, making a pact at a shrine where the only witness was a stone dragon seemed like a good a choice as any.</p>
<p>“Okay.” Tobio squeezed his hand. “Here goes nothing.”</p>
<p>Hinata looked to the stone statue of Hēishān as Tobio began speaking.</p>
<p>“Ancestors, I call upon you today to bear witness to this pact, a pact between two souls wishing to be bound in…” he trailed off as Hinata met his gaze, bright orange eyes rivalled the firelight. His throat went dry as he lost his focus, only succeeding in making Hinata beam at him.</p>
<p>“Bound in love.” Hinata supplied again, squeezing Tobio’s hand.</p>
<p>“Yeah, love.” Tobio echoed, clearing his throat as he fumbled with the ring in his other hand. “We ask for your blessing, for your eternal guidance…your approval for this pact to be sealed.”</p>
<p>Hinata kept a calm smile on his face as Tobio’s voice wobbled, nerves eating at him like he could sense the eyes of generations before him all centred on this conversation.</p>
<p>“And we offer our thanks to you for all you’ve done thus far, bringing us together, providing strength in mind and soul through the trials we’ve faced.” Tobio flashed a glance to Hēishān’s statue. “We thank our protector Hēishān for his intervention, for fulfilling his oath and…” he swallowed, “and ensuring we survived long enough to see this moment.”</p>
<p>Hinata offered Tobio’s hand another squeeze. “Can I say something?” Tobio nodded quickly. Hinata felt a giddy rush of excitement and nervousness wash over him as he glanced around the dark cavern. “I just want to assure your ancestors that for the rest of my life and beyond, I’ll protect you. As long as I’m around, you’ll be invincible Tobio.”</p>
<p>Tobio wetted his lips as he let the statement rest on the wind. He flipped the ring around and held it between his finger and thumb once more before meeting Hinata’s gaze again.</p>
<p>“Let’s not test that too much yeah? I’m done with near-death experiences.”</p>
<p>“Honestly, same.” Hinata snorted, eyeing the silver band as Tobio adjusted his hold on Hinata’s hand. “I’m not gonna throw myself into anymore volcanoes.”</p>
<p>“I’m glad you decided to specify.” Tobio remarked. He took a moment to glance at the stone statue once more. The feeling in the air hadn’t shifted since they arrived, still the feeling of being watched was there but no voices had come through. He wasn’t sure if he was happy about this or not. “With this ring, we declare our souls bound not just by some dumb pact Shoyo already made with Hēishān but bound in love.”</p>
<p>Hinata grinned as the silver band was returned to his finger. He expected a flurry of energy or something to follow but it merely felt like he was complete. The silver winked in the firelight as the brazier flared up. As Hinata looked up at Tobio, a faint feminine voice was heard on the breeze. Tobio’s eyes widened as he recognised it.</p>
<p><em>“I’m proud of you Tobio. You’ve grown so much in such a short amount of time.</em>”</p>
<p>Hinata’s brows furrowed before he heard the voice much clearer in his head.</p>
<p><em>“Look after my son Shoyo, his time with his mother was cut short by cruelty. Make sure he knows he’s loved. Make sure he is happy</em>.”</p>
<p>He looked down at the ring, the carving of the dragon was glowing slightly before the light faded. As he met Tobio’s gaze once more he saw glassy eyes. It was a bittersweet moment as they both understood whose voice they had just heard. A voice Tobio hadn’t heard in years. A voice that spoke of pride and of love.</p>
<p>“I…uh.” Tobio gripped Hinata’s hand tightly. “I don’t…”</p>
<p>Hinata stepped closer and reached up to cup Tobio’s face. “She’s proud of you.” He whispered. “She wants you to be happy Tobio.”</p>
<p>Tobio forced a smile. “I…I know.”</p>
<p>Hinata didn’t have any words to express his thoughts. He rose up on the balls of his feet and pressed his lips to Tobio’s in a quick, soft kiss. A new rush washed over him as they stood there. Tobio bumped his forehead against Hinata’s, hand coming up to hold the back of his head and keep him close.</p>
<p>“I love you, so much.” Tobio breathed. “Thank you for going along with this—”</p>
<p>“Ah-ah.” Hinata cut in with a chuckle. “It’s fine, just, you could’ve maybe given me a slight hint before we got here.” He grinned, tilting his face slightly to bump his nose against Tobio’s. “But it’s okay, though you do realise you really <em>are</em> stuck with me forever now.”</p>
<p>Tobio let out a breathless laugh. “Y’know, I’m not seeing that as a bad thing.”</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Shirabu felt a strange sense of belonging in Hokubujōsai. It wasn’t <em>home</em> certainly, but it was a nice sense of familiarity. As the Brotherhood unpacked their horses and were quick to disperse into a city they knew they were safe in, he had felt a little less like an outsider to last time he was here. Whilst most were quick to find a tavern where they could slip back into anonymity, some remained in the fortress. Those select few were quick to rest up, to finally sit down and breathe a sigh of relief that they were back in a safe territory.</p>
<p> House Kageyama’s staff were all busy preparing for the feast Tobio had requested, so Shirabu found himself at a sort of loose end with no-one to really talk to. Exploring Hokubujōsai felt a tad too nosey, but he did find the tower by the gates to be quiet. A solitary guard was keeping watch and she didn’t seem to mind him standing and taking in the view of the city. Crows cawed as they swooped into the rookery across the courtyard, their calls filling the immediate silence that the wind did not. The flora felt more vibrant than the last time he was here; the trees in full leaves, flowers and shrubs sprouted from every patch of unfenced land. The pine forests that bordered the fortress’ grounds were filled with birdsong.</p>
<p>Amongst the birdsong, the general chatter of the city bubbled up, laughter and merriment spilt out from the taverns in the afternoon sunshine. Traders and vendors called out their advertisements, their bargains on price and boasts of good quality. Horse and mules pulled carts ladened with goods and supplies, if he focused he could even see the chickens that scuttled around the alleyways.</p>
<p>Considering just over a year ago the city was a ghost town, Tobio had worked wonders to turn it around. Shirabu wasn’t sure if it was wholly down to the boy-king or whether there were supernatural forces involved. He had heard about this Kirin from Hinata’s ramblings, the same Kirin that had done a lot of heavy lifting in recent months. He was curious about it, wondering how powerful one creature could be whilst next to no-one knowing about it.</p>
<p>He lost himself in his musings, leaning on the low wall of the guard tower and gazing out over the clustered buildings. The guard said nothing to him, often murmuring things to herself as she checked the beacon was still ready to be lit at a moment’s notice. He tuned her out to the point he didn’t hear the greeting offered to another.</p>
<p>“Ah, there you are.” A familiar voice remarked, startling him. He whipped around and saw Semi putting his hands up in surrender. “Didn’t mean to spook you.”</p>
<p>With a sigh, Shirabu shook his head. “It’s alright, just thinking.”</p>
<p>“Oh boy.” Semi wryly smiled, stepping up to the wall next to him. “What about?”</p>
<p>Shirabu shrugged, redirecting his gaze to the city once more. “Magic and stuff.”</p>
<p>“Of course,” Semi folded his arms on the low wall and followed his gaze, “anything in particular?”</p>
<p>“This Kirin Hinata keeps talking about. What it is, what it can do…stuff like that.”</p>
<p>“Ah, so stuff I can’t <em>possibly</em> comprehend.”</p>
<p>“I didn’t say that.” Shirabu pouted.</p>
<p>Semi chuckled. “Yeah yeah,” he looked to Shirabu with a curious gaze, “how are you holding up anyway, with all that magic stuff?”</p>
<p>Shirabu inhaled sharply. “Alright I suppose. I’m more…more concerned about Akaashi really.”</p>
<p>Semi nodded, still keeping his gaze on Shirabu. “You said you saw everything right? Like, he—”</p>
<p>“I don’t really want to talk about it.” Shirabu met his gaze. “It’s not exactly rosy.”</p>
<p>“Which is why I think you <em>should</em> talk about it.” Semi replied, giving him a pointed look. “Bottling shit up doesn’t help anyone.”</p>
<p>Shirabu wasn’t going to disagree, but this wasn’t just some repressed memory. He had seen the chaotic state Akaashi’s mind had been in. He wasn’t entirely sure Akaashi was out of the woods yet. He <em>seemed</em> fine, but Akaashi was king of keeping poker faces. Even Shirabu knew he had a reputation for it. There had been a lot of information thrown at him quickly, too quickly to process really. He had shoved it all aside to plead for Akaashi to not let it overwhelm him. He had said a lot of stuff. Stuff he probably needed to apologise for.</p>
<p>“Fine,” Shirabu sighed, “but not here.”</p>
<p>“Where then?” Semi immediately asked.</p>
<p>“You ever been in the pine forest behind Hokubujōsai?”</p>
<p>“Can’t say I have.”</p>
<p>“Perfect.” Shirabu flashed him a smile. “Time for a hike.”</p>
<p>The pine forest was deserted, which is exactly why Shirabu chose it. He knew Hinata was potentially around but the likelihood of them being found was slim. Semi hadn’t given any indication he was nervous about walking into unchartered territory, then again given his past, walking through unknown forests was probably the least dangerous thing he’d done. They walked for a while in silence, the forest floor was littered with pinecones and fallen branches making each footstep much more audible and noticeable.</p>
<p>Once Shirabu felt they were far enough away from Hokubujōsai to avoid being overheard, he sat down on a fallen tree trunk. Moss and ivy sporadically coated the trunk, extending all the way to the stump it had snapped off from. Semi didn’t wait to be asked, immediately sitting beside him.</p>
<p>“First things first,” Shirabu didn’t miss a beat, “don’t tell anyone else about this.”</p>
<p>“About what?”</p>
<p>He shot Semi a slightly unimpressed look. “About me seeing all this shit. I don’t need Kenma and that lot feeling guilty for putting me in that situation. I just acted on instinct. Hinata asked for help, I stepped up. That’s all there is to it.”</p>
<p>“Alright, don’t tell anyone about this. Got it.” Semi nodded.</p>
<p>Shirabu visibly relaxed, directing his gaze to the forest around them. “So for a start, I saw all the memories he had witnessed. Like, I saw the throne room of Hokubujōsai, I saw Kiyoko’s village in ruins, Yaku’s encounters with his father…” he trailed off, not looking at Semi as he continued, “I saw you kill Kuroo’s mother.”</p>
<p>Semi said nothing, prompting Shirabu to look at him. He looked indifferent as if he had expected it. Shirabu wasn’t sure how to feel about it.</p>
<p>“It was all too fast to really think about it, and I could hear the chaos in the throne room with Akiteru. I could hear Kiyoko and Hinata fighting to buy time. I could hear Hinata arguing with Akiteru.” He continued. “I could hear Akaashi’s stream of consciousness, or rather…unconsciousness?”</p>
<p>“He passed out?”</p>
<p>Shirabu nodded. “He was nearly gone when I got through all the clustered memories. I saw some…some weird other stuff. A battlefield strewn with bodies, broken and burning banners. Didn’t get very far before Akaashi became aware of my presence. He buried it all away. Wouldn’t let me see.”</p>
<p>Semi’s brow furrowed, there was clearly more to this than Akaashi had been willing to expose, even in a slightly unhinged state.</p>
<p>“So then he started saying how he had failed, how he was no better than Akiteru. Some bullshit about how he had used his powers in a similar fashion a few times…” He waved his hand dismissively. “He was exhausted, emotionally and mentally. And like, him and I aren’t close, but knowing how much he’s done for the Brotherhood, for Tobio and Tooru. I know everyone talks about Hinata being the chosen one and stuff but I’d argue Akaashi is just as worthy of that accolade.”</p>
<p>Semi would be inclined to agree. To put it bluntly; Akaashi had dealt with a lot of shit and single-handedly taken on the world on multiple occasions. He nodded, humming in agreement as Shirabu launched into another long train of thought.</p>
<p>“And so when he was basically moping about it all, I just had it. Y’know. We spent days working out how to help him take down Akiteru. I had channelled so much god damn magic through those damn ear cuffs to ensure Hinata could get to him. I—” He took a deep breath, an attempt to calm himself. “I wasn’t about to let him throw it all away because Akiteru had done <em>something</em>. So I yelled at him. You heard some of it I guess, I wasn’t exactly calm and composed.”</p>
<p>“Hah, uh yeah. You could say that.” Semi wryly smiled.</p>
<p>Shirabu allowed himself to smile at the situation. “I had one shot to get him on his feet again. I wasn’t gonna leave anything up to chance. Told him that falling at the last hurdle was pathetic, that he had gone in with the same arrogance that he had been scolding Kuroo about. That this entire plan had been ridiculous from the get-go, that Hinata and the others were putting themselves in danger for him and if he didn’t get his sorry ass up then he was a bad friend.”</p>
<p>Semi raised his eyebrows. “Hm, brutal.”</p>
<p>“Well <em>yeah</em>.” Shirabu snorted. “He was two seconds from unhinging. So I had to be brutal. And then we both heard Hinata being offered a surrender in exchange for some information about a vision? I have no clue, but Akaashi seemed to panic. So I seized that opportunity and told him that if he really wanted to prove Akiteru wrong, he’d get up and sock it to him.”</p>
<p>“And did he?”</p>
<p>“Well he got up. Then I saw a lot of bright purple light and I was forced out.” He shrugged. “Then it was just all the replaying of the memories until I heard Hinata saying they had survived.”</p>
<p>“And then you passed out. Sort of.”</p>
<p>Shirabu nodded. “It…” his hand went to his chest, wondering if he should kick that hornet’s nest. “It started hurting again.”</p>
<p>Semi’s brows furrowed. “It?”</p>
<p>Shirabu inhaled sharply. “I have a scar that never heals. It’s…not magical like Goshiki’s but it’s there.”</p>
<p>“I thought—”</p>
<p>“That my magic would heal it? Yeah, no.” Shirabu mumbled. “It doesn’t. I spent days trying to get it to heal over but…nothing.”</p>
<p>Semi wanted to ask if he could see it, he was curious but he didn’t want to make it a big thing. “It started hurting after you were exposed to all that empath magic…”</p>
<p>“Yup, dunno why. It hasn’t hurt in—well since I got it.”</p>
<p>“How…did you get it?”</p>
<p>“Akiteru.” Shirabu snorted. “He was the damn ‘seeker of knowledge’. Same one Hinata was nearly subjected to. He was one of the ones who was interrogating mages after the fire. Interrogation that turned to torture easily enough.” He gestured to his chest. “He was curious how my healing worked, so cut me up. Most of them healed over, all except one.”</p>
<p>“Damn.” Semi let out a heavy sigh, rubbing the back of his neck. “I didn’t…well, you never—I’m sorry.”</p>
<p>Shirabu snorted again. “Don’t apologise for things out of your control.”</p>
<p>“Hey, what else am I supposed to say?” Semi playfully nudged him in the side. “Look, I ain’t gonna tell you what to do, but have you spoken to Akaashi about any of this, like, the stuff from that night?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, but he brushed it off. He’s got this attitude about him that he’ll keep suffering in silence.”</p>
<p>“Hm, maybe you should bring it up again now we’re in safer territory?”</p>
<p>“Maybe.” Shirabu shrugged, meeting Semi’s gaze for the first time in a while. “Maybe it’s better to let things settle though, like, he’s been through hell and I don’t really think bringing it all up is gonna do him any good.” He sighed.</p>
<p>“I hear you.” Semi impulsively reached out and took Shirabu’s hand. “But you need to make sure you’re not taking on all that burden alone. Otherwise, you’re no better than him, and didn’t you yell at him about going it alone?”</p>
<p>Startled at the contact, Shirabu’s eyes widened. Yet he heard Semi’s point loud and clear. He hesitantly linked their fingers together.</p>
<p>“Yeah…I guess.” He shrugged. “It’s just, a lot. Too much to think about really.”</p>
<p>“I get it, and hey, maybe after everyone’s gotten some rest - <em>proper</em> rest - you can all talk about it a little more freely without the fear of causing more pain.”</p>
<p>Shirabu nodded. “I hope so. There are a lot of questions still lingering.”</p>
<p>Semi didn’t feel the need to say anything else. The pine forest around them was quiet but birdsong filled the air. It was a peaceful place to simply sit and enjoy their surroundings.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0087"><h2>87. Passing The Torch</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>LXXXVII</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Passing The Torch</strong>
</p>
<p>As the evening drew in, the banquet hall of the fortress became a hive of activity. Considering they only had a few hours’ notice, the kitchen staff of House Kageyama were able to prepare a meal fit for their victorious king and his esteemed friends. Roasted meat and carefully prepared vegetables were laid out on slabs of slate around the fire pits that were surrounded by low tables. Tobio didn’t care for formalities, he simply told everyone to eat their share and revel in their success. Wine and ale were served from the moment they sat down.</p>
<p>The atmosphere in the room was warm. A buzz of relief and joy rolled into one. Excited conversations were playing out amongst the Brotherhood, there was plenty of talk of how they were going to tell everyone the epic stories of both the battle and the encounter with the empire. Between the chatter of what had happened were snippets of what was yet to come.</p>
<p>It was common knowledge by now that Daichi intended to send many of them ‘back home’ to rest. There were varying reactions to such news, those like Kunimi and Yaku were caught between being thankful for such a grace period and being slightly apprehensive about all the questions. There was no doubt in Kunimi’s mind his mother was going to berate him for going off into battle and <em>then</em> getting tangled up in imperial politics. Yaku was more apprehensive about the long trip to Kitamine and how seeing his sister and her new-born would affect him.</p>
<p>But whilst there was uncertainty and apprehension about certain aspects of reuniting with family, there was also excitement and eagerness. Tanaka and Nishinoya were already mapping out their route home, albeit, in their heads and not on any parchment.</p>
<p>“Man I can’t wait to see da’s face when I tell him Saeko is a ship captain.” Tanaka remarked, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “He’s gonna be so proud.”</p>
<p>“Yeah but she’s a <em>pirate</em>.” Yaku snorted. “And who says he’ll believe you anyway?”</p>
<p>Tanaka grinned. “Ah he’ll believe me, especially considering I imagine Tooru is gonna like, send some official writ to the house.”</p>
<p>Yaku raised his eyebrows, clearly not believing a word Tanaka was saying. Nishinoya laughed as Tanaka stuck out his tongue at Yaku. “I mean, what about when you tell them you were <em>both</em> involved in winning the Battle of the Dynasty?”</p>
<p>“Hell yeah!” Tanaka slammed his fist down on the table, making several tankards clatter against one another and getting an unimpressed look from Daichi.</p>
<p>“Oyaoya.” Bokuto chimed in, mouth full of food as he leaned on Yaku’s shoulder. “And my brothers are gonna be like, awestruck at hearing all the stories of dragons and volcanoes.”</p>
<p>“Yes!” Nishinoya pointed at Bokuto. “Screw fighting, <em>that</em> is the more impressive part, and don’t forget us mages swooping in and being all like—” he proceeded to launch into an over-exaggerated string of gestures mimicking the events of the battle.</p>
<p>Laughter rose up as the storytelling took on a feverish pitch, drawing in more listeners and participants as it continued. From further down the table, Akaashi smiled to himself, able to hear the commotion of Nishinoya accidentally summoning sparks that ricocheted off tankards before fizzling out. Kuroo gazed fondly at him from across the table, catching his eye and giving him a smile.</p>
<p>“They make it sound so much more dramatic.” Akaashi murmured, getting a small giggle from Kiyoko sat nearby.</p>
<p>“To be fair, as someone who arrived halfway through the first half,” she swirled the contents of her tankard slightly, “it did look pretty dramatic.”</p>
<p>“Well, it’s all behind us now.” Kuroo gently put. “Let them tell the over-dramatic stories if they wish.”</p>
<p>“They can’t <em>really</em> blow it out of proportion much.” Kiyoko shrugged. “There was magic, dragons, giant snakes…”</p>
<p>“All we were missing was a phoenix.” Kuroo remarked.</p>
<p>“Oh there was one, well, it was in a sword.” Kiyoko took a long sip. “Iwaizumi loosely told me about it afterwards, apparently Tooru reclaimed a family sword just before the battle.” She shrugged again.</p>
<p>“Huh.” Kuroo flashed a glance to Akaashi was being quieter than the rest of the Brotherhood. Not that it was a bad thing, he was always quiet, but in light of everything there was a certain element of concern.</p>
<p>Food was eaten, tankards and goblets drained. The night drew on as laughter and chatter filled the air. Tobio made no grand speech, merely appreciating the lively company that the Brotherhood offered. He knew once they left he’d have to return to business. As well as the steward had done, there were many letters waiting for replies. The merchant families of the city wanted to suggest and ask for new permits to begin trade routes both to the west and the north. And of course, he needed to send the treaty to Tooru once he had signed it.</p>
<p>But those matters could wait for the dawn.</p>
<p>As they enjoyed each other’s company, there were two not present at the table. Yamaguchi had wanted to personally make sure Kei was settled. Whilst he still regarded Kei as a source of trouble and pain, he was respecting Tobio’s wishes. As such, he had shown Kei to one of the spare rooms within the servant’s quarters.</p>
<p>“And if you need anything,” Yamaguchi came to the end of the small induction into how Hokubujōsai’s serving staff functioned, “then I’m the one you come and find.”</p>
<p>Kei nodded, looking around the small room he had been allocated. It had a bed, a chest of drawers and two wall shelves. It was modest, but he preferred it to the manor in the north. He nodded again before meeting Yamaguchi’s gaze. “Ah, got it.”</p>
<p>“Starting tomorrow you’ll be working with the stable hands. I gather that some of the Brotherhood might be leaving soon so you’ll help get their horses ready if that’s the case.”</p>
<p>“Understood.”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi nodded. “Great, well, I’ll let you get settled. And well, Tobio doesn’t mind his staff leaving the fortress to relax in taverns and the like. Just make sure you’re awake early enough to get your jobs done.” He shrugged. “Basically don’t give the other serving staff a reason to come complaining to me about your laziness and you’ll be alright.”</p>
<p>There was a wry smile on Kei’s lips. “Noted. I’ll probably stay out of taverns honestly.”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi shrugged again. “Do what you wish.” He turned to leave, freezing when Kei grabbed his arm. “What?”</p>
<p>“I just,” Kei let go immediately, “wanted to thank you and Tobio again. For giving me this small chance to redeem myself.”</p>
<p>“That’s more Tobio than me, I assure you.” Yamaguchi wrinkled his nose. “But I’ll pass it along. Goodnight.”</p>
<p>Kei nodded again, letting Yamaguchi leave unhindered this time.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>It was much later in the night when the banquet hall began to empty. Wine and food had been consumed, and spirits were high as most of the Brotherhood meandered through the fortress to the guest quarters they had grown so accustomed to. Very few remained as the serving staff cleared away empty platters and tipped over tankards. Akaashi lazily picked at the last chunk of bread on the platter between him and Kuroo. A quiet conversation was playing out between Kuroo and Asahi about city defences, there were plans to improve the outer walls and rebuild a gateway that had been destroyed a few years ago. Akaashi wasn’t really paying much attention to the specifics as Tobio excused himself and bid them goodnight. The smell of roasted meat still hung in the air as the firepits were dying slowly, no-one had told the servants to maintain them once the meal was over.</p>
<p>Sitting in relative silence, Akaashi picked at the bread without much thought. He became aware he was being watched by Shirabu.</p>
<p>“Something the matter?” He asked as Kuroo continued to get far too invested in construction plans.</p>
<p>Shirabu shook his head, leaning his elbows on the table. “Just deep in thought.”</p>
<p>Akaashi met his gaze, there was a pang of curiosity behind Shirabu’s usual indifferent facade. “Deep in thought.” He repeated quietly. “Hm.”</p>
<p>“Something tells me you are too.”</p>
<p>Akaashi shook his head. He had been actively trying <em>not </em>to think the last few days. The flashes of memories came and went in the blink of an eye but it was what accompanied them that was more troublesome. Sounds, smells, even the fleeting feelings that had been present were what threw him off more. He could deal with silent images and the night terrors as he slept, but waking nightmares were worse.</p>
<p>“Not really.”</p>
<p>Shirabu didn’t seem to believe him, not that Akaashi blamed him of course. He had seen for himself exactly what Akaashi had been carrying for so long. Still the quiet conversation continued, Shirabu didn’t question him any further. For that, Akaashi was thankful. As he continued to pick at the bread, Akaashi felt himself growing more tired, as it seemed Kuroo wasn’t quite done with his conversation, Akaashi excused himself from the table.</p>
<p>Hokubujōsai was a quiet fortress. Given how small the royal household was and the lack of resident nobles, there wasn’t nearly as many guards or servants bustling around as there had been in either Hinode or the Blue Palace. And now that Kyoutani wasn’t living there, there was no distant rumble of the dragon in the rafters either. In many ways it was peaceful, but in many other ways it was unnerving. Akaashi wasn’t used to this quiet. There had been many weeks of loud, chaotic noise from any and all directions. From the battlefield to the balls, there hadn’t been many moments of true peace and quiet.</p>
<p>As he halted in the middle of the throne room, the silence felt suffocating. Silver light poured in through open windows in the upper reaches of the vaulted ceiling. The banners and tapestries loomed in the gloom, eyes of the dragons watched him. Casting his gaze around, he saw the panel that Inuoka usually left open was shut tight, not a single candle’s glow coming from the area. Despite knowing that the others were only a room away, he began to feel isolated, alone, almost trapped.</p>
<p>The silver glow did little to illuminate much at floor level, casting large shadows around the throne instead. He wondered if the throne room always felt this gloomy and foreboding, like there were creatures lurking in the shadows. He wondered if kings and queens gone by had fought the darkness with grand braziers and torches set in wall sconces. Or had they lived with the gloom, had they embraced the shadows as Kyoutani had done when the Brotherhood first stumbled in? Did they lure their enemies into an unguarded fortress only to gut them where he stood?</p>
<p>His spiralling thoughts made it easy for the memories to rear up once more. The bloodied walls, the shrieks and pleas for mercy washed over his senses. He clenched his hands into fists, heat emanated from them as he stood battling the thoughts from years ago. Flashes of purple light illuminated what the moonlight did not. Arcing out from his closed fist, he felt his chest ache as his breathing quickened. The bloodied walls of the throne room remained at the forefront of his mind, as did the stomach-churning feeling of dread.</p>
<p>Heat continued to pulse from his closed fingers. He was acutely aware he was starting to lose control. He was also aware of a change in the air. A crackling of energy, cold to the touch. A frantic feeling was present nearby, voices, though faint, were there. A cold hand reached out and took his. He tried to blink out of the vision but found himself rooted. He was trapped within his own mind. The hand holding his got colder, ice began to coat the violent purple flames.</p>
<p><em>“Someone go get Hinata. Now.”</em> Inuoka’s voice was faint but the urgency was there.</p>
<p>Ice continued to coat his hand, the dull throb of the cold quelled the uneasiness that was still rising within him. Still the bloodied walls of Hokubujōsai remained all he could see. As much as he didn’t want to chance it, he was thankful he was stuck in this memory and not a certain other one.</p>
<p><em>“Akaashi, if you can hear me, it’s okay. We’re gonna fix this.</em>” Inuoka told him, taking his other hand and repeating the same ice-coating process.</p>
<p>Akaashi wasn’t sure <em>how</em> they were going to fix it, but he trusted them. They hadn’t ever let him down.</p>
<p>A stronger presence arrived, confusion and concern swirled around them. He allowed himself to relax a little, even given the sight he was being subjected to. A murmured conversation was happening but it was drowned out by the low rumble of <em>something</em>. Akaashi wasn’t sure if it was in his head or not. No-one else seemed to react so he figured it was him going slightly crazy. The banners in the throne room began to catch alight. Another rumble was heard, louder, heavier. As he fixed his eyes on the throne, he felt a stronger wave of dread wash over him.</p>
<p><em>“Akaashi.</em>” Hinata’s voice punched through clearer than Inuoka’s. He sounded rattled yet composed. <em>“We’re taking you to the Kirin.”</em></p>
<p>It seemed like he had no choice in the matter. He felt his body moving but his mind’s eye was still in the throne room. The rumbling continued but with no obvious source. Then the room began to shift. As he was aware of cool air against his skin, his eyes saw a different scene entirely.</p>
<p>Bodies were strewn across a battlefield. Broken banners of House Oikawa littered the area, some were on fire, others were stained with blood. He got a sinking feeling again in his stomach as he realised what was happening. Whilst his hands were still encased in ice, he felt the heat all the same. The screaming started. Harrowing screams of agony. His throat felt hoarse just thinking and hearing it.</p>
<p>And then he realised it was <em>his</em> screams he could hear. This battlefield, this feeling of it being so real, this wasn’t a nightmare or faked vision. Akiteru had been telling the truth. This was real. This had happened and yet…it hadn’t. He was feeling woozy as the air around him shifted and he felt water at his feet. Faint splashing and hushed talking echoed in between the warped sounds of death and anguish.</p>
<p>The ice around his hands melted away, replaced by someone taking both his hands and squeezing them.</p>
<p><em>“Alright, just you and me Keiji.”</em> Hinata sounded conflicted about something. That wasn’t good. <em>“We’ll figure this out. I promise.</em>”</p>
<p>He did his best to nod. His senses were all over the place, drifting between reality and…whatever this other state of mind was. He felt cool air again and heard the crunching of leaves underfoot. Hinata led him into a cavern of sorts. All at once, he was pulled from his troubled state.</p>
<p>His knees buckled from the abrupt change in sensation. He was still holding one of Hinata’s hands as he stooped to one knee. Now able to see properly, his eyes fell upon the large creature that Hinata had been talking about all this time, one he had only caught a glimpse of during the battle. She was larger than a normal stag, but with the body antlers of one, leathery wings that had once been made of feathers if the collection of torn feathers on the floor was anything to go by, the face that seemed more feline than stag and most notably the faded purple mane and tail. Her golden eyes met his as she sat there, legs tucked under her as a cat would perch on a fence.</p>
<p><em>‘Ah. This must be Akaashi.</em>’</p>
<p>He shot Hinata a glance, Hinata nodded and decided to reply on his behalf. “Uh, yes, this is Akaashi.” He waved their hands still clasped together around. “And uh, well, he needs your help.”</p>
<p>The Kirin didn’t move, slowly blinking. <em>‘That he does.</em>’</p>
<p>“Great!” Hinata beamed, though it was forced, Akaashi could tell he wasn’t really sure what was going to happen. “Uh, so…”</p>
<p><em>‘Shoyo, I will not mince words.’ </em>She turned her attention to him. <em>‘What he needs isn’t something to be agreed to lightly.</em>’</p>
<p>“Uh…” Hinata swallowed. “…what does he need?”</p>
<p><em>‘In his current state, he will continue to go through the cycle of unhinging unless something is done. Considering you have brought him to me, I assume you want him to be rid of these visions that torment him?</em>’</p>
<p>Hinata had the good grace to pretend to not be surprised before looking to Akaashi. “Well, uh, you heard that right?”</p>
<p>Akaashi had indeed heard. Though what he thought was unclear. He wasn’t aware he was still in a state of unhinging, yet if the Kirin deemed him so, he wasn’t going to question it.</p>
<p>He cleared his throat. “When you say ‘rid’, are you talking about—”</p>
<p><em>‘Not abolishing memories, no. This is more of a case of lessening their potency. You may not remember them fully, or in as clear detail, but they will remain to some degree so not to cause a void in your memories that’ll distress you. They will not plague your nightmares as they are currently. You will stabilise once more and be able to live your life free of torment from what you have seen.</em>’</p>
<p>Akaashi swallowed. That wasn’t such a bad solution. “…then why should it not be agreed to lightly?”</p>
<p>Her gaze turned to Hinata again. <em>‘Remember what we told you about things requiring prices? This is one of those things.’</em></p>
<p>Hinata’s eyes widened. “Aha, uh, well I can—”</p>
<p><em>‘No. You cannot.’</em> She cut in. Akaashi looked between the two of them as silence fell. The more secretive conversation piqued his interest but this clearly was something deeper between Hinata and the Kirin. As the silence wore on, he felt the dread rising up again as Hinata’s expression changed to one of disbelief.</p>
<p>“You can’t though.” He broke the silence. “…there’s got to be…surely I can do—”</p>
<p><em>‘Your duty is to protect Tobio. You have made an oath in mind, heart and soul to him and him alone. I will not allow you to take on such a task.’  </em>The Kirin shook her head. <em>‘My duty is to help you when you cannot risk yourself. Like you protect Tobio, I protect you. That is how it was with Hēishān, and with Yukio. That is how it will be with my successor.</em>’</p>
<p>“But you…I…” Hinata was at a loss as Akaashi watched the Kirin get to her feet. He could now fully appreciate the majesty and size of her up close. He could also see the many scars from battles gone by. The dullness in her mane and tail spoke of her waning health.</p>
<p>“What is she talking about?” Akaashi asked Hinata.</p>
<p>Hinata shook his head. “She’s…by doing this, she’s going to…go.” Hinata sniffed.</p>
<p>Akaashi’s gaze snapped back to her as she stepped down from her plateau. A faint white glow rolled off her as she halted in front of him and bowed, presenting her head to him. He wasn’t sure if he should allow this, Hinata was worked up about it but at the same time, he had a mythical being offering to rid him of his torments. Torments he had taken on to save others, to ease their pain and suffering.</p>
<p>“Do it.” Hinata’s voice cracked. Akaashi didn’t feel right about it, but he wasn’t going to turn down the offer. He hesitantly reached out and placed his hand on her forehead. Immediately he felt a strange sense of deja vu from when he took this same stance in a ritual circle with a dragon.</p>
<p>White mist surrounded him. A warmth rose through his fingers as gentle hues of purple coloured the mist.</p>
<p><em>‘Shoyo understands, even if he doesn’t want to accept it.</em>’ A voice inside his head spoke. ‘<em>Do not feel guilty Keiji. You have done so much to ensure the survival of others and to protect your friends. You have paid the price for that many times more than you should have.</em>’</p>
<p>The warmth spread up his arm to his chest. The ache and dread ebbed away slowly as the mist encircled him.</p>
<p>
  <em>‘You have seen, heard and felt things no mortal should. You have taken on more burdens than most are aware of. You have carried them for so long. It is time you pass the torch.’</em>
</p>
<p>As the warmth reached his head. He felt woozy again. Rather than seeing blurs of trauma he had witnessed, he saw different memories. He saw cosy nights in the taverns, he saw the bright yellow sun shining down on rolling hills, he heard laughter, he heard a ship’s bell tolling. Kēpu yōsai faded into view with its stone walls and the Silver Owl banner jostling in the breeze as it hung from the tower.</p>
<p><em>‘It is time to dwell on the light. Time to remember what you’ve been fighting for all this time. Time to cherish those you have saved. Allow yourself to appreciate the time you have.</em>’</p>
<p>The images and sounds faded. He found himself back in the cavern, hand still pressed against the Kirin’s head. As the mist around him faded away entirely, he pulled his hand away. He felt lighter. He felt emptier, but in a good way, like the weight of the world had well and truly lifted from his shoulders.</p>
<p>“Keiji?” Hinata’s voice was strained. “Are you…”</p>
<p>“I’m, good.” Akaashi nodded slowly. “…yeah.”</p>
<p>Hinata smiled, even if he looked like he was about to burst into tears. “The others are outside.”</p>
<p>Akaashi nodded, looking back at the Kirin who had stood back to her full height once more. “Thank-you.”</p>
<p>She slowly nodded. <em>‘Truly, it is me who should thank you for all you’ve done for all of us. I hope you are at ease now.’</em></p>
<p>Akaashi took a hint as he nodded in thanks again and quickly found his way out of the cave. Hinata remained, the reality of the situation kicking in now. He looked at the Kirin, her mane and tail now the faintest of purple hues. He couldn’t be mad, he had known bringing Akaashi here would result in <em>something</em> like this happening.</p>
<p>But it still stung.</p>
<p>“Are you really…dying?” He whispered.</p>
<p>She nodded. ‘<em>Though it is not as finite as you may think. My physical self may leave this world, but as with all Kirin, my spirit shall watch over the forest.</em>’ She turned to face him and bowed her head. <em>‘I shall be watching over you Shoyo, just as Hēishān was. Another will fill my role as your guardian.</em>’</p>
<p>He closed the gap between them and hugged her neck, burying his face in her mane as he let the tears spill from his eyes. “Thank-you for everything.” He whispered.</p>
<p>She was silent for a few moments, ducking her head to nuzzle at his shoulder. ‘<em>Be strong Shoyo. Our spirits will cross paths again someday, until then, protect those you love and do not be afraid to let your magic flow.</em>’</p>
<p>He nodded and finally pulled back to meet her gaze again. He was reminded of when Hēishān left after the battle as a white glow began to consume her. He took a few steps back as a gentle breeze disturbed the dried leaves on the cavern floor, whipping them up as the encircled her. She nodded to him one final time before the light brightened. He had to shield his eyes as the wind in the cavern strengthened.</p>
<p>As soon as the wind died down, he lowered his arm and found himself stood in the cavern alone.</p>
<p>The leaves settled on the dirt floor once more, the vines and ivy ceased to move. The silence was almost unsettling. He wanted to cry, it would be a reasonable reaction. Yet he found himself holding back the tears for now, his thoughts turned to Akaashi instead.</p>
<p>Emerging from the cave, he saw the others gathered just outside the entrance in the dim glow of a torch Inuoka was holding. What stole his attention though was the hanging lantern. As he stood under the archway, the ring on his finger pulsed, at the same time, the lantern lit up with a gentle blue glow. He likened it to a beacon fire, a signal to others that something had happened.</p>
<p>“Shoyo?” Kenma’s quiet voice brought him out of his thoughts. “Are you okay?”</p>
<p>He sniffed loudly and forced a smile. “Yup, fine.” He looked past Kenma to Akaashi. “Are you okay?”</p>
<p>Akaashi nodded. “Yeah…I think so? I don’t feel so heavy.”</p>
<p>Nishinoya and Inuoka exchanged a glance, the former patting Akaashi’s shoulder. “Well, we should get back before Kuroo sends a search party.”</p>
<p>At the mention of Kuroo, Akaashi’s eyes widened. He looked to Hinata again. “He’s alive, right?”</p>
<p>The question threw Nishinoya and Inuoka off, their confusion obvious in their expressions. Kenma looked between Akaashi and Hinata as the beat of silence lasted a little longer than necessary.</p>
<p>Hinata’s smile was more genuine as he replied. “He is.” He said. “None of it ever happened.”</p>
<p>Akaashi’s eyes narrowed slightly. “It never happened.” He echoed.</p>
<p>“Exactly.”</p>
<p>Kenma raised an eyebrow as Akaashi still seemed baffled yet accepting of Hinata’s statement. Inuoka reiterated Nishinoya’s point to return before a search party was sent. Akaashi agreed, letting Inuoka take his hand and begin leading him out of the forest with Nishinoya in tow. Hinata remained outside the cave, Kenma made no move to leave.</p>
<p>“You probably want to know what—”</p>
<p>“Of course.” Kenma quirked an eyebrow. “That was some Kirin-level cryptic talking there.”</p>
<p>Hinata nodded. “Well it was Kirin-level stuff we were talking about.”</p>
<p>“Yeah?”</p>
<p>Hinata glanced around the clearing, the water in the shallow pool was still, the forest was shrouded in mist and darkness as the lantern continued to bear blue light. It was peaceful, almost too peaceful. He expected some new threat to emerge and cut him off, for some interruption of chance.</p>
<p>When none came, he sighed heavily.</p>
<p>“Remember when I told you that Kirin showed me a vision?” He asked, flashing Kenma a glance before fixing his gaze on the lantern.</p>
<p>“I do.”</p>
<p>“I lied.”</p>
<p>Kenma was quiet for a few moments. “So what happened?”</p>
<p>Hinata shook his head. “Long story short, the battle went wrong. Kuroo died. Akaashi unhinged.” He shrugged. “It was bad. And I felt like I had failed.”</p>
<p>Kenma reached out and took his hand, offering a reassuring squeeze as he kept his gaze firmly away from Kenma’s. “Yet Kuro is very much alive.”</p>
<p>“That’s because I did…something to change it all.” Hinata wasn’t sure he should be feeling this amount of relief from spilling the secret he had been fighting to protect for so long. But something in his soul told him that if they were to all move on from the events of the past, he too needed to confide in someone he trusted with such dangerous knowledge.</p>
<p>And that someone had always been Kenma.</p>
<p>“Something.”</p>
<p>Hinata squeezed Kenma’s hand. Even if he was sure of himself now, he was partially fearful for what repercussions could burst forth from him uttering the words. Akiteru figuring out something had happened was one thing, him <em>telling</em> someone was something else.</p>
<p>“Promise me you won’t tell anyone.” He met Kenma’s gaze. “I can’t…I can’t have anyone else knowing. Akaashi is already half guessing as it is.”</p>
<p>Kenma nodded without a hint of hesitation. “I promise.”</p>
<p>“I manipulated time.” He spoke softly, barely above a whisper. “I did what should be impossible, I…I had to use the void and its balance, I had to do so much more than anyone realises.” He babbled. “But I had to do it. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you—”</p>
<p>Kenma gently put a finger to Hinata’s lips, hushing him. “You don’t need to explain yourself to me Shoyo.” He whispered, letting his finger fall away. “I figured out a long time ago that you do things, no matter how crazy and dangerous, out of love for others.”</p>
<p>“But—”</p>
<p>“It’s okay.” Kenma shook his head. “I don’t hold it against you.”</p>
<p>For whatever reason, that was the thing that made Hinata’s composure slip. His eyes welled up with tears as Kenma gently pulled him into a hug. He cried into Kenma’s shirt. The weeks of pressure and suppressed thoughts collided with the sense of grief from the Kirin’s passing. Whilst he was relieved he had finally told Kenma the truth, there were many other emotions surging through him.</p>
<p>Kenma didn’t say anything, holding him close as he finally let go of everything that had been bottled up.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Akaashi was honestly surprised that the fortress was quiet when he returned, being led by Inuoka and Nishinoya. Braziers were still lit but the voices in the banquet room had fallen silent. Inuoka nodded to Nishinoya, a wordless exchange before the latter hurried off towards the guest quarters. Inuoka kept hold of Akaashi’s hand and gestured for him to follow him towards the other side of the fortress. In the past, Akaashi would feel a sense of foreboding about it, but he still felt this strange sense of calm he hadn’t felt in years.</p>
<p> He half expected to find himself in the mage quarters, yet it was one of the small private rooms that Inuoka led him to.  He smiled slightly as he figured out what was about to happen. Candles were lit as he sat on the edge of the bed, Inuoka didn’t ask any questions about what happened, nor did he seem particularly concerned about anything. It was almost odd.</p>
<p>Footsteps preceded the knock at the door. Inuoka opened it and allowed Kuroo to walk in before excusing himself and shepherding Nishinoya away. As the door closed once again, Akaashi didn’t get a chance to explain before Kuroo sat next to him and pulled him into a tight hug. There was the faint smell of wine on his breath, but he was definitely sober.</p>
<p>“What happened?” He whispered, pulling back and holding Akaashi’s face, thumbs brushing over the rise of his cheekbones. “I heard a commotion, something about purple light? Then Hinata’s being summoned and you’re being taken somewhere?”</p>
<p>Akaashi covered Kuroo’s hands with his. “I…” He wasn’t sure what to say. “I’m not sure.”</p>
<p>Kuroo swallowed, eyes searching his for answers he couldn’t give. “Are you okay?”</p>
<p>He smiled. “Yeah, better than I’ve been in…months.”</p>
<p>“Months?”</p>
<p>Akaashi gently pulled Kuroo’s hands from his cheeks and rested them in his lap. “I was trapped in my thoughts, the memories of everything…stuff Akiteru said.” He murmured. “And Inuoka found me, he got Hinata…next thing I know I’m in a cave and it all just stopped.”</p>
<p>“A cave?”</p>
<p>“The Kirin.” He explained. “Hinata took me to the Kirin. And…well she put it bluntly.” He averted his gaze momentarily, unsure how to recount something that had happened so fast. “I was unhinging again.”</p>
<p>Kuroo immediately cut in. “Again? When…when did you—”</p>
<p>Akaashi grimaced. He had hoped to talk to Kuroo more privately about it at another point. “Akiteru got inside my head. And it was bad.” He shook his head. “If it wasn’t for Shirabu and Hinata I…”</p>
<p>Kuroo squeezed his hands. “It’s okay, you don’t need to tell me all the details right now, so this Kirin said you were going through it again?”</p>
<p>“Yeah.”</p>
<p>“And…then what?”</p>
<p>Akaashi closed his eyes, the recent memory coming back to him with ease; the image of the majestic creature that had been guiding Hinata this entire time stood in front of him talking so plainly and with purpose. Thinking back, she reminded him of how he felt in Kiyoko’s presence when she had been a dragon. Especially as she bowed her head to meet his reach and the way magic had seeped into his fingers and washed over him.</p>
<p>“I’m not really sure what exactly happened. She spoke to Hinata in a way I couldn’t hear, like two souls talking on a plane different to ours.”</p>
<p>“Sounds about right for Hinata.” Kuroo remarked.</p>
<p>Akaashi couldn’t help but smile. “Yeah, and whatever she said, he was upset about, but he told me to go through with it. And so I did.” He took a moment to think how to possibly word the experience to someone who hadn’t been plagued by such memories and traumas. “She told me I had been strong for so long, that I had taken on more than any mortal should’ve…and that it was time to pass the torch.”</p>
<p>Kuroo nodded along, still offering reassuring squeezes to his hands. “And then?”</p>
<p>“That was it.” He murmured. “She backed away and I…I felt lighter.” He brought a hand up to his chest. “I don’t feel like I’m weighed down anymore, and I can still remember…most of it but it doesn’t hurt?” His brow furrowed. “I remember the throne room, Kiyoko’s village…all of it.” He met Kuroo’s gaze again. “But I don’t feel the pain I used to. They’re just pictures.”</p>
<p>Kuroo wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or not. Hearing that Akaashi wasn’t in pain was obviously something to be thankful for, but he was confused and curious in equal measures about what exactly this Kirin had done.</p>
<p>“Hinata might be able to tell you more.” Akaashi supplied as Kuroo didn’t say anything. “But he seemed upset about it…I think there was something about a cost, something about it not being something agreed to lightly?” He shook his head. “I’m sorry I don’t remember—”</p>
<p>“Hey none of that.” Kuroo’s hand came up and softly held his chin so he wouldn’t be able to avert his gaze again. “For now all that matters to me is that you’re okay.”</p>
<p>Akaashi smiled. “I’m okay, yeah.”</p>
<p>Kuroo mirrored the smile. “Good.”</p>
<p>“I reckon Inuoka is expecting us to stay here tonight.”</p>
<p>Kuroo shrugged. “I don’t mind that at all.”</p>
<p>They were quick to strip off their day clothes and slip under the blankets of the single bed. It was cosy, the feeling of being pressed flush against one another in the dim glow of the candle was one they knew well but never grew tired of.</p>
<p>Kuroo gently combed his fingers through Akaashi’s hair as he felt the other relax further. There were a lot of thoughts running amok in his head, but he didn’t want to spend the entire night speculating what had happened. Akaashi was feeling better and that’s all that mattered to him now.</p>
<p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Just a minor note; we've entered the last 10 chapters of this fic, and entire series. 😇</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0088"><h2>88. Give Me Hope In The Darkness And I Will See The Light</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>And a quick Happy Thanksgiving to all those who celebrate it 🙏</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>LXXXVIII</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Give Me Hope In The Darkness And I Will See The Light</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Tobio had been barely awake when Hinata had returned from the forest. He felt the bedsheets move as Hinata quickly dove under them and then felt Hinata’s body press against his. He had mumbled something akin to asking if Akaashi was okay, Hinata had sniffed loudly and whispered a quick yes before falling silent.</p>
<p>Now in the dawn’s light and having got some sleep, Tobio noticed the puffiness of Hinata’s eyes. It wasn’t entirely clear if Hinata had actually slept as he often woke up before Tobio anyway. Still sitting in bed with covers pooling around his waist, his slightly too big shirt covering most of his tattoos bar the one that wrapped around his neck, Hinata didn’t seem totally at ease like he usually did.</p>
<p>“What happened last night?” Tobio broke the silence as he remained laying down.</p>
<p>He watched as Hinata stiffened. His curiosity mounting quickly. If Akaashi was okay, then what had caused Hinata to seem so shaken and distraught? Slowly, he reached out and stroked Hinata’s back. There were a few more moments of silence before Hinata eventually replied.</p>
<p>“The Kirin saved Akaashi from himself.” Hinata supplied, his voice raspy like he had been sobbing. “But it…she…”</p>
<p>Whatever Tobio had expected, it wasn’t that. He maintained his composure even as questions bubbled up. “She?”</p>
<p>Hinata sniffed. “She’s gone.”</p>
<p>“Gone…”</p>
<p>“Another has taken her place though, so your kingdom is safe.”</p>
<p>Tobio honestly didn’t give a shit about his kingdom’s supposed safety. He sat up and wrapped an arm around Hinata’s waist before tugging him into a hug. Hinata was quick to bury his face in Tobio’s chest. As much as he hadn’t sought direct counsel from the creature, he knew her significance but he <em>also</em> knew Hinata had relied on her many times. Without her, many things would’ve gone awry. It was like Hinata had told him before they left for Hinode, the Kirin deserved just as many accolades for her part in everything as Hēishān did.</p>
<p>“Shoyo.” Tobio murmured, kissing the top of Hinata’s head as he sagged against him. “You don’t need to bottle it up.”</p>
<p>“I’m not.” He mumbled. “I cried a lot last night.”</p>
<p>Tobio was sort of glad to hear that. “O-Okay.”</p>
<p>“I just feel really numb okay…” He continued. “Like…it was so quick…I didn’t really—I got to say goodbye but I wanted to talk to her longer about stuff…”</p>
<p>“Well, you still can.” Tobio supplied.</p>
<p>Hinata pulled back slightly and met Tobio’s gaze, his eyes were red and cheeks tear-stained. “How’s that?”</p>
<p>“I’ll get a statue of her added to the shrine in the cave below.” Tobio stated without needing to think about it. “You were saying about honouring her like we honour Hēishān right?” Tobio wiped at the fresh tears that were trickling down Hinata’s cheeks. “So you can talk to her like we talk to my ancestors.” He let a pause rest in the air. “And we’ll get Sou to write up a lengthy record of her actions. She’ll be remembered, for everything she’s done for you, for us.”</p>
<p>Hinata wasn’t sure why such simple statements made him feel better. Perhaps it was more to do with who was making them. He sniffed loudly, more tears falling. Tobio was quick to wipe them away again with more gentle swipes of his thumb.</p>
<p>“I know I can’t bring her back Shoyo,” he said, “but we can make sure she doesn’t fade from our memories.”</p>
<p>“Yeah…” Hinata whispered. “Yeah.”</p>
<p>Tobio smiled slightly, loosening his hold on Hinata and flopping back down in bed before beckoning Hinata to join him. After a moment of consideration, Hinata shuffled back and lay down next to Tobio, wriggling around until he got comfortable curled up against Tobio’s side. As an arm wrapped around him again, he sighed heavily. After everything he had been through recently, this stung the most. He had no doubt he’d bounce back, but it still hurt to think about.</p>
<p>The day was still young, though he already felt tired enough to sleep through it entirely.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>A few days passed in Hokubujōsai. Trying to adapt to ‘regular’ life was hard. For some, slipping back into the normal routine was easy, for others, it was marred by questions about ‘what now?’. As the dust settled, there was time to think properly about what had happened. The memories of war were still fresh.</p>
<p>Kiyoko had kept her composure for most of the time after the ordeal in Hinode. Many asked if she was shaken up about nearly dying in the throne room, albeit in not as blunt terms, but she could read between the lines. She had polished and cared for her blade but had yet to swing it since they returned. As much as she wanted to jump straight back into everything, she needed a break from it.</p>
<p>And that was the common feeling in many of them. As much as they were physically fine, the emotional and mental toll of everything was catching up. Some barely slept through the night now, others felt seconds away from bursting into tears. It was hard to know who was really okay anymore. Daichi had kept his cool head, giving everyone time to think, time to breathe and accept they were no longer fighting for survival. But the days were passing and he was still adamant they needed to properly rest.</p>
<p>So when he called them all together in the banquet hall late one afternoon, most knew what it was about. Yamaguchi and Asahi were present, but Tobio and Hinata were ‘busy elsewhere’. Whether it had been planned, no-one was sure but Daichi wasn’t going to allow speculation.</p>
<p>“Alright, I’ll keep this short and to the point,” he folded his arms across his chest as he looked around the group, “I’m sending you home tomorrow.” He let the statement sink in. “Those of you who have families in the west, I want you to go back to them. I want you to go and rest, remember why were put so much on the line. For those of you who don’t, you’re welcome to return to Kēpu yōsai with me or stay here with Tobio.”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi cleared his throat. “Obviously, Tobio doesn’t mind how many of you wish to stay, but you might be put to work here if you do.” He added with a smile.</p>
<p>Daichi nodded. “I’ll be returning to Kēpu yōsai but that’s mainly to make sure any repairs needed are done before the harvest season. Moniwa will be with me, but it’ll certainly be quiet.” He glanced around the group again. “I’ll leave you all to decide who’s going where and travelling parties.”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi nodded along. “As for horses, Tobio has no issue with you continuing to borrow them if it makes the trip easier.”</p>
<p>“Just don’t lose them.” Asahi added, prompting a small chuckle from some of the others.</p>
<p>Glances were exchanged, no-one had been surprised by this declaration of course, but hearing Daichi be so firm about it was refreshing.</p>
<p>Kenma was the first to speak. “I’ll be staying here. I have no desire to return to Kēpu yōsai immediately.”</p>
<p>“Me too!” A chirp rose from under the table before Lev’s furry face popped out.</p>
<p>Tanaka yawned loudly. “Well I’ll be heading home, gotta tell my pa and ma about all this crazy shit.” He glanced to Nishinoya. “You coming?”</p>
<p>Nishinoya nodded. “You bet!”</p>
<p>Bokuto was the next to declare his intentions. “Can’t wait to get back and see my brothers.” He grinned, looking to Kuroo and Akaashi. “You gonna pass by on your way to—”</p>
<p>“Yes.” Akaashi answered quickly. “You’re more than welcome to come and visit as well.”</p>
<p>“And be the third wheel?” Bokuto wrinkled his nose. “Nah I’m good thanks.”</p>
<p>There was a shared laugh. Suga quickly stated he’d be going back to Kawamura with Kiyoko and if anyone was heading past Tanishiti they could tag along. Yaku was a little less enthusiastic about returning home but agreed to travel with them on his route north to Kitamine.</p>
<p>“I suppose we’ll see if Tooru’s managed to return.” Kunimi remarked as the subject of his trip home with Kindaichi came up. “I’m sure Iwaizumi is dying to get back to safer territory.”</p>
<p>“Do you blame him?” Shirabu remarked. “But hey, if he hasn’t, I can get you into the palace easily enough.”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi chose to interject. “Actually we need a favour from you Shirabu.”</p>
<p>“Yeah?”</p>
<p>“Tobio needs Tooru to sign the new treaty and send it back to Yachi, would you be able to take it with you?”</p>
<p>“’Course.” Shirabu shrugged. “Just roll it up and get it to me before we leave.”</p>
<p>Daichi nodded along, casting his gaze to Semi. “And what are you doing? You staying here?”</p>
<p>Semi raised an eyebrow. “No, no I’ll be…leaving.”</p>
<p>That was good enough for Daichi. “Well, I have no set date in mind for having everyone return. Obviously as the harvest season comes in, there’ll be work around the fort, the local villages will be offering coin for farmhands to help out. So if you want an excuse to get back sooner rather than later, there you go.”</p>
<p>There were hums in agreement and a few jokey remarks about parents getting sick of them being home. Daichi was satisfied that everyone had a place to go to and get some deserved rest. He dismissed them and beckoned Asahi to follow him into the throne room. Once alone, he let his guard down a little.</p>
<p>“It feels weird to be telling them to go their own ways for a while.” He remarked quietly.</p>
<p>Asahi smiled. “Yeah but they deserve it. <em>You</em> deserve it. I know you said you’ll be keeping busy, but time away from people is good.” He glanced back at the door to the banquet hall. “They’re family, but family get in your nerves from time to time. It’s good to part ways and reunite once more. You appreciate how alive they make you feel.”</p>
<p>Daichi gave Asahi a knowing smile. “Yeah, yeah they do.”</p>
<p>“And I’m sure you’ll appreciate a few weeks without chaos breaking out every day.” Asahi wryly smiled.</p>
<p>“Good luck.” Daichi remarked. “Kenma and Lev can be just as chaotic as Bokuto and Kuroo.”</p>
<p>“Oh I don’t doubt that.” Asahi sighed. “But it’s good. Tobio likes the buzz they bring to the place. It reminds us that this place is meant to be a home, not just a royal residence.”</p>
<p>Daichi nodded. He could see and feel the change that Hokubujōsai had been through since they first stumbled in. Sure it felt empty on some days but there was a warmth blossoming as the days went by. In time he knew it would only grow more. He was eager to see how it would feel when he returned.</p>
<p>“So, you said you’re sending them all tomorrow,” Asahi said, “are you gonna make sure they all leave first and then leave yourself?”</p>
<p>“Yeah. Kēpu yōsai isn’t as far away as Tanishiti, I feel like we could wait another day or two before leaving.” He shrugged. “And I want Kenma to make a list of stuff he wants us to send up here. Between you and me, I feel like this might be a more permanent move for him.”</p>
<p>Asahi nodded slowly. “Yeah?”</p>
<p>“He told Koushi a while ago that if Hinata ever left, he’d leave with him.” Daichi smiled fondly. “And whilst Hinata hasn’t ‘left’, I think it’s pretty obvious he belongs here.”</p>
<p>There was a slight chuckle from Asahi. “I don’t think Tobio would <em>make</em> him stay, but yeah, they’re good together.”</p>
<p>Daichi wasn’t going to dispute that.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Tobio had been quick to get back to work. The pile of letters wasn’t going to get through itself. As they sat in the king’s chamber together, Hinata was diligent in listening to the current state of the kingdom. He wanted to try and learn about the different factions and businesses that kept Tobu Misaki-Mura prosperous and how the city state to the east factored into it. Tobio was patient as he explained, calm and composed.</p>
<p>The soft, analytical side of him was always something Hinata loved to see. He often found himself getting lost in Tobio’s gentle tone, the way that he explained the complex inner workings of the kingdom with ease. Hinata wouldn’t say it aloud, but he purposefully tuned out just so he could hear Tobio explain everything all over again.</p>
<p>“So this merchant family want to use Kēpu yōsai as a trading post, given their fortifications and the Brotherhood’s residence.” Tobio finished explaining the last letter he had opened. “Can’t say I’m opposed to the idea. Saves me building a new fort, though if memory serves, there’s not really a suitable place for a harbour nearby.”</p>
<p>Hinata shook his head. “It’s on a cliff.”</p>
<p>Tobio hummed. “Well, perhaps we can get some sort of mining situation going, cut out some tunnels down to the water…”</p>
<p>“Might compromise the cliff though.”</p>
<p>“True…hmm. Maybe I can ask Daichi and Moniwa to take a look and send some reports back.”</p>
<p>Hinata smiled. “Yeah, and I mean, Daichi will be good as a fort commander. He’s good at organising people and things.”</p>
<p>Tobio mirrored the smile, setting the letter aside. “I’m glad I have him on my side…in a way he reminds me of my father.”</p>
<p>Hinata perked up a little. “Yeah?”</p>
<p>“Steadfast, loyal to his family, tries to be realistic but optimistic.” Tobio met Hinata’s gaze as he reached across the table and took hold of his hand. “I think he’d be proud of what we’ve achieved.”</p>
<p>Hinata nodded earnestly as he realised Tobio was referring to his father more than Daichi. “I think so too.”</p>
<p>Tobio was quiet for a moment. “Say, you don’t talk much about your family, beyond you wanting them to visit us.”</p>
<p>Hinata shrugged slightly. “Not much to speak about really…they’re honest working folk, they were supportive of me leaving to find Nishinoya…” he trailed off. “I miss them. I miss my sister.”</p>
<p>Tobio nodded along, looking around the cluttered table and finding a blank piece of parchment. Hinata watched as he let go of his hand and found a quill and ink pot before presenting them all to him.</p>
<p>“Write to them.” He stated. “Invite them here for what remains of the summer season.”</p>
<p>“Y-You sure?”</p>
<p>Tobio snorted. “I told you multiple times that I approved of the idea.” His smile grew. “Now’s a good a time as any.”</p>
<p>Hinata looked at the blank parchment. He wasn’t sure how to even begin a letter after so long of not talking to them. Should he tell them he was involved in a war? That he’s now a king’s consort? That he joined an assassin’s guild? Should he just invite them to the fortress without much explanation?</p>
<p>“Can you…help me write it?” He sheepishly asked. “I-I don’t know what to write.”</p>
<p>Tobio chuckled. “Of course.”</p>
<p>Time passed slowly, but in a sense that Tobio wasn’t rushing him. As Hinata’s shaky hand carefully inked the words to parchment, Tobio thought aloud about how to phrase each sentence. No-one disturbed them for what felt like hours, either a testament to how busy the others were in preparing to leave, or how they wanted to give them time alone.</p>
<p>Eventually, the letter was finished. Tobio was quick to add his official seal to the end of the letter beside Hinata’s scratchy signature. The matter of how it was going to get to Hinata’s family was one quickly dismissed.</p>
<p>“Nishinoya can take it.” Hinata smiled as they waited for the orange wax seal to dry. “He doesn’t know it, but his home isn’t far from mine. Plus he was the infamous Thunder-mage I was sent to find. I feel like my village elder will believe him over an unknown courier.”</p>
<p>“Very well.” Tobio nodded, piling up the unopened letters for another afternoon. “I’ll send one of our ravens with Nishinoya so your parents can reply with their intentions.”</p>
<p>Hinata slowly rolled up the letter and allowed Tobio to wrap an orange ribbon around it to keep it closed. With the scroll in hand, Hinata excused himself to go and ask Nishinoya to fulfil the simple courier task. At finding out they were from similar parts of the kingdom of Oikawa, Nishinoya was all too happy to accept the important task.</p>
<p>It was then that Hinata realised everyone was packed up and ready to leave at dawn’s light. He felt a slight pang of sadness about it. He had grown so used to the noise that the Brotherhood brought with them that the idea of them being elsewhere felt wrong.</p>
<p>“Cheer up.” Lev’s voice remarked from his feet. He looked down and saw Lev roll over onto his back, tail thrashing from side to side. “Me and Kenma are sticking around.”</p>
<p>“You are?”</p>
<p>“Of course!” Lev chirped. “Not like we have anywhere else to be.”</p>
<p>Hinata smiled, crouching down and scooping Lev up in his arms. “Where’s Kenma right now?”</p>
<p>“Inuoka’s room I think.” Lev wriggled in Hinata’s hold but only to get more comfortable rather than escape.</p>
<p>That was good enough for Hinata. He carried Lev up to the mage’s quarters and found Kenma and Inuoka deep in conversation about something. A conversation that paused as he entered and let Lev jump down from his arms. He was used to the general clutter of the mage quarters by now; the books piled high on the table, rolls of parchment stacked haphazardly amongst the pots of ink and general disarray of things. Though since returning, it appeared that Inuoka had been doing some clearing up.</p>
<p>“Ah, Shoyo.” Kenma greeted him with a warm smile. “Need something?”</p>
<p>Hinata shook his head. “Just gave Nishinoya a letter to deliver to my family.” He sheepishly smiled. “Tobio helped me write it finally.”</p>
<p>“Ooh, Tobio gets to meet the parents.” Inuoka remarked with a playful smile. “That’ll be a fun evening.”</p>
<p>Hinata snorted, he found it doubtful Tobio would try and play up any festivities. It wasn’t like he was a noble or someone who had grown up in a lavish lifestyle. His parents were simple, everyday folk, they wouldn’t care for over-the-top parties.</p>
<p>“Either way, Nishinoya’s gonna deliver it.” Hinata settled on. “So just gotta wait I guess?”</p>
<p>Kenma nodded. “It’ll be nice to meet your parents.”</p>
<p>“Eh?” Hinata had already forgotten what Lev said about Kenma staying behind. “You’re staying here?”</p>
<p>“Yeah.” Kenma exchanged a glance with Inuoka. “I was just talking to Sou about whether I could stay here,” he gestured to the room they were in. “You know how I am.”</p>
<p>Hinata remembered the first few nights in the guild and how he and Kenma would sleep in a pile of blankets in the gloomy room far away from the others. He smiled at the memory, then at the idea of Kenma still strongly disliking sleeping in rooms alone.</p>
<p>“Yeah, well, I don’t think Tobio would want a third person in his room.” Hinata remarked.</p>
<p>Both Kenma and Inuoka laughed, the latter shaking his head. “I can already picture the utter confusion on his face at you suggesting that.”</p>
<p>Kenma was quick to add. “Not to mention, as much as I like you Shoyo, I don’t really want to share a bed with you <em>and</em> Tobio.”</p>
<p>The trio shared another laugh. The conversation quickly returned to how to clear enough space to cram another bed in amongst the clutter. Lev was content finding a place to take a nap as Inuoka started pointing out which bookshelves could be moved, some even emptied and the tomes put into storage somewhere. For most of it, Hinata was happy to listen to Kenma detailing what he’d look to bring out of the vault beneath Kēpu yōsai and how a proper inventory should be taken of the treasures inside and reported to Tobio. It was a mundane conversation, but it was reminiscent of the many conversations Hinata had heard in the tunnels of the old guild, the tower of Kēpu yōsai and even in that same room.</p>
<p>As much as things were very different now, some things were still the same. And he liked that.</p>
<p>By the time they finished drawing up the ‘grand moving plans’ it was late evening. Dinner had been served to most of the residents of the fortress, Yamaguchi had poked his head in to remind them to get some food before the cooks went home for the night but that reminder had been loosely ignored.</p>
<p>Rather than ransack the kitchens themselves, Inuoka merely shrugged and said they might as well find food somewhere in the city. Hinata got the feeling this might become a regular occurrence. They ventured into the city streets, they were by no means ordinary folk by the people’s standards, but they didn’t hound the trio either. Inuoka nodded in greeting to people as they passed.</p>
<p>Lanterns hung from the overhanging roofs of the buildings and illuminated the banners that flapped in gentle breeze. They could hear the jovial crowds in the taverns and clustered together in doorways as they continued through the city. Whilst most of the daily trading had halted at sundown, there were several food vendors still offering snacks and hot meals to anyone passing by.</p>
<p>Inuoka seemed to have done this many times as he made a beeline for a certain stall. A simple fire was heating up a pot of stew as what looked like a wicker basket sat atop the simple table. A middle-aged lady looked up as she heard them approached, a wide grin spreading across her face.</p>
<p>“Ah Sou, was wondering when you’d be back.” She remarked.</p>
<p>Inuoka laughed. “What can I say, got dragged to the empire for a few weeks by a certain king.” He eyed the basket-like vessel. “Is that fresh rice?”</p>
<p>“It is, and the sauce to go with it isn’t far off being ready.” She glanced at Kenma and Hinata, gaze lingering on Hinata for a few moments longer before returning her gaze to Inuoka. “So, out with it, how bad was the empire’s food?”</p>
<p>Another laugh from Inuoka. “Not too bad for northerners.” He replied. “Nothing compares to the food of home though.”</p>
<p>“Aye.” She took a wooden spoon and stirred the stew in the pot. “What did the empire want anyway?”</p>
<p>“Eh, political stuff. I’m sure news will come out in a few days once Tobio gets his shit together.”</p>
<p>“I hope so, folk around here were getting worried we’d be headed for another war.” She gave Inuoka a more pointed look. “We aren’t, are we?”</p>
<p>Hinata cut in. “No, no wars.”</p>
<p>She shot him a curious gaze. “Well, that’s grand. We can have a good summer and harvest season then.” She turned her attention back to the stew for a few moments before looking up at Hinata again. “Aren’t you…no I must be mistaken.”</p>
<p>Hinata looked to Inuoka for help, the latter chuckled. “Mistaken about what?”</p>
<p>She shrugged. “He has a passing resemblance to the one the soldiers talk about in the great battle. One who saved Tobio by summoning the great dragon of the mountain.”</p>
<p>Kenma hid his chuckle behind a fake cough. Hinata wasn’t sure if he should put her right or not. He settled for returning the shrug and laughing it off. “I uh, I’ve had that a lot the past few weeks.” He shook his head.</p>
<p>Inuoka raised an eyebrow but said nothing. The vendor shared the laugh with Hinata and busied herself with finding three small bowls to serve them rice and stew with. Inuoka paid her and promised to return the bowls to her when they were done.</p>
<p>There was no shortage of places to sit and eat, but Inuoka took them far beyond the hustle and bustle of the lively inner city. Hinata was relieved to see the sunken lake stretching out before them. The stars that dotted the night sky reflected off the water’s surface. Whilst it wasn’t deafening, the roar of the waterfalls filled the air. Hinata wondered if they ever froze over entirely. As they sat down on the grass near the cliff edge, stew in hands and the night sky sprawling above them, Inuoka broke the silence.</p>
<p>“Why’d you shrug off the lady’s assumption?” He asked Hinata directly. “Figured you’d at least tell her you were there.”</p>
<p>Hinata shook his head slightly. “I dunno, just…I like being normal.”</p>
<p>Kenma snorted. “Normal, you, uh-huh.” He remarked as he shoved a spoonful of rice into his mouth.</p>
<p>“I meant normal in the sense of reputation.” Hinata pouted slightly between bites.</p>
<p>There was a wry smile. “Ah, well, that’s fair enough.”</p>
<p>Inuoka shrugged. “I mean you’ve been seen with Tobio more than enough times for the nosier folk to start assuming things.”</p>
<p>Hinata sighed slightly, focusing more on shovelling food into his mouth than answering questions. Inuoka and Kenma dropped the topic, instead talking about the passing days of the summer season and how the city felt more alive now than last year. Above them wispy clouds passed over the moon, slightly obscuring the silvery glow for minutes at a time. They could still hear the distant hustle and bustle of the city but it was beginning to fade as the night wore on. Inuoka collected up the bowls and spoons and made a remark about returning them before it got too late.</p>
<p>Kenma and Hinata remained at the lake as Inuoka left them. They sat in silence for a while, enjoying the ambient sound of the falling water and the night-time critters. Hinata could get used to nights like this.</p>
<p>“Y’know,” Kenma broke the silence, “this lake reminds me of the one by the old guild.”</p>
<p>“The one we met Kiyoko by?”</p>
<p>“Mhm.” Kenma gestured to the mountains on the far side. “She’d swoop in from the peaks and glide over the surface.”</p>
<p>Hinata nodded. In many ways he missed the simplicity of the old guild, but in many other ways, Hokubujōsai and the city around it reminded him of it. He guessed this is what the elders spoke of when they said that home was where the heart is, where family is. It’s not a place or a building, it’s a <em>feeling</em>.</p>
<p>He asked. “Can I ask you something?”</p>
<p>Kenma raised an eyebrow. “Go for it.”</p>
<p>“Why are you staying here? Why not go with the likes of Kuroo and Bokuto? Or even go back to Kēpu yōsai?”</p>
<p>Kenma smiled warmly at him. “And why the hell would I wanna go and third wheel somewhere when I could stay right here and feel it’s where I belong?”</p>
<p>“Good point.” Hinata chuckled. “You feel like you belong here? Is that ‘cause of Inuoka and the lack of people judging us?”</p>
<p>Kenma shook his head. “Not entirely,” he reached out and took Hinata’s hand in his. He was quiet for a moment, debating whether or not to bring it up. “I told Suga a while ago that if you ever left the guild, I’d follow you, no matter where that road leads, you know why?”</p>
<p>This was news to Hinata, he said nothing and merely shook his head. Kenma didn’t hesitate to continue.</p>
<p>“Because you’re my best friend and I love you. And without getting all sappy and sentimental, you made me open my eyes to just how big the world is and what I was missing by burying my head in all my books.” He gestured to the lake and the starry sky above it.</p>
<p>“Sights like this, the things we’ve seen and done in the past year…the magic we’ve wielded, it was all stuff I had only read about before.” He returned his gaze to Hinata, expression serious but friendly in the same way. “And yeah, some of it sucked, some of it was horrendous to deal with and we’re still dealing with it…but that’s what living is.” He squeezed Hinata’s hand. “Since you arrived at the guild, you’ve been showing me what it’s like to feel alive again.”</p>
<p>“You…didn’t feel alive?” Hinata cocked his head to the side.</p>
<p>“After Kuroo took me from my village, after my mother pleaded for him to ‘save me’, I shut the world out. I don’t even know if they’re alive or not. I don’t <em>want</em> to know. I just want to look forward.” He sighed. “Sorry, that was a lot.”</p>
<p>Hinata squeezed his hand. “Hey, it’s okay.” He shuffled closer so he could pull Kenma into a hug. “I…I didn’t know I had that much of an effect.” He nervously laughed. “But it’s okay! And I’m glad you’re staying, I didn’t…I didn’t want to leave you.”</p>
<p>Kenma wrapped his arms around Hinata and buried his face in Hinata’s shoulder. Hinata embraced him, his eyes moving to the starry sky again. He wondered if the likes of Hēishān and the Kirin were watching. He tried not to think too much into what Kenma had just told him, how maybe he should find out what happened after he left. The past was hard to face sometimes. And maybe it was for the better that Kenma stayed in blissful ignorance.</p>
<p>Slowly, they moved to lie on the grass, both looking up at the stars together. Hinata began to point out different formations of stars and how they looked like different animals and objects. He vaguely remembered doing the same thing with his sister on warm summer nights.</p>
<p>He reached up with his hand, splaying his fingers. Small purple wisps began to form between his fingertips, drifting upward like smoke from a fire. He felt a warmth in his soul as Kenma watched silently. Within the wisps were glimmers of blue light, tiny ice crystals that floated up, carried up into the sky.</p>
<p>“So we can add ‘making stars’ to the long list of things you’re capable of.” Kenma remarked.</p>
<p>“Hah.” Hinata flexed his fingers abruptly, the wisps turned a deep shade of red before fire took hold within. The long, slender flames stretched up, casting an orange glow against fingertips. “That list must be as long as my arm.”</p>
<p>“Possibly.” Kenma mirrored Hinata’s pose, reaching up his hand and splaying his fingers. Hinata hooked his little finger around Kenma’s, watching the fire spread. “How are you coping with the Kirin’s passing?”</p>
<p>Hinata hummed. He wasn’t dwelling too much on it. The belief that she was still around in spirit gave him some solace, that and Tobio’s promise to add her to the shrine. “I’m doing okay I guess.”</p>
<p>“Healing takes time.” Kenma murmured, splaying his fingers a little wider and watching the fire flare up a little more. “But we’ll get through it together.”</p>
<p>“Together.” Hinata echoed.</p>
<p>Casting his eyes back to the sky, he caught sight of a shooting star and smiled to himself.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0089"><h2>89. Brotherhood</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>The closer to 95 we get, the more real this all feels... oh boy |･ω･｀)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>LXXXIX</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Brotherhood</strong>
</p>
<p>It felt like the entire Brotherhood left on the same day. With so many of them taking the same road out of Tobu Misaki-Mura, it was a convey in itself. The trip had taken many days but it had been pleasant journey westward filled with conversation and laughter between them all. Many stories had been exchanged about their childhoods, the places they were returning to and the reunions that awaited. As they went further and further westward, the paths began to diverge and as Tanishiti loomed on the horizon, the party split for the first time.</p>
<p>“Send our regards to Tooru.” Kiyoko told Kunimi as they paused at the fork in the road. “And let him know we’re all doing good.”</p>
<p>Kunimi smiled in return, casting a glance to those he was sharing the road with for the rest of the journey. Kindaichi and Shirabu were deciding on the best route into the city whilst Yaku and Semi were more focused on letting the horses graze at the side of the trail.</p>
<p>“Yeah, will do. You guys stay safe yeah?”</p>
<p>Kiyoko wasn’t given a chance to reply before Bokuto laughed. “I’m sure we’ll be fine.”</p>
<p>Kunimi didn’t say anything, merely chuckling. With a few final calls to one another, they returned to the road. Kunimi waited until the others were well on their way before corralling the much smaller group to get a move on. Tanishiti wasn’t more than a few hours away, even at a slow pace. There was a strange sense of calm washing over them as they got closer to the tall city walls.</p>
<p>“Well,” Yaku sighed as they reached the path to the main city gates, “this is where I go alone.” He ran Amaya’s reins through his hands. “Good luck, and I’ll see you all in a few weeks I guess.”</p>
<p>Kunimi nodded. “Safe riding.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, Kitamine will feel weird but hey, it’s probably a good thing after everything.” Yaku laughed nervously. “Keep an eye out for any crows or ravens.”</p>
<p>The group shared a laugh before Yaku prompted Amaya to continue plodding along the path west. He gave them a final wave as they began to turn in towards the city gate.</p>
<p>Shirabu would be the first to admit being back in Tanishiti felt weird. In comparison to Hinode it felt small, almost cosy and Tobu Misaki Mura had no outer walls, so as soon as they passed under the gates, they felt like they had stepped into a different world entirely. The familiar sights and sounds of a city winding down in the setting sun made any apprehension fade. Hooves clattered against the cobblestone roads, Shirabu sat a little straighter in the saddle of his horse. Guards began to recognise them as they got closer to the Blue Palace, greetings were offered to the court mage whose reputation had begun to become more widely known.</p>
<p>“Sounds like you’re popular now.” Kunimi wryly remarked.</p>
<p>Shirabu pouted. “Shut up.”</p>
<p>“Oooh, so scared.” Kunimi pretended to shiver in fear.</p>
<p>“It’s not like you’re gonna be able to brush off your deeds either.”</p>
<p>“Yeah but, I’m just under the Brotherhood name, <em>you</em><em>’re</em> the court mage.” Kunimi grinned. “I’m just a palace servant.”</p>
<p>“Don’t you try and pull that self-degrading bullshit.” Shirabu rolled his eyes.</p>
<p>By the time they reached the palace, the two had traded more than enough wry remarks and playful insults to break any tension that had been settling. The gates to the Blue Palace were wide open, indicating the king was in residence. Shirabu led them in, nodding in greeting to the guard on duty. Dismounting their horses and collecting what they needed from saddlebags, Shirabu once again took the lead as they entered the palace.</p>
<p>Kunimi and Kindaichi felt no different to the last time they had been. In fact Kunimi was <em>less</em> wound up than last time. The tall windows of the throne room allowed the fading summer sunshine in, making the room feel almost blindingly bright. Tooru wasn’t sat on his throne for a change, he was actually admiring the view from one of the windows and talking quietly with Iwaizumi about something.</p>
<p>“Hey we’re back.” Shirabu announced without much care for formalities. “Did you miss me?”</p>
<p>Tooru’s gaze snapped up at the sound of their arrival. He smiled warmly, the smile growing more as he took in exactly who was ‘back’. “Ah, I did actually. It’s been <em>incredibly</em> boring without your sassy remarks.”</p>
<p>Shirabu snorted. “Uh huh.” He reached into his knapsack and brought out the scroll from Tobio. “I got your treaty thing that Tobio wants you to sign and send to Yachi.”</p>
<p>“Perfect.” Tooru gestured for a serving boy to take the scroll from Shirabu before promptly hurrying away with it in the direction of the king’s study. “So, did you enjoy your time with Tobio?”</p>
<p>“Eh, it was…something.” Shirabu decided not to mention the whole ‘Akaashi nearly unhinging’ incident. “He’s back to being busy.”</p>
<p>“As expected.” Tooru’s attention turned to Kunimi and Kindaichi. “And I assume you’re here to see your mother, Akira?”</p>
<p>“Yup. I did promise her.” He shrugged. “She in the kitchens?”</p>
<p>“Uh,” Tooru looked to Iwaizumi who shrugged, “possibly. I know Lady Ise swapped some of the serving patterns around whilst we were away so check with the head of staff.”</p>
<p>Kunimi nodded, mumbling a thanks before gesturing for Kindaichi to follow him. Now that they were gone, it made Semi’s presence all the more noticeable. Shirabu didn’t give Tooru a chance to make a comment.</p>
<p>“Eita’s here because the alternative was to stay with Tobio and his crazy mages.” Shirabu stated. “And I figured he can catch up with the state of things and maybe put himself to use here.”</p>
<p>Semi snorted but said nothing, merely waiting for Tooru to remark on it.</p>
<p>“Ah,” Tooru gave Iwaizumi a knowing smile before meeting Semi’s gaze. “Welcome to the Blue Palace. I’m sure given that you’re technically Kenjirou’s guest that you can stay with him? Good.” He smiled sweetly. “Naturally I ask you don’t go poking around in affairs that aren’t yours and answer questions when asked.”</p>
<p>Semi nodded. “Of course, your majesty.”</p>
<p>Shirabu fought back a laugh at the formality yet Tooru merely nodded in approval.</p>
<p>“You’ve picked a polite one Kenjirou. I approve.” He remarked, enjoying how red Shirabu’s face went. “Consider yourselves dismissed.”</p>
<p>Iwaizumi remained stoic as Tooru turned and immediately strode out of the room, following the serving boy’s route to no doubt go and sign the treaty. As soon as his king was out of sight, he looked between Semi and Shirabu with a slight smirk.</p>
<p>“He’s fucking with you, I think.”</p>
<p>“You <em>think</em>.” Shirabu repeated incredulously.</p>
<p>Iwaizumi shrugged. “What can I say, you’re not very subtle.” He said as he began to walk away. “Dinner will be at the usual time if you want to join us.”</p>
<p>Shirabu rolled his eyes. He looked to Semi who shrugged, appearing unfazed by the remarks. “Right, well, this way.”</p>
<p>He took off at a brisk pace. Semi followed without a word, gaze roving around the different decor of each room they passed through. Once finally in the mage quarters of the palace, Shirabu visibly relaxed. At least in some ways. He started scoffing and tutting at the state of things; how he had left in such a hurry and hadn’t bothered to stack his books properly or clean the alchemy bottles. Semi set his stuff down under the window and merely watched as Shirabu got lost in his tidying and muttering aloud.</p>
<p>The room felt cosy, even without the fire lit. The tall bookcases promised weeks if not months of reading material if Semi were that way inclined. He mindlessly browsed the titles of them as Shirabu cussed loudly at the sight of some of his alchemy ingredients growing mould.</p>
<p>“Yo,” he broke the silence and stole Shirabu’s attention immediately, “can I ask you something?”</p>
<p>“Sure, go for it.” Shirabu brought out a crate of bottles from under the main table. “I have wine here if you want.”</p>
<p>“Wine?”</p>
<p>“Well yeah,” Shirabu uncorked a bottle and took a generous swig before offering it to Semi, “alchemy is my main thing when I’m not conducting ridiculous portal rituals or healing the nearly dead.”</p>
<p>Semi took the bottle and nodded, taking a more modest sip. It was better than the stuff they had been drinking up north, that was for sure. Though he wondered what sort of alchemy Shirabu conducted that needed such lavish ingredients.</p>
<p>“So, your question?” Shirabu asked, setting another bottle aside before returning the crate back under the table.</p>
<p>Semi peered at the label on the bottle, cursive writing indicated it was from a merchant in Tanishiti but originally from further east. He wondered how strong it was. He shrugged for a moment, casting his gaze around the room again before taking another swig and handing the bottle back.</p>
<p>“There’s only one bed.” He stated as Shirabu drank some more. “What’s the intention—”</p>
<p>“Fuck knows.” Shirabu shrugged, swirling the wine around a little as if it were in a goblet and not a bottle. “I don’t mind sleeping with you.”</p>
<p>Semi’s eyebrows raised, he faintly wondered how quickly Shirabu could and would get drunk off the stronger wine of the south. “In a simple sense or are we talking more…”</p>
<p>Shirabu offered the bottle back to Semi, once it was out of his hands he uncorked the second. “Well everyone’s assuming we’re fucking.”</p>
<p>“That’s not what I asked.” Semi snorted, eyeing the new bottle’s label. It looked almost identical which meant Shirabu had bought it in bulk. “Just because everyone says so, doesn’t mean we need to fulfil that assumption.” He set the bottle down. “What’s this really about?”</p>
<p>Shirabu wrinkled his nose. “I dunno.” He drank again and grimaced slightly before he continued. “It’s been a crazy fucking few weeks? We’ve been in a literal fucking war between…four…five different factions?” He gestured wildly with his free hand. “Then when it calmed down for five fucking minutes, Tobio’s dumbass mage gets himself called out by the empire and we all end up fixing that giant fucking mess.” He took another drink. “And in the middle of all that there’s a strain on the Brotherhood, there’s sibling issues, there’s inter-realm conflict and the threat of another damn war and <em>then</em>—”</p>
<p>Semi stepped close enough to gently prise the bottle from Shirabu’s hand and replace it with his hand. “Then what?”</p>
<p>Shirabu sighed heavily. “Then in the middle of all that fuckery, I start…” he averted his gaze as his tone softened. “I dunno I feel weird, alone in a way.”</p>
<p>Semi couldn’t say he hadn’t felt the same; a sense of being alone in a room of people. It wasn’t a pleasant one. “Well, you’re not alone.”</p>
<p>“Pft.” He shook his head, still holding Semi’s hand as he leaned forward and rested his forehead against Semi’s shoulder. “I’m just, I don’t…I dunno.”</p>
<p>Semi wrapped an arm around him, gently rubbing his back as they stood there quietly. It seemed that now he was finally in a place he felt safe, Shirabu was allowing the cracks in his composure to show. Semi knew he couldn’t fix it, but just being a pillar of support would be enough for now. Personal feelings aside, Shirabu just needed to stop and allow himself to breathe.</p>
<p>“How about we take a few days to let the dust settle hm? I ain’t going anywhere, neither are you. There’s no reason to rush anything.”</p>
<p>He felt Shirabu laugh slightly. “Wow, so chivalrous.”</p>
<p>“And you’re already slightly too drunk to think properly.” Semi remarked. “And you said Akira was a light-weight.”</p>
<p>“Pfffft. Akira is <em>such </em>a lightweight even Hinata could drink him under the table.”</p>
<p>“Uh-huh.” Semi gently pulled away only to start tugging him back towards the bed. “Come on, you need sleep.”</p>
<p>“Only if you stay.”</p>
<p>“I’ll stay.” Semi nodded, squeezing his hand. “I promise.”</p>
<p>Shirabu tried to hide the shy smile as he let Semi tug him into his own bed. Even with the shutters still open and allowing the fading light to pour into the room, the alcove that his bed was in gave enough shade to feel drowsy. Semi continued to hold his hand as lay facing one another. The exhaustion of the week’s travel from Tobio’s kingdom and the extended stress he had put himself under had finally boiled over. Much like his patience with himself. In his slightly tipsy stupor, he didn’t want to tiptoe around it anymore. When he was sure Semi wasn’t going to move unexpectedly, he tilted his face slightly, brushing his lips ever so slightly against Semi’s.</p>
<p>“Are you still awake?” Semi whispered, not moving.</p>
<p>“Mhm.” Shirabu hummed in reply.</p>
<p>“Are you sure you want this?”</p>
<p>“Fuck yeah.”</p>
<p>There was a pause as Semi didn’t move or say anything. Slowly, a hand carded through Shirabu’s hair before cradling the back of his head. Taking it as a sign of encouragement, Shirabu leaned forward enough to press his lips against Semi’s. It was a slow, chaste kiss, but one that spoke a thousand words as Shirabu sighed in content. Semi pulled him closer, fully embracing him in the slightly too warm room.</p>
<p>“I’m glad you’re here with me.” Shirabu whispered.</p>
<p>“I’m glad I’m here too.”</p>
<p>“Didn’t realise…how tired I am.” Shirabu’s voice trailed off quickly as Semi kissed his forehead.</p>
<p>“Well now you can rest properly. Just close your eyes and drift away.”</p>
<p>“Mhmm…”</p>
<p>And without another word, Shirabu fell asleep. Semi kept his promise and remained right by his side.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>The road south was one that felt more familiar to them. Nishinoya and Tanaka were quick to recognise the local landmarks; certain trees that had been struck by lightning, old signposts weathered by storms, the crumbled remains of a barn in a field. Excitement was in the air as they spotted their turn off that would take them towards their home villages.</p>
<p>“Make sure you get that letter to Hinata’s family.” Suga gently reminded Nishinoya.</p>
<p>“Oh I will, don’t worry!” Nishinoya beamed, already urging his horse to split away from the main party, the caged crow from Tobio cawed in protest. “We’ll see you in a few weeks!” He waved at them as Tanaka followed his lead.</p>
<p>“Try not to start a forest fire!” Bokuto called to them as the distance grew.</p>
<p>“Hey that was <em>one</em> time—”</p>
<p>Suga sighed and rolled his eyes as the party of five continued onward. It was really starting to feel odd as they continued splitting off. Although arguably some of the louder members were still with them so it didn’t feel <em>that </em>odd. Bokuto was eagerly talking about how his brothers were going to love hearing about all of the chaos they had been involved in, Kuroo kept encouraging him with reminding him about various aspects.</p>
<p>Throughout the rest of the journey towards Kōshi, Akaashi and Kiyoko listened to the embellished storytelling and exchanged glances. As much as they found it amusing just how Bokuto was telling it, they knew that he would be modest about it. Bokuto would speak the truth, and the truth was that they had seen and done some wild shit.</p>
<p>“Alright, we’re taking the northern road to Kawamura.” Suga declared at the last fork in the road before Kōshi. “I’d say try not to get into trouble but it’s you three so…” He gave them a wry smile.</p>
<p>Kuroo snorted. “Puh-lease. I’m going to be on my <em>best behaviour</em>.”</p>
<p>Akaashi shook his head. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”</p>
<p>“Excuse me?!”</p>
<p>Bokuto laughed loudly. “Have fun Koushi! Take care Kiyoko, feel free to drop by if you like.”</p>
<p>Kiyoko and Suga shared a smile, the latter replying. “We’ll think about it. Have fun with your brothers.”</p>
<p>Bokuto gave them a thumbs up. Akaashi and Kuroo waved as the duo urged their horses to a canter. Bokuto watched them fondly, chuckling slightly.</p>
<p>“They’re so cute together.”</p>
<p>“They’re also terrifying if you make them mad.” Kuroo joked.</p>
<p>“Well I can think of a simple solution to that problem,” Akaashi replied, turning his horse towards Kōshi. “Don’t make them mad.”</p>
<p>Kuroo scoffed but turned it into a laugh as they pressed on towards Kōshi. The familiar port town was a sight for sore eyes. The smell of the ocean greeted them like an old friend after so long in the northern and eastern mountains. Bokuto inhaled deeply, sighing loudly as the northern gate came into view finally.</p>
<p>“Ahh, good to be back.” Bokuto remarked as they passed into the main street of Kōshi. “I know where everything is, I know who I can trust, I even have my own bed to sleep in.” He grinned.</p>
<p>Kuroo shared the sentiment, familiar was good, familiar was safe. They took in the busy streets and the screeching of gulls overhead, the noise of the vendors packing up their businesses for the day. Their horses plodded on, the long journey had taken its toll on them. As much as the Brotherhood needed to rest, so did their mounts.</p>
<p>“You guys gonna hang out or just press on?” Bokuto asked as they neared his home.</p>
<p>Akaashi glanced at the sun’s position in the sky. Getting there would take them into the late evening. After so many days sleeping on the road, he was eager to get home already.</p>
<p>“We should probably press on.” He reasoned. “No point spending another day on the road if we can avoid it.”</p>
<p>“Fair enough!”</p>
<p>As they arrived at Bokuto’s home, he was quick to dismount and lead the horse into the yard. He didn’t get very far before the door flew open. Loud voices erupted from the doorway as Bokuto’s younger brothers sighted him and tackled him in a hug. Akaashi and Kuroo smiled at the scene, a reminder of what they had spent the last few weeks protecting with their lives.</p>
<p>“See you in a few weeks Kou!” Kuroo called as they poised to continue onward.</p>
<p>Bokuto laughed, waving them off with a loud remark about trying not to miss him too much. Akaashi chuckled, already urging his horse to begin plodding along once more. He wouldn’t say it aloud, but he was eager to get home already. Hearing the others talk about returning to their loved ones had been an almost sobering experience. They were one Brotherhood, that was true, but they had been working to protect so much more over the last few months.</p>
<p>The road to Funamura gave them no trouble. Kuroo kept quiet, the sound of the waves crashing against the shore and the gulls overhead filled the silence between them. As the light began to fade, they sighted the cluster of buildings, but more importantly, the large masts of several ships. Entering the village, Akaashi sighted the familiar golden lion figurehead but it was not the only large ship in port.</p>
<p>“Is…is that an owl?” Kuroo chuckled as they led their horses through the settlement. A ship moored alongside the Lionheart was sporting a figurehead of an owl mid-flight, talons outstretched and wings extended.</p>
<p>“Yes, certainly seems so.”</p>
<p>“You know this ship?”</p>
<p>Akaashi shook his head. “Not immediately, but I have a feeling I know why she’s here.” He turned toward the row of larger houses and found the familiar blue door.</p>
<p>He made a motion for Kuroo to wait with the horses as he approached the door and knocked a few times. As he was greeted by a serving girl, he smiled and calmly stated they needed somewhere for the horses to stay. She returned the smile and summoned another servant who quickly relieved Kuroo of both sets of reins.</p>
<p>“Please,” she nodded to both of them, “they’ll be pleased you’re back.”</p>
<p>Akaashi nodded, holding out his hand for Kuroo to take. They walked into the family residence and ended up in the parlour once more. A fire was lit even though the summer heat still hung in the air. Akaashi shook his head slightly at the spluttering logs but decided not to remark on it.  Kuroo squeezed his hand, prompting Akaashi to look at him.</p>
<p>“You okay?”</p>
<p>Akaashi nodded. “Just anticipating the explosion of noise.”</p>
<p>“Noise?”</p>
<p>Akaashi raised his eyebrows. “My siblings.”</p>
<p>Kuroo didn’t get a chance to react as rapid footsteps preceded the door flying open. A girl taller than Akaashi stood in the doorway, though of noble blood, she was dressed more like a deckhand in loose leathers. Her dark hair was clumsily braided and she had a few superficial scars on her cheeks and neck.</p>
<p>“Keiji?” She spoke with an authoritative tone.</p>
<p>“Rei.” He greeted with a nod. “I thought that was your ship alongside father’s.”</p>
<p>She strode across the room and pulled Akaashi into a tight hug, swaying slightly as she laughed. “The Soaring Huntress? Yeah.” She pulled back enough to hold his face. “Father told us that you’d been wrapped up in some crazy fucking shit but—” she abruptly turned her gaze to Kuroo, looking him up and down before coyly smiling. “Ah, who’s this?”</p>
<p>Kuroo cleared his throat, buying himself a few more seconds to compose himself. “Tetsurou Kuroo,” he bowed slightly, “and you must be Keiji’s sister.”</p>
<p>Rei eventually let Akaashi go and took a step back to properly greet Kuroo. “Yes, our brother Shinji is in the tavern, he’ll be back soon.” She extended a hand to Kuroo. “But I’ve heard about you from our mother.”</p>
<p>Kuroo raised an eyebrow as he shook her hand, taken aback by her firm grip, “Yeah?”</p>
<p>Rei looked between the two of them. “Yeah, apparently you’re both part of some crazy mercenary group who somehow gained favour with several kings?”</p>
<p>“Oh we need to update your parents Keiji,” Kuroo snorted, “we need to add ‘empress’ to that list.”</p>
<p>“Empress?!”</p>
<p>Akaashi wryly smiled. “Ah yeah, we were part of stopping a coup up north.”</p>
<p>Rei looked back and forth between them. “You…a coup…what?”</p>
<p>Akaashi put up a hand to stop her. “When Shinji gets back, we’ll tell you everything. Is mother in the dining room?”</p>
<p>Rei nodded. “Father too.”</p>
<p>“Ah, lovely.” Kuroo remarked, getting a slight chuckle from Akaashi. “Lead on?”</p>
<p>Rei didn’t show any indication that there was anything amiss as she gestured for them to follow her. The dining table was set for an evening meal, but no food had been served yet. Akaashi smiled warmly at his mother before hugging her. His father sat a little straighter as Kuroo greeted him with a slight bow. Once greetings had been exchanged, Akaashi and Kuroo sat down and anticipated the questions to start.</p>
<p>“We heard about the battle.” His mother stated plainly. “I assume you were involved?”</p>
<p>Akaashi nodded. “We were, we fought alongside both Tooru and Tobio.”</p>
<p>“How bad was it? We’ve heard stories from the men that returned about some giant creatures and—”</p>
<p>Akaashi reached across the table and rested his hand atop his mother’s. “It was a battle, it was bad but…it could’ve been so much worse.”</p>
<p>The answer seemed to satisfy his mother. “I’m glad you both survived, I, I assume your friends did too?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, yeah they did. Not without some scars and some…nightmares, but we’re all alive.” He glanced at Kuroo and received a warm smile in return. “That’s what counts.”</p>
<p>“And,” Kuroo interjected, “with Kyoutani in the wilderness, there shouldn’t be another battle like it.”</p>
<p>“Such optimism.” Akaashi’s father remarked. “And what’s all this about an empress?”</p>
<p>Akaashi shot Rei a glance, she shrugged. He sighed slightly. “It’s a long story.”</p>
<p>“And?” His father offered a coy smile. “You’re not going anywhere, right?”</p>
<p>“True,” Akaashi replied, “but let me at least wait for Shinji to get here. I feel we’d be robbing him of a good story.”</p>
<p>Kuroo chuckled. “A good story, hm. Yes. The tale of how we watched the imperial palace explode.”</p>
<p>“Excuse me, but I was <em>in there</em> when it exploded.” Akaashi pouted.</p>
<p>“And it was terrifying.” Kuroo added. “But” he took hold of Akaashi’s hand and brought it to his lips, kissing the silver ring. “I thank the gods you survived.” He murmured. “And I thank Hinata too, but mostly the gods.”</p>
<p>Akaashi rolled his eyes but didn’t disagree. The gods seemed to work in mysterious ways, but he had them to thank for his survival and a chance to truly live.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Kawamura was a good deal further away from Kōshi than Kiyoko realised. As their friends were no doubt already reuniting with their families after many months away, her and Suga were still meandering along the twisting roads through woodland and alongside pastures. She wasn’t complaining, in fact, she was enjoying the peace and quiet. Suga had been telling her stories from when he was younger, mainly about how he fell into a bog one time and thought he was going to become part of the forest like some of the horror stories the elders told the children dictated. He didn’t seem overly jaded by the story, nor how Kiyoko laughed at his child-self’s logic.</p>
<p>The sun was high in the sky as they reached the top of a hill and caught their first glimpse of the coastal settlement. Nestled between two sections of woodland and with a fence surrounding it stood Kawamura. Suga made Hotaru pause for a moment as he took in the sight. Kiyoko wasn’t sure how to feel, the tightly clustered buildings felt familiar in a way. She was reminded of home.</p>
<p>“Well, shall we?” Suga asked.</p>
<p>“Lead on.” She replied with a smile.</p>
<p>They began the slow descent from the hilltop. The dirt trail became more well-trodden the closer they got, smaller trails split off from it and others joined it until they were just outside the gate. A nervous energy was sparking between them, neither spoke of it as their horses passed through the open gate. Suga was putting on his calm facade as they were greeted by the residents they passed, some remarking on how long it had been since they last saw Suga, others just waving and welcoming him home. Kiyoko smiled and nodded in reply to the greetings shouted from porches.</p>
<p>“Here we are.” Suga said, breaking the silence between them.</p>
<p>They had ridden through the village, past the largest of buildings that Kiyoko reckoned was the main inn and had come to a stop outside a regular looking farmhouse. The foundations were made of stone, but carefully cut wooden planks made up the bulk of the structure. A short chimney poked out the top of the shingle roof. It was a simple house, but one that had been taken care of. They dismounted and secured the horses in the nearest fenced pasture, taking the time to remove saddles and tack and let both of them roam free in the long grass.</p>
<p>There was a sense that they were trying to delay something.</p>
<p>Suga took Kiyoko’s hand in his and offered a reassuring squeeze. “So, here we are.”</p>
<p>She nodded. “Are you nervous or something?”</p>
<p>“Don’t know what gave you that idea…”</p>
<p>She chose not to remark on it, nodding to the farmhouse instead. “Shall we?”</p>
<p>He inhaled sharply before nodding in return and leading her to the front door. There was a glow from under the door that indicated someone was home, a faint aroma of something cooking quelled the uneasiness in him. He’d recognise his mother’s cooking anywhere. A harsh knock of the door later, the door cracked open before being practically flung off its hinges. A tall man stood in the doorway, a grin almost identical to Suga’s on his face as he held his arms open.</p>
<p>“Koushi, well, what a surprise!” He remarked, glancing over his shoulder. “Koushi’s back, dear!”</p>
<p>“What?” A feminine voice from further in the house replied, confusion in her voice.</p>
<p>Suga glanced at Kiyoko before laughing and nodding to his father. “Yeah, I’m back—”</p>
<p>“Well come in!”</p>
<p>They were invited into the cosy farmhouse. Whilst it was still daylight outside, the air had begun to chill slightly, but inside it was comfortably warm. Kiyoko found herself being invited to sit at a table as a jug of water was set down in front of them both. The smell they sensed outside was coming from a pot hanging over a modest fire, the contents still being stirred as Suga was bombarded with questions about where he had been for the last two years since he last visited.</p>
<p>“It’s a long story, truly.” He chuckled as his father sat down across the table from him.</p>
<p>“I bet!” His father’s gaze moved to Kiyoko. “And you brought a friend?”</p>
<p>The questioning tone was enough of an opening for Suga to gently correct him, even if he knew it would prompt another round of incredulous remarks.</p>
<p>“A bit more than a friend.” He said, reaching out and taking Kiyoko’s hand as it rested on the table.</p>
<p>As he predicted, his father raised his eyebrows in surprise, glancing to his wife as she approached the table. Suga’s mother shared her son’s silvery hair, it shimmered in the light and reminded Kiyoko of moonbeams. She set a bowl of stew in front of each of them with a piece of bread alongside it and encouraged them to eat.</p>
<p>“Well, you’re more than welcome in our home.” She told Kiyoko. “And please, if you need anything after being on the road for so long, you need only to ask.” She glanced between the two of them. “I don’t want to be rude, but you both look and smell like you’ve been on the road for many weeks.”</p>
<p>Suga chuckled. “We’ve been all the way to Hinode in the north and back…so yeah, been a few weeks.”</p>
<p>His mother gave him a smug smile. “Right, that settles it then, once you’ve eaten we’ll draw water so you can bathe. And after that, you can tell us what crazy adventure those friends of yours dragged you into over supper.”</p>
<p>Kiyoko wasn’t going to turn down the offer of a warm bath. She was reminded of Shirabu’s suggestion to rest her back so it could heal properly and riding across the realm for two weeks straight probably hadn’t helped that cause a great deal. As they ate, Suga kept his parents talking, mainly asking about the village’s affairs, how the hunters had been getting on, what they had already heard from afar and so on.</p>
<p>The light of day was fading as Suga’s father declared he would start fetching and warming the water, Suga offered to help him, leaving Kiyoko to settle down. He knew as soon as they were out of earshot of both his mother and Kiyoko, he was going to get asked more personal questions.</p>
<p>“So, she’s a pretty one.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, she is.” He met his father’s gaze with a coy smile. The walk to the village well wasn’t a long one, but they could easily kill more time if needed. Thankfully no-one else was around to draw water so they could talk in relative peace.</p>
<p>“How’d you meet her?”</p>
<p>Suga chuckled. “That in itself is a long story, the short version being that she needed our help and we stepped up when it mattered. There was some crazy magic involved and…” he shrugged. “Over time we just clicked.”</p>
<p>His father nodded as they reached the well and began tying the trusty rope to one of the bucket handles. “She the daughter of a noble by any chance?”</p>
<p>“Hah, no…no but that doesn’t make her any less noble.” Suga replied, watching the bucket get tossed into the well and hearing it clatter against the sides on its way down. “She was tipped to become the king’s guard.”</p>
<p>“Really?”</p>
<p>“Yup. She packs a mean sword swing.” Suga chuckled, remembering watching Kiyoko duel many times. “She’s very level-headed too. Helped me and Daichi make a lot of hard decisions…saved my life.”</p>
<p>His father paused in pulling the bucket up. He glanced at Suga with a concerned expression before it softened into a smile. “Sounds like you’ve been through a lot.”</p>
<p>“Eh, a war between kingdoms and negotiating peace treaties…”</p>
<p>“Wait hold on—” His father hauled the bucket of water up and set it down before giving him a pointed look. “You two were involved in that battle at the border?!”</p>
<p>“Well, I was actually being kept prisoner on a ship at the time—”</p>
<p>“What?!”</p>
<p>Suga laughed nervously. “Like I said, long story.”</p>
<p>“Well we better get you back and bathed so you can tell us this story!” His father remarked, already fastening the rope to a new bucket. “Now I get why you didn’t write home in the last few months, sounds like you’ve been far too busy.”</p>
<p>“Busy, hah, yeah that’s a word for it.”</p>
<p>They continued to trade light remarks, Suga dropping more random tidbits of information with no real context, as they filled up four buckets with water. It took some time to get them back and warmed enough to fill a tub in the spare room, the daylight had completely faded by the time the steam rose from the water. Suga insisted that Kiyoko bathe first, citing that she needed to relax more than he did. He was content to leave her in peace, but she held his hand tightly.</p>
<p>“Stay, please.” She quietly murmured.</p>
<p>When she asked so softly, he couldn’t say no.</p>
<p>Whilst it wasn’t the same as the hot springs they were used to, the soothing warmth of the water felt heavenly to her aching muscles. Suga sat beside the wooden tub and passed her clean cuts of cloth to scrub the dirt of the road from her skin. They sat in comfortable silence for a while, appreciating the feeling of calm that having a roof over their heads brought.</p>
<p>“Your mother was asking about where I grew up.” She murmured. “Not in a nosey way, but curious. It’s easy to talk to her.”</p>
<p>Suga smiled. “Yeah, impossible to lie to as well.” He chuckled. “My pa is expecting me to regale them with the tales of the Brotherhood.”</p>
<p>“Oh boy,” she returned the smile, “are you sure they’re ready to hear about how we nearly died so many times?”</p>
<p>“Eh, I think it’ll be the more…political side that might surprise them.”</p>
<p>“Hm.” She squeezed one of the rags to drain the water from it before gently pressing it to her face. “I need to think about whether to accept Yachi’s proposal.”</p>
<p>Suga moved to kneel on the floor behind the tub, he brought his hands up and began to gently rub circles into her tense shoulders. She sighed slightly as he hummed softly.</p>
<p>“You have time to think about it.” He murmured. “Don’t rush yourself, or stress about it.”</p>
<p>“…it’s more, do I want to propel myself into a position like that? A noble one. I’ve always been the one to serve others, not the one at the top.”</p>
<p>He hummed, leaning forward, and pressing a kiss to her temple. “How about this then,” he stilled his hands, “the next few weeks whilst we’re here, try and forget about it and see how a more simple life feels.” He said. “We’ll stay here, tend to the livestock and go hunting in the forest. No kings, no magic, no crazy shenanigans. And when the summer draws to an end, you can see how you feel; whether you are content here or crave more adventure.”</p>
<p>“But what about the Brotherhood?”</p>
<p>He was quiet for a moment. “We don’t have to stay here to have a more simple life. There’s a village not far from Kēpu yōsai. We can be close to the Brotherhood without being directly with them. Besides,” he kissed her temple again, “I think we all know that Hinata and Kenma are going to be remaining at Hokubujōsai from now on. And I wouldn’t rule out Akaashi and Kuroo wanting a more extended break away.”</p>
<p>She hummed. “I guess.”</p>
<p>“My point is,” he squeezed her shoulders, “whatever you decide, I’m with you. And you don’t have to decide right this moment. All you should be doing this moment is trying to rest and relax.”</p>
<p>She nodded. “True.” She tilted her head back to meet his gaze. “Thank you Koushi.”</p>
<p>“There’s no need to thank me.”</p>
<p>She smiled. “I love you.”</p>
<p>He returned her smile. “I love you too.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0090"><h2>90. Family</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>XC</strong>
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<p>
  <strong>Family</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It had been two weeks since the letter to his family left Tobu Misaki-Mura. When the raven returned with his mother’s scratchy handwriting expressing her joy at hearing from him sharply followed by an acceptance of the invitation to visit, Hinata had let out a sigh of relief. The trip to the city would be nearly over now, which meant there was precious little time to prepare for the reunion. He wasn’t scared as such, he was more apprehensive about how his parents were going to react to not only the fact he had a lover, but that Tobio was actually a king. Such details he had left out, simply telling them he had been busy with many things and ended up in Tobu Misaki-Mura, that he’d explain his long absence and silence once they got there.</p>
<p>He was sort of surprised they had agreed to travel all the way there in the middle of the summer season. When he expressed that thought to Kenma, the other snorted and reminded him he had been away for over a year with very little communication with them. They probably thought he was dead or something.</p>
<p>And so as the day of their arrival came, Hinata found himself a bag of nerves.</p>
<p>“Just, promise me you won’t go too overboard.” He said to Tobio as they sat across the low table in the king’s chambers. Tea had been poured between them as early morning sunshine streamed through open shutters. A warm breeze promised it would be a pleasant day.</p>
<p>Tobio raised his cup to his lips and took a long sip before meeting Hinata’s gaze with a smile. “I’m meeting your parents Shoyo, that’s big deal for any king.”</p>
<p>“Yes but, they’re just simple people.” Hinata reiterated. “They’re not gonna be used to balls and royal…stuff.”</p>
<p>“Is that why you were oddly insistent that Kenma met them at the gate and took them to a teahouse rather than bringing them here?”</p>
<p>“Well, <em>yes</em>.” Hinata rolled his eyes. “I just don’t want to spook them, I want them to hear from <em>me,</em> not your gossiping townsfolk.”</p>
<p>“Our, gossiping townsfolk.” Tobio corrected gently, his smile grew as Hinata’s face flushed pink. “It’s okay Shoyo,” he set his cup down and reached across the table to take both of Hinata’s hands in his. “Like we agreed, I’ll remain here busying myself with mundane shit. Just send for me when you need me.”</p>
<p>Hinata squeezed his hands and mirrored the smile. “Thanks, I’m nervous, I don’t know what they’ll think or say.”</p>
<p>“I’m sure they’ll be pleased to see you, and once you start telling them about the crazy shit you’ve been through, they’ll be thankful you’re alive.”</p>
<p>Hinata nodded. He had no doubt about that. He expected there to be questions about why he never wrote home, probably some light chastising for being so far away for so long, but he knew once he explained it as best he could, they’d react how Tobio predicted.</p>
<p>Waiting was the worst part really. He drifted around Hokubujōsai for the entire morning, spending the time talking to Yamaguchi about the progress on the statue of the Kirin being added to the shrine in the cavern below, asking Inuoka if he had seen anything through the portals at the mountain pass, even making painfully awkward small talk with Kei when he passed him in the hallway.</p>
<p>He ended up sat with Asahi in the throne room, it was a quiet place these days as Tobio avoided sitting on the throne if he wasn’t conducting official business. In some ways, the cavernous room felt like a chapel or temple. The vaulted walls, the tapestries and banners hanging down from the pillars, even the open shutters letting the sun bathe the room in light had an otherworldly feel to it. In the weeks after the battle and even since returning from the north, Asahi had been quiet. Hinata gathered this wasn’t unusual, in fact he had heard Yamaguchi mention that like Tobio’s old self had come back, so had Asahi’s. As Hinata sat beside him on a bench under one of the banners, he got the feeling that Asahi was like Daichi in some ways, a quiet thinker, an old soul who liked to be alone with his thoughts.</p>
<p>“Can I ask you something Asahi?”</p>
<p>Asahi nodded, tilting his head to meet Hinata’s gaze. “Is it about your family visiting?”</p>
<p>“Sort of.” Hinata twisted the ring around his finger. “More like, how much do you think I should tell them, like about everything? Do I tell them about all the hidden past we uncovered about Tooru’s family? Do I tell them about the Kirin? About Hēishān?” He glanced around the room. “Do I tell them about how Tobio’s parents were murdered?”</p>
<p>Asahi hummed in thought. “That’s a tricky question.” He stroked his stubbly beard. “I guess, tell them as much as you think they need to know. The last they heard, you had gone in search of someone to help you with your magic right? So tell them <em>your</em> story.” He smiled. “Tobio can bore them with politics if they really want to hear it, but they’re your kin, they care about <em>you</em>.”</p>
<p>When put like that, Hinata almost felt a little silly. “Yeah, you’re right.”</p>
<p>“And from what I know, you’ve had quite a journey to tell from before you even reached our land.” He chuckled. “Tell them about the Brotherhood you found, the adventures you went on with them, the friends you’ve made along the way to here.” He gestured to the room. “And when you get to this chapter in that saga, focus on the good that came of the hardship. You don’t need to reopen old wounds.”</p>
<p>Hinata nodded along. It made sense. His parents weren’t stupid, but he did agree with Asahi’s point that they didn’t need to know all the details of treachery and lies. There was an argument they should know about Hēishān and the pact that was made to save his king, but the story was a long one, and it wouldn’t be told over one meal. They were going to be here for a few weeks, he would have time to tell them the stories of how he grew up in a year, how he learnt so much in a short space of time.</p>
<p>“Yeah.” He nodded more confidently. “Thanks Asahi, that, that helps a lot.”</p>
<p>Asahi reached out and patted Hinata’s head, ruffling his hair affectionately. “I hope it goes well. After everything, you deserve to be happy.”</p>
<p>Hinata wasn’t sure what to make of Asahi saying that, but he didn’t argue. There was a sense of peace about him as they returned to sitting in silence and enjoying the warmth of the sun. He wasn’t aware of time passing much as he lost himself in his thoughts. Footsteps preceded a city guardsman entering the room and waving to him.</p>
<p>“Kenma is asking for you.” He called. “He’s at the Blooming Orchid teahouse.”</p>
<p>Hinata knew the place, he had been frequenting it a lot with Kenma in recent weeks. He nodded to Asahi in parting before gathering himself together to travel through the winding city streets as he tried to keep out of the gaze of the townsfolk. They had become fascinated with his presence in the city and by Tobio’s side. The rumours were flying more candidly ever since they returned to the city. He was sure some had heard about the fiasco in the north but Tobio had kept to his word and not breathed an official word on the matter.</p>
<p>The Blooming Orchid was a small teahouse nestled beside one of the streams that fed into the sunken lake. A building made of dark pine wood and decorated with the orange banners that were commonplace in the city. A sign depicted a bright orange flower laid beside a teacup. He and Kenma had become regulars there, the owners were a pair of sisters, neither poked nor pried into personal matters, merely offering them complimentary snacks every so often. If they thought or knew of anything about Hinata and Tobio’s courtship, they didn’t say it. And that was why Hinata felt more at ease here than other places, it was a safe place.</p>
<p>As he stepped up to the main entrance, he was greeted by one of the sisters; the taller of the two who often greeted patrons with a calm smile and a quick bow.</p>
<p>“Ah, Kenma is sat out the back with your…guests.” She said the last word with a sense of curiosity. “Would you be requiring anything else?”</p>
<p>“Not right now,” Hinata replied, glancing around and noting only two other patrons, “but if you could try to keep anyone else from sitting near us, I’d appreciate it and—”</p>
<p>“Oh of course, I understand.” She cut in, bowing again. “Rest assured, we will maintain your privacy.”</p>
<p>Hinata had to smile at how quick she was to ‘understand’. He let her lead him through the small teahouse and out to the back deck. Orange and yellow flowers decorated the lattice that stretched out over the deck, sunlight peeked between the vibrant green leaves. Hinata dwelt on the simple but elegant decor for a few moments as the excited chatter grew closer with each step. The stream babbled away beyond the fence, the water taking fallen petals further into the city.</p>
<p>Soon, almost sooner than he’d like, he came to a stop at a table with long benches. A vase of orange orchids sat proudly in the centre, cups cluttered the table alongside a platter of tiny cakes and biscuits that were mostly gone already. He let out a short sigh as he met the gaze of his parents. They were just how he remembered them; his mother’s vibrant orange hair matched the orchids, her calm smile and bright eyes that were glassy with tears as he awkwardly waved. His father laughed, the same sort of husky laugh he had come to associate with the likes of Ukai and sometimes Daichi.</p>
<p>“Shoyo!” A more youthful voice called excitedly. Hinata braced himself for the tackle he knew was coming as quick, light footsteps approached him. He managed to stay upright at small arms wrapped around his waist. “I missed you so much! Where have you been?!”</p>
<p>Hinata patted his younger sister’s head. “I missed you too Natsu.” He murmured, trying to swallow the lump in his throat. “And well, I’ve been…quite a few places.”</p>
<p>Kenma chuckled from where he was sat, shaking his head slightly. “I’ve told them a few things already, the main parts.”</p>
<p>“Uh, which main parts?” Hinata asked, still patting Natsu’s head.</p>
<p>His mother was the one to answer, her voice shaky but calm. “Well, this Brotherhood of yours and their adventure involving a dragon? And then, this…strange tale of working for two kings and solving a crisis?”</p>
<p>“Don’t forget the war.” His father added wryly. “And something about saving King Tobio?”</p>
<p>Hinata nervously laughed. “Haha right, uh, okay.”</p>
<p>“But he said,” His mother wiped at her eyes, “he said that you’d want to tell us the more personal things?”</p>
<p>Hinata felt his face heating up. “Haha…” He looked down at Natsu who looked up at him with wide eyes.</p>
<p>He gently coaxed her to let go of him as he crouched down to her level. She wasn’t as small as he remembered, the girl had always been older than she looked, her orange hair had grown out some more and was now able to be braided a little. He held out one of his hands, palm facing up as he smiled at her.</p>
<p>“I’ve been busy,” he snapped his fingers and let fire take hold and quickly morph into a small bird, “when I left, this was all I could do, right?”</p>
<p>She nodded. “Fire, like how the elder described your soul.”</p>
<p>Hinata chuckled. “Well, there’s more to it now.” He closed his fingers around the fire and watched it dissipate.</p>
<p>Slowly he relaxed his fingers again, as he did so, each fingertip began to glow a different elemental colour. Natsu’s eyes widened as the crackle of lightning came first, the white forks of light burst forth. Shards of ice formed a giant snowflake that swirled in mid-air, suspended in pale blue light. A tiny flame was the least surprising of all of them, but it burned brightly with brilliant red light. Next came the swirl of green, the wind that picked up dried leaves and dust in its wake. And finally the rocks that floated in mid-air bathed in orange light like the setting sun.</p>
<p>Hinata let her take in the five elements for a few moments, allowing her to tilt his hand so she could see them more clearly. As she mirrored his smile, he closed his hand once more. He then brought both hands together, pressing fingertips flush against one another. He took a moment of focus, the thrumming of his tattoos under his shirt felt calming to him now as his single runestone bumped against them. He opened his eyes and parted his hands, the purple wisps that wove between his palms formed an owl mid-flight.</p>
<p>“What?!” Natsu exclaimed. “Purple?!”</p>
<p>Hinata chuckled. “Yeah, it’s…it’s some really old magic.” He settled on, watching the owl flap its wings. “That’s what I’ve been busy with.”</p>
<p>“So cool!” She laughed. “Can I learn how to do that?”</p>
<p>“Not unless you know magic.”</p>
<p>Hinata missed the glance between his parents, not that he had time to think as Natsu laughed again and clapped her hands together. She stuck her tongue out in concentration before pulling her palms apart abruptly. A bright red flame hissed into life, cracking violently as it grew. Hinata’s jaw dropped as he realised what he was observing.</p>
<p>“Wha?! No way!” He snapped his fingers to dissipate the void before willing his fire to appear.</p>
<p>He stretched out a hand and allowed the two flames to meet. He felt a surge of energy, untamed almost. This was new. She was new to this but it didn’t make any of it less amazing to him. They both shared a laugh as the fire contained itself, or more accurately, Hinata contained it.</p>
<p>“Since when have you been able to do this?”</p>
<p>Natsu giggled. “Since the spring.”</p>
<p>“Wow.” Hinata nodded. “Must be a natural.” He remarked, glancing to Kenma. “Watch out, we might have another one of me to deal with.”</p>
<p>Kenma groaned. “No, please no.” He joked. “One Shoyo is enough for us.”</p>
<p>“Hey!”</p>
<p>“You have no right to be offended Mr ‘I’ve spoken to and summoned dead dragons’.” Kenma coyly retorted, knowing full well that mentioning Hēishān would prompt more questions. Hinata pouted at him.</p>
<p>“Fine!” He took a few moments to coax Natsu to dissipate her fire before finally taking a seat at the table. He sighed happily as he tried to work out where to start explaining any of the craziness he had been through in the past year. With Kenma having given his family a run down of the big events, he just needed to explain stuff in more detail and maybe, at some point, mention he was actually half-married to a king.</p>
<p>“So, we can start with the magic, or the…well, it all starts with the magic really.”</p>
<p>Kenma snorted. “Just tell them about Hēishān. Then go from there.”</p>
<p>Hinata felt that was a good place to start. After all, everything sort of began and ended with Hēishān. Without Hēishān he wouldn’t have gotten as far as he did, he wouldn’t have met the Kirin, and without the Kirin he <em>definitely</em> wouldn’t have managed to succeed. He waited as Kenma poured him some tea, trying to get his thoughts in order.</p>
<p>“For what it’s worth,” his mother said, “we’ve heard a lot of stories of dragons and wild magic saving King Tobio. Word even reached our village. So don’t feel like it sounds far-fetched.” She reached across the table and held his hand. “We’re eager to hear of your adventures and achievements Shoyo, don’t hold anything back.” She smiled.</p>
<p>That small remark gave him the comfort he needed. As much as it all sounded like some fable from long ago, it had happened. He had lived it, twice. And now he was at a point where the nightmares didn’t wake him, the regrets didn’t haunt him, the lessons had been learnt and he was thankful for everyone who had been there with them, and those who continue to be by his side. He could tell his story without fear of the unknown.</p>
<p>“Well, it all started when Nishinoya found a talking dragon…”</p>
<p>Many cups of tea were poured as Hinata told his family of his journey from an apprentice mage to being hailed as a hero by many kingdoms. They listened intently, laughing along at the more ridiculous situations and shenanigans that had taken place in between the more serious and deadly events. He left out a lot of the nitty gritty details, the betrayal of House Oikawa, the massacre in Tobio’s fortress, and a lot of the ‘bad magic’ that they encountered. He chose to keep it focused on what had been the important guiding light of his life, his Brotherhood, his family.</p>
<p>As he came to the more recent events in the empire, he wondered if he should save the rest of the story for Tobio to tell with him. After all, how does one explain to their parents that they pretended to be a consort and then <em>actually became a consort</em>? He figured that was a conversation for Tobio to be present for.</p>
<p>“So yeah, the last few weeks were…interesting.” He settled on. “A trip to the Empire and back really changed a lot.”</p>
<p>Kenma was curious how exactly Hinata was going to break the news. So far his parents and Natsu had listened to Hinata and nodded along, only questioning the details of some of these exchanges, like how exactly he spoke to a dead dragon in a volcano, small details.</p>
<p>There was a pause. “Uhm. I’m not sure how to…explain.” He laughed nervously, twisting the ring around on his finger again. He figured being blunt would be best. “When I, when I saved Tobio during the battle, it wasn’t just because he’s the king.” He inhaled sharply. “It was because I love him.”</p>
<p>Both his parents seemed surprised at the statement, but they weren’t reacting <em>badly </em>to it. His mother smiled, it was her knowing smile, the same he used to get directed at him when she listened to him explaining his powers to her. It was a smile that told him she believed him wholeheartedly and supported him.</p>
<p>“And well, one thing led to another and in the middle of everything up there in the north, we…I…” He glanced to Kenma who nodded encouragingly. “I’m Tobio’s consort now—well, sort of, we’re not like…official? But he loves me. And that’s what matters.”</p>
<p>“I was about to say, you got <em>married</em>?” His father remarked, a warm smile on his face. “That aside, Shoyo, I’m happy for you.” He nodded. “In all the months you’ve been away, I wondered if you had found someone to settle down with, though I was imagining a milkmaid or even a fellow magic user…not <em>a king</em>.”</p>
<p>“Well,” Hinata shrugged, “Tobio doesn’t really act like a king, least not around me…”</p>
<p>Kenma snorted into his cup, setting it down with a coy smile. “No, Tobio isn’t really a conventional king.”</p>
<p>“He’s actually younger than me.” Hinata added. “But not by much.”</p>
<p>His mother was speechless, she kept shaking her head as Natsu seemed to put the two ideas together. “Wait, I have another brother now?”</p>
<p>“Ack, I mean, maybe? Sorta?”</p>
<p>“I wanna meet him!”</p>
<p>Hinata laughed, it was a slightly panicked one but it was still a laugh. Kenma raised his eyebrows and waited for Hinata to say yay or nay.</p>
<p>“Natsu, please, you can’t just demand to meet a king—” His mother quickly scolded.</p>
<p>Hinata put up a hand. “Uhm well, Tobio actually wants to meet you so…” he said. “I just wanted to talk to you all first so you didn’t…I mean, so that it wouldn’t be so much of a shock.”</p>
<p>“See!” Natsu beamed, already getting up. “I wanna meet this king!”</p>
<p>Kenma chuckled, getting up and already making his way to summon another guardsman to take a message to Tobio to prepare for a noisy arrival. Hinata was quick to ease his mother’s sudden nervousness about meeting royalty, insisting that Tobio wasn’t going to expect any bowing or grovelling at his feet, that he was just a normal person like them under all the titles and royalty.</p>
<p>Walking through Tobu Misaki-Mura, Hinata felt the eyes of the people on him. He played it off as best he could as Natsu babbled on about how cool she thought all the dragons on the buildings looked. Hokubujōsai felt more imposing as they passed through the gates. Word had reached the fortress and Yamaguchi stood at the doors, guards stood at attention. He greeted them with a smile and invited them inside. The throne room opened up quickly, still feeling like a temple with the radiant afternoon light. Asahi saluted Yamaguchi and nodded as he opened the door to the banquet hall.</p>
<p>Two low tables had been pushed together and a vase of blue flowers sat in the centre of them, seat cushions were laid out for everyone, six in total. Kenma found the idea that he had been dragged into this amusing to say the least. He was quick to sit down and invite Hinata’s family to follow suit. The walls were decorated with the ink paintings of the black dragon Hinata had come to know so well, Natsu was enamoured by them as Yamaguchi sent a servant to get some tea whilst he fetched Tobio.</p>
<p>It felt like an age to Hinata before Yamaguchi reappeared and held the door open for Tobio. Hinata was relieved that Tobio hadn’t dressed up, in fact he was wearing rather modest clothes by a king’s standard. He did have his silver crown adorning his head though, Hinata couldn’t really expect him <em>not to</em>.</p>
<p>“Ah, welcome to Hokubujōsai.” Tobio nodded in greeting to everyone, his gaze lingered on Hinata for a moment before he took his seat at the table. “There’s no need for formalities by the way, Shoyo wants me to be as ‘normal’ as possible.”</p>
<p>There was a shared laugh at Hinata’s expense. Though it did ease his apprehension as Natsu immediately started asking Tobio all the questions a child of her age would think to ask a king.</p>
<p>“Is it true that Shoyo <em>really</em> summoned a dragon?”</p>
<p>Tobio raised an eyebrow. “You mean <em>H</em><em>ēishān</em>, the guardian that slept in the volcano? Yeah, I saw him do it myself.” He stated with a smug smile. “Even though I didn’t ask him to.”</p>
<p>“Well excuse me for not wanting you to get eaten by a <em>giant snake</em>.” Hinata pouted.</p>
<p>“I had it perfectly under control.” Tobio retorted.</p>
<p>“Uh-huh.”</p>
<p>Kenma didn’t bother to hide his laughter at the now normal breakdown in hierarchy. Whenever Tobio and Hinata started bickering, it was easy to forget one was a king and the other a powerful mage. Kenma cleared his throat, a wordless remark in its own way. Tobio regained some form of composure and smiled at Hinata’s parents.</p>
<p>“Your son is rather spirited, if I had been told when he burst into my throne room that he’d become one of the most important people in my life, I think I would’ve laughed.” He reached out and took Hinata’s hand on the table. “But, I’m glad, grateful in fact, that he stormed into my life.” He remarked with a wry smile. “And I’m even more grateful that he’s willing to put up with me.”</p>
<p>Hinata rolled his eyes, trying to play off how embarrassed he felt at Tobio’s way of talking about him. “You missed out the part where I’m not the one who actually saved you. That was all Akaashi.”</p>
<p>“But you stuck around and dealt with my stubbornness.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, I mean…shut up.”</p>
<p>Tobio laughed, it was still a strange sound to Hinata, though he was getting used to this new, or ‘old’ Tobio, The conversation continued, Tobio asking his parents about where they come from, how Hinata found out he had powers, and other more mundane topics cropped up. The state of affairs in Tooru’s kingdom, how they viewed their king and so on. As Tobio noticed Natsu’s boredom of talking about politics, he thought of something.</p>
<p>“Hey, Tadashi.” He called over his shoulder.</p>
<p>“Yeah?”</p>
<p>“What’s Inuoka up to?”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi thought for a moment. “I think he’s, well, he mentioned talking to Shirabu about something. But nothing official, probably bickering with Lev.”</p>
<p>Tobio glanced at Hinata. “Take her up to see Sou, it’s probably more interesting than sitting here.” He said to Hinata.</p>
<p>“Are you sure?”</p>
<p>“Of course.”</p>
<p>Hinata wasn’t sure leaving Tobio alone with his parents was really something he wanted, but at the same time, now knowing Natsu could wield magic he had to agree that taking her to Inuoka would be <em>much</em> more entertaining. He nodded, flashing a glance to Kenma who seemed content to stay put before telling Natsu to follow him.</p>
<p>She immediately perked up as he told her Inuoka was the court mage. Her first question was if he was as ‘powerful’ as Hinata which made Hinata chuckle. He opened the door to the mage quarters and yelled a greeting at Inuoka. Natsu’s eyes widened as she took in the array of books and all the alchemy equipment.</p>
<p>“Ah, is this your sister?” Inuoka asked as he quickly stowed a roll of parchment away.</p>
<p>“It is, this is Natsu,” Hinata gestured to her before gesturing to Inuoka. “This is Sou Inuoka, House Kageyama’s court mage.”</p>
<p>“Hey don’t forget me!” A voice came from under the table.</p>
<p>“Ah, Lev.” Hinata chuckled. “This is Lev, the…our cat.”</p>
<p>Natsu stepped behind Hinata as Lev squirmed out from under the table. As soon as she realised he wasn’t dangerous, she too started laughing.</p>
<p>“Hey Sou,” Hinata gestured back to Natsu, “turns out magic runs in my family now.”</p>
<p>Natsu took that as a cue to summon her fire. Inuoka was quick to summon his ice and from there the conversation quickly became Inuoka asking Natsu how long she had been practising and whether she knew if she could summon anything else. The mage quarters felt more alive again as magic was experimented with, creatures formed out of elements and chased around the room by Lev. Inuoka regaled Natsu with stories from their adventures and the legends of House Kageyama’s lands.</p>
<p>As Hinata watched Natsu laugh at another one of Inuoka’s remarks, he was quietly thankful that Tobio had been so open on bringing his family to Hokubujōsai. Letting Natsu see the world beyond their village, a world where magic was celebrated and encouraged as long as one was responsible about it, made everything he had gone through just a little more worthwhile.  There was little doubt in his mind that he’d be seeing his sister more frequently now, and that was before he thought about getting her to meet Nishinoya and Akaashi. Heck, he could even take her to Shirabu or even Ukai and Goshiki. He had so many friends in so many places.</p>
<p>If she wanted to learn from any of them, he would gladly move mountains to make it happen. He supposed, that was the benefit of being a king’s consort and a renowned mage. At least he’d do right by her unlike a certain other older brother to a mage. Just seeing her excited to show off her powers, no matter how limited they seemed, gave him a sense of hope.</p>
<p>This was good, life was good.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0091"><h2>91. Dynasty</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>XCI</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Dynasty</strong>
</p>
<p>It had felt odd to be back in Tanishiti. Kunimi wasn’t sure how to feel in all honesty. He was used to big castles and palaces by now, but the Blue Palace was different. The Blue Palace had been home growing up, it had been diving through narrow passageways to avoid being a nuisance, always being alert for an order or change in circumstance. To be back as a guest, as someone who had served the royal family on the battlefield and now being touted as a hero felt odd.</p>
<p>Kindaichi was quiet. Kunimi wasn’t about to assume he felt the strange oddness that he did, but when the stables were all fully staffed and there wasn’t anything to busy themselves with, he could tell that Kindaichi was feeling restless.</p>
<p>Kunimi had reunited with his mother, she had cried a lot and thanked all the gods she could name that he was safe, that he had returned like he promised. She also scolded him for being so reckless but in the same breath spoke of how proud she was of him and his undying loyalty. In the days following their arrival, he had tried to make up for lost time by spending every evening with her and the others that had a hand in his younger years. He told them stories of the places he had been, the sights he and Kindaichi had seen, the people both royal and criminal that they had met. He spoke of Tobio’s kingdom and how different it felt at first but now it was like a second home.</p>
<p>As he spoke of the Brotherhood, he couldn’t help but wonder how the others were doing. How were their reunions going? Were there tears of happiness and embraces, was it dawning on them just how lucky they all were to be alive? He found himself wondering how Tooru was coping. That thought led him to drag Kindaichi to see their king, their friend and see what he was up to now the threats of war and murder were fading.</p>
<p>Tooru was more than happy to make time for them both, inviting them to sit with him in his chamber.</p>
<p>“So, now that we’re not in danger of going to war again,” Kunimi remarked, “what’s your next grand venture?”</p>
<p>Tooru chuckled, glancing to Iwaizumi who was stood by the window watching the scenes below. “Well, we had to inform my mother of everything and she’s…well, my sister is going to be visiting. Apparently having Akiteru in our dungeon is reason enough to make a family reunion possible.”</p>
<p>Kunimi raised his eyebrows. “Your sister, huh, she bringing your nephew?”</p>
<p>“I’d expect so. I have yet to meet him. He must be…nearly three now.”</p>
<p>“It’s been that long?”</p>
<p>Tooru nodded. “Yep. Though my mother’s only been gone a little over a year now. Left shortly after my coronation to visit them both and make sure my brother-in-law is doing right by her.”</p>
<p>Kunimi hummed. “So what are you doing with Akiteru? Waiting for your mother and sister to arrive before you hang him?”</p>
<p>“Yes, well, the first part at least.” Tooru’s calm demeanour didn’t shift even with the morbid topic. “I want him to be confronted by the family he tried to tear apart, twice, and realise his game is well and truly over.” He shrugged. “I’m still deciding his ultimate fate.”</p>
<p>That was interesting to Kunimi. He was under the impression Akiteru was going to be killed for his crimes, that imprisonment or atoning for his crimes were out of the question. He had been responsible or so much death across the realms, so much pain and torment. If Kunimi was in charge, Akiteru’s head would be on a pike by now.</p>
<p>But Kunimi wasn’t in charge. Tooru was, and there was a certain change in the air.</p>
<p>“You’re not executing him?”</p>
<p>“I don’t know.” Tooru shook his head as he shifted in his seat. “Something about answering death with more death doesn’t…it doesn’t feel like the kind of statement I want to make.”</p>
<p>Kunimi wryly smiled. “Oh yeah? Starting to sound like Tobio and Hinata.”</p>
<p>“Pft. There’s been too much blood spilt here, too many people killed in the name of the crown, in the name of vengeance and justice…that’s not the kind of dynasty I want to be part of.” He sat up straighter and met Kunimi’s gaze. “My grandfather was bloodthirsty, my father a victim of a corrupt mage. I have seen how their choices marred this land, the relationships with our neighbours and affected my people. I want to be the sign of change, the phoenix that rises from the ashes.”</p>
<p>To Kunimi, Tooru really did sound like Tobio’s influence had rubbed off on him. He wasn’t going to fault him though. Things had been turbulent the last few years of Tooru’s life, and after so many months of feeling like he had been reacting to unwelcome surprises left behind by his predecessors, feeling like he was actually in control of his kingdom once and for all had to be a strange change.</p>
<p>Kunimi smiled. “For what it’s worth, I think you’ll manage to be that change.” He and Kindaichi exchanged a glance. “And I think the kingdom will be better for it.”</p>
<p>Tooru smiled back. “I’m glad you think that,” he sighed, “it’s not going to be easy but…but I think as long as I have people like you around believing in me, I’ll get through it.”</p>
<p>Kunimi snorted. “I’m sure Tobio and Yachi will be more than happy to have a few years of peace and prosperity. And I’m certain that Daichi will be happy to have a sense of normal back in the Brotherhood.”</p>
<p>Tooru chuckled. “Ah yes, the Brotherhood…I hope you’re all getting that deserved rest. I know Shirabu hasn’t really left his quarters since he returned.”</p>
<p>Kunimi and Kindaichi exchanged another glance. They hadn’t seen much of Shirabu or Semi. Kunimi had been adamant that something was going on but he equally didn’t feel like intruding. In a way, he wanted to leave Shirabu alone, not because he disliked the other, but he had heard about what lengths Shirabu went through during that night in Hinode. As much as many of them were slowly getting over it all, there was so much they didn’t know about Shirabu’s life. He had kept it hidden away and seldom brought up his encounters with Akiteru unless it had become important. And then there was whatever he went through with Akaashi.</p>
<p>To put it mildly, in Kunimi’s eyes, Shirabu was deserving of all the space he wanted. If he wanted to remain closed off in his quarters with only Semi for company, he was well within his right to do just that.</p>
<p>Kindaichi decided to speak up. “I know most of the Brotherhood has gone back to their families and stuff.” He shrugged. “I think Daichi and Moniwa are back at Kēpu yōsai though, might be hosting their families there whilst it’s quiet.”</p>
<p>“And are you intending to return there soon?” Tooru asked.</p>
<p>Kindaichi looked to Kunimi who shrugged. “Perhaps, though Daichi was <em>very </em>insistent that we all take a <em>long</em> break.”</p>
<p>Tooru chuckled, shaking his head slightly. “Well, you’re free to stay here as long as you wish. As far as I’m concerned, you are as much as part of House Oikawa as Shirabu by this point.”</p>
<p>Kunimi laughed. “Next you’ll be trying to declare one of us your successor.”</p>
<p>Tooru laughed louder. “Ah, no, no no.” He waved dismissively. “I have plans for that already.”</p>
<p>“Oh yeah? Last I heard, you didn’t want to bed a woman for the sake of an heir.”</p>
<p>“And where did you hear that?”</p>
<p>Kunimi shrugged. “News travels here.”</p>
<p>Tooru shook his head. “No, and it’s still the same. I won’t be siring an heir myself.” He glanced over at Iwaizumi again, gaze lingering a few moments longer than necessary. “No, I intend to ask my sister if she would be so kind as to have another child  in my stead.”</p>
<p>“You think your sister will agree? Plus, I’m guess that same child could be the heir to your brother-in-law’s kingdom?”</p>
<p>Tooru nodded. “That is true, though like with many things, it’s possible a formal agreement could be signed between me and him, an understanding that once the child is old enough, they come to live here under my mother and I’s guardianship. The fact of the matter is, as long as there is the bloodline of House Oikawa within them, our name and legacy will continue.”</p>
<p>Kunimi’s gaze flickered to Iwaizumi who had turned his head to listen to Tooru speak so confidently of such matters. Kunimi wondered who came up with the idea, and whether Iwaizumi was entirely happy with Tooru going to such lengths just to stay monogamous. Kunimi had no desire to find out the inner workings of that relationship, he knew far more than he wanted to anyway.</p>
<p>“Ah, well I’m glad you have a plan.” Kunimi said. “Good luck with that, and don’t even think about asking the Brotherhood to become babysitters.”</p>
<p>Kindaichi snorted. “Oh I dunno, I think they’d be great.”</p>
<p>“You really think letting the likes of Tanaka and Bokuto look after a future king or queen of the kingdom is a good idea?”</p>
<p>Tooru didn’t say anything, seeming to actually consider the idea for a few moments before shaking his head. “I’m sure if I need the Brotherhood to provide say…more covert protection for my successor, I can find enough gold to satisfy Daichi’s demands.”</p>
<p>That sounded slightly more plausible to Kunimi, though he still wasn’t convinced the Brotherhood should be adding such responsibilities to their list of duties. He enjoyed getting to talk callously with Tooru, even if it was about official business. It gave him some idea that the future of the western realm was in safe hands. Tooru was ready to spread his wings and finally break free of the shackles of the past. With Tobio seated in the east, Kyoutani keeping the northern territories at ease and Yachi regaining her confidence in the empire, things were set to remain peaceful for a time. A new era of the Oikawa dynasty was dawning, and he was strangely excited to see what would become of it.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>It took a while for Kiyoko to settle down into the calmer feeling in Kawamura. It was so unlike Kēpu yōsai, and even more unlike the palaces and fortress’ that she had grown used to in recent weeks. It was a village, plain and simple. The sun rose over the rooftops of the small farmhouses and animal sheds, the distant sound of the ocean was carried to them on the breeze, the trees rustled and whispered on the fringes of the village fences.</p>
<p>It reminded her of home, a distant memory of a distant place now, but the quiet and way everyone knew everyone else brought a sense of comfort. Her presence hadn’t escaped their notice. Soon she was greeted by everyone she passed no matter what she was busy with. But as the days seemed to meld together, she found herself feeling homesick for the playful bickering, the clash of swords, even the crackle of lightning on the air.</p>
<p>Suga hadn’t brought up the topic of leaving, he didn’t really talk much about the Brotherhood but she knew that it wasn’t out of <em>not</em> wanting to talk, it was more out of not wanting to distract her. He wanted her to have a taste of the normal life she had missed, the simple tasks of collecting eggs from the hens, helping the neighbours herd their goats from one pen to another, even going for walks through the forests to find wild mushrooms and maybe hunt rabbits.</p>
<p>It was by no means an unpleasant life, but she was starting to yearn for something else. Something, more.</p>
<p>One warm afternoon Suga suggested they take a ride to the shore just to ‘mix things up a little’. The horses were saddled and some supplies were loaded onto saddlebags. Kiyoko didn’t ask if Suga had plans, she knew by now he just liked to be prepared. As soon as they were clear of the village, they broke into a canter. The shore wasn’t far away but feeling the wind rush around her brought back memories of when she could soar above the clouds. Whilst these memories became more and more fragmented with each passing day, she never forgot how the sunset looked from high in the sky. She was happy to no longer be in that form, but to every storm there was a silver lining and that sunset was a cherished memory.</p>
<p>The waves crashed against the sandy beach, spray kicked up into the air and dampened their faces. The ocean spread out before them as they halted on the shore, the surface looked like it had gems scattered across it as the sun shone down on it. Gulls cawed overhead, soaring against the cloudless sky.</p>
<p>“Come on.” Suga nodded as he turned Hotaru to the left. “There’s a spot, further along, I wanna show you.”</p>
<p>Now Kiyoko was convinced that he had some sort of ulterior plan. She giggled and nodded, letting her horse fall in step with Hotaru. They walked the length of the beach, quietly talking about recent happenings in the village. The conversation naturally spilt into wondering how the others were getting on, whether some were already on their way back to Kēpu yōsai or not. Suga wasn’t going to pretend he didn’t notice the wistful look on her face as she spoke about the others. For him, he already knew what she was going to decide.</p>
<p>From inland, a rocky outcrop spilt over the beach and into the ocean. A cliff jutted out over the shallow water, waves crashed against the stone as Suga urged Hotaru to walk up the slope. Kiyoko followed him and soon they were stood on the narrow cliff overlooking the ocean. At the edge of the cliff stood a large stone sat upright like a pillar. As they dismounted, Kiyoko stepped closer to it and found letters had been carved into it, pairs of them like initials and names.</p>
<p>“Is this some sort of shrine?” She asked as Suga took one of the saddlebags from Hotaru and set it down on the grass.</p>
<p>“A shrine? No, not quite.” He replied, sitting on the grass and beckoning her to sit next to him. “More…a local landmark.”</p>
<p>She stepped back and sat down, watching as he opened the saddlebag and brought out a piece of rolled leather held shut with string. “Looks old, and what are the letters carved on it?”</p>
<p>“Hah, well, it’s a place that people come to make promises.” He untied the string, revealing some small cakes. “But first, my mom made these yesterday and when I mentioned we’d be taking a ride she insisted we brought some with us.”</p>
<p>Kiyoko giggled. “You know, the more time I spend with your mother, the more I see her in the way you act with the Brotherhood.”</p>
<p>“Hah! I mean,” he shrugged, “Daichi said something similar once. And I am the self-proclaimed guild mother.”</p>
<p>They shared the small baked treats between them and enjoyed the warmth of the sunshine and the sounds of the ocean against the cliff and the shore alike. Kiyoko’s gaze lingered on the pillar, the etchings looked aged, many seemed carved with blunt knives or maybe even swords. Suga’s remark about promises had her thinking, maybe over-thinking, about what significance such a stone could have.</p>
<p>Only once they had finished eating did Suga seek to explain any further. He took her hand in his and tugged her to follow him up to the stone. It stood only a few inches taller than them both, casting a shadow onto the grass as the sun shone from over the ocean.</p>
<p>“So it’s a local tradition, that when someone decides on something, say, to leave the village to join a crazy guild of lunatics,” he wryly smiled, “that they carve their initials into this stone. A reminder of the choice they battled with themselves to make.” He ran his hand over the letters. “And as you can see, a lot of people have left their marks here.”</p>
<p>She followed the movement of his hand with her gaze. Sure enough after a few moments she saw the sharply carved K.S marking the stone.</p>
<p>“So it’s a promise stone, in a way.” She supplied. “Is there a significance to you returning?”</p>
<p>“Not really.” He looked at her with a soft smile as he took his hand away from the stone and found hers. Holding both her hands, he coaxed her to look at him. “I remember when I was thinking about leaving, and I know it’s not quite the same as your choice now, but I guess what I’m trying to say is…” he squeezed her hands, “I know it’s hard, but whatever you choose, I’m with you.”</p>
<p>She smiled at him before leaning forward and kissing him softly. As she pulled back, she glanced at the stone again. Looking closer at it, she saw some pairs of letters were closer together and some carved within circles. She wasn’t sure what to say, lost in her thoughts for what felt like several minutes. A hand on her cheek brought her back to him, he didn’t say anything as he dropped her other hand and reached into an inner pocket of his shirt.</p>
<p>She sighed as she glanced over the stone again. “Honestly I think we both know what my choice is going to be, but I’m still…am I really the one who should take on such a role?”</p>
<p>“I think you are.” He replied, bringing his hand out of the pocket but not letting her see what was closed within his fist. “You know why?”</p>
<p>“Why?”</p>
<p>“Because you’ve seen what happens when there’s no steady hand to guide people. And sure, kings and empresses are a whole lot different to a bunch of lunatics, but the principles are the same.” He stole her hand again, making her meet his gaze. “You stick to your values, you fight for your friends and for what is just, what is right. And I think right now what the empire and the rest of the realm need is someone steadfast like you to protect them from their own idiocy.”</p>
<p>She giggled quietly. “You talk like I’m some sort of all-knowing goddess.”</p>
<p>“To me, you are.”</p>
<p>“Pfft, Koushi please.” Her cheeks flushed red. “I can’t do it alone though, I can’t imagine taking up such a post in a faraway place…”</p>
<p>“You aren’t alone.” He told her. “You can negotiate the terms, tell Yachi would want another member of the Brotherhood with you, could even tell her you want to remain with us at Kēpu yōsai. She seems reasonable enough to talk it out.”</p>
<p>He was speaking sense, like he always did. She couldn’t imagine being able to stomach making such a choice without his steadfast support. But he was not one for politics, he was smart but his place was in Kēpu yōsai. She would have to find another to sit at the most powerful table with her. She had some ideas already, but that was a problem for another time.</p>
<p>The sun was sinking slowly in the sky, the shadow on the grass grew a little more the longer they stood there. Suga studied her expression for something, a hint or clue of what she was thinking.</p>
<p>“Are you still uncertain?”</p>
<p>She sighed. “I don’t want such a position to get in the way of…us.”</p>
<p>“It won’t.” He replied with a confident smile. “Nothing has gotten in the way before, not bandits kidnapping me, no strain of sorcery, nor the efforts of waring kingdoms.” He squeezed her hand and nodded to the pillar. “I’ll admit, I brought you here for more than reminiscing.”</p>
<p>“Oh really?” She gave him a knowing smile. “And what would that be?”</p>
<p>His cheeks flushed redder in the sunlight, the hand that had been behind his back came forward as he held her hand. “I had a thought, just a small notion if you would.” He sheepishly smiled. “After what we’ve been through, after nearly losing you…” he trailed off as their gazes met. “Kiyoko, I want there to be no shadow of doubt hanging over us going forward.”</p>
<p>He relaxed his fingers, opening his fist and showing her what he had been hiding all this time. In the palm of his hand sat a golden ring with a small blue gemstone adorning it.</p>
<p>“If you’ll have me, I want to be yours and yours alone.” He murmured. “Even if you’re away for weeks at a time dealing with nobles and I’m sat in Kēpu yōsai trying to keep the others from killing each other,” he chuckled slightly, “I love you Kiyoko, and I want you to know that. Whatever happens from this day on, whatever you decide, I’m with you. I always will be.”</p>
<p>Her eyes widened as she listened to him speak. As he finished, she couldn’t help but smile, her eyes were glassy as she nodded, unable to bring herself to speak as he slipped the ring onto her finger. As soon as she was able to, she threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly.  He hugged her back, unable to stop the nervous laugh escaping.</p>
<p>“Koushi.” She murmured, pulling back enough to look him in the eyes. “When did you find time to—”</p>
<p>“I uh, had some help.” He replied. “Daichi’s pretty good at keeping secrets.”</p>
<p>“<em>Daichi</em>.” She repeated incredulously. “When…what…” she looked at the ring on her finger. “Is this from the guild’s stash of stolen—”</p>
<p>“No.” He laughed. “No, Daichi got it in Hinode. I asked him to…yeah, help.”</p>
<p>She shook her head, her gaze moving to the pillar again. “Ah, hm.” She titled her head as she ran her fingers over his carved initials. “I feel like I need to add my own.”</p>
<p>He withdrew his blade without hesitation, offering the hilt to her. “It can take a while, but I imagine you’ll be quicker than I was back then.”</p>
<p>She giggled, taking the knife and setting about carving her own initials into the stone alongside his, two sets of the same letters, but carved by different hands. It was slow going, but she didn’t mind. The golden ring winked in the sunlight, casting reflections against the dark stone with each movement. By the time she was done, the sun was a lot lower in the sky. A clear sky above them meant they could see the pink and purple streaks as the sun continued to sink towards the horizon.</p>
<p>They sat on the grass again, Kiyoko resting her head on Suga’s shoulder as he wrapped an arm around her waist. She felt a renewed sense of calm settle over her as they sat in silence watching the fading light of the day. The ocean sparkled as ships dotted the horizon. The gulls continued to caw overhead as the strong breeze continued to rush inland.</p>
<p>As much as she appreciated this simple life, she yearned for the excitement of change. With the promise of the most important thing remaining the same, she was ready to take on a new challenge, a new adventure into the unknown, knowing that every step of the way she would have Suga by her side and the Brotherhood watching her back. She was ready to accept Yachi’s offer, she was ready to help pave the way for those that would come after them.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0092"><h2>92. Legacy</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>XCII</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Legacy</strong>
</p>
<p>The long days of the summer season were some of the most peaceful they had seen in a while. The halls of Hokubujōsai were bathed in sunlight and warmth, laughter bounced off the walls, spirits were high. Hinata’s days were spent hanging out in the mage quarters with Inuoka and Kenma, watching Natsu quickly harness the magic that flowed through her veins. He was reminded of himself in so many ways. He felt fortunate enough to be present during such important milestones for her, to be able to give her not just his own knowledge but that of two of the most impressive mages he knew. There was seldom a day where she didn’t impress them all.</p>
<p>As the summer season crept by and Hinata spent some much-needed time with his parents, he was all too aware of the rumours and whispers that followed him throughout the city. He knew Tobio was ignoring the question on many minds. He knew Tobio wasn’t going to address it until he said it was okay to. Whilst they may not have nobles as outspoken as Tooru’s to deal with, they still had to answer to their people. For now they were simply whispers, but who knew how long it would take for them to grow louder.</p>
<p>It was late one evening when Hinata decided they had let the speculation go on for long enough. With his parents and Natsu already retiring to the guest quarters, he asked Tobio if they could visit the shrine and its new addition. Tobio agreed, letting his fingers link with Hinata’s as they walked down into the cavern beneath the fortress.</p>
<p>“Any particular reason you wanted to visit?” Tobio asked, fingers still linked together as they walked along the narrow pathway towards the shrine.</p>
<p>“Sorta just wanted to see the new statue.” Hinata shrugged. “Inuoka told me they finished it a few days ago.”</p>
<p>Tobio nodded. “Yeah, I have yet to see it myself actually.”</p>
<p>With a snap of his fingers, the braziers came alive with fire. Orange light bounced around off rock faces and the pillars that stood proudly marking the shrine entrance. Atop the raised platform the statue of Hēishān loomed in the dim light but he was no longer alone now. To the left, the platform had been extended and a large white stone statue of the Kirin stood proudly. Her likeness was accurate, her antlers had moss clinging to them as her gaze was directed toward Hēishān, eyes were represented with clear stones that could’ve easily been diamonds. Hinata was intrigued by the choice of her wings, one was feathered, like how he first met her, the stone carved into intricate detail. The other wing was more leathery like a dragon’s much like how her form had shifted in the Battle of the Dynasty. The intricate details continued in the stonework around her mane and tail, the smooth curves making it all the more life-like. They stood in awe for a few moments, the flickering brazier light continuing to make the shadows dance around them.</p>
<p>Hinata smiled to himself. He still needed to get the written account of her great deeds sorted out, but his family visiting had disrupted things a little, in a good way. There was this odd sense of completion about the shrine now, both guardian spirits standing together to watch over them.</p>
<p>“Is this acceptable?” Tobio asked, squeezing his hand. “Is it how you want her to be remembered?”</p>
<p>“Yeah.” Hinata nodded. “It’s perfect.”</p>
<p>“Good.”</p>
<p>The firelight flickered, kindling crackled in the airy cavern. The longer they stood there, the more Tobio was starting to wonder if there was something on Hinata’s mind. He didn’t voice it though, deciding to enjoy the precious moment as Hinata’s gaze moved between the two statues, their fingers still intertwined.</p>
<p>Hinata wondered if Hēishān and the Kirin were watching them now, together or independently of one another. He wondered if they were proud of him like his parents. Had they known this was how things were going to pan out? He always thought Hēishān had this sense of being able to see the future, had he known all along that the two of them would join together in an unbreakable bond?</p>
<p>He turned to Tobio and took hold of his other hand, bringing both of them together in between them. Tobio gazed at him expectantly but said nothing. Hinata felt his stomach turning a little as he debated how to say what he was thinking and feeling. He could go on a long tangent about the state of things, how his family being around had relaxed his soul a great deal, even how calm the fortress had felt. He could also just say it plainly.</p>
<p>“I’m ready.” He stated, squeezing Tobio’s hands. “I’m ready for you to…introduce me properly to our people, as your consort—for real this time.”</p>
<p>Tobio chuckled quietly, squeezing Hinata’s hands in return. “Do you have any preference how?”</p>
<p>“I…hadn’t thought that far.”</p>
<p>Another chuckle from Tobio. “It’s fine, I’ll think about how best to do it. I don’t really care for public addresses…but I’m sure Tadashi will have an idea or two.”</p>
<p>Hinata nodded, stepping closer and tilting his face up. Tobio smiled and leaned down to kiss him slowly, bringing his hands to cup Hinata’s face and pull him closer. The braziers continued to crackle as they lingered there for several minutes. Even as they parted, neither wanted to break the peaceful silence that had fallen between them. So they didn’t, Tobio wordlessly tugged for Hinata to follow him.</p>
<p>Hokubujōsai was quiet, the doors had been closed and many were retiring for the night. Serving staff moved quietly between rooms, sweeping floors and tidying away tables and chairs that had been used earlier in the day. As they began to cross the throne room, Tobio stopped in the centre of the room, gaze lingering on his throne as Hinata shot him a slightly confused look at the wordless stop. Hinata watched as Tobio tilted his head slightly, his gaze still on the single seat of power.</p>
<p>“It’s been…a long time since a king and consort both sat in power.” Tobio murmured. “I don’t remember what it looked like, to have two thrones in here.”</p>
<p>Hinata squeezed his hand. “You don’t remember your grandmother?”</p>
<p>“No, she died before I was born.” Tobio shrugged. “Didn’t get a chance to know her, but apparently she was infamous for her stubborn ways.” A flicker of a smile passed over his face. “I’ve only ever known this throne to sit alone.”</p>
<p>“We don’t have to put a second—”</p>
<p>“I want to.” Tobio’s gaze snapped to Hinata’s. “I want you by my side as my equal, not hidden away like a prize only I can appreciate.” He raised his other hand to cup Hinata’s face, smiling at him fondly. “I know you’re not used to the focus of the common folk, but I…I don’t want there to be any doubt about it, you’re important to me, important to them.” He nodded toward the doors to the city. “And with you by my side, I feel like I can be the king I want to be. I can be invincible in the face of anything.”</p>
<p>Hinata had heard this sentiment a few times now, but each time Tobio brought it up, each time Tobio humbled himself as nothing more than someone of royal blood, he felt the same rush of appreciation. He wondered what the years to come would bring. They were both still young, there was still so much headed their way. He was excited to see what was around the corner.</p>
<p>“Alright.” He leaned into Tobio’s touch. “But if all the meetings and stuff get boring, I’m hanging out with Kenma instead.”</p>
<p>Tobio snorted. “As if I could ever hope to keep you from him.” He shook his head. “I’ll handle the ‘boring’ parts, I just want you there for the ceremonial things. Y’know, greeting visitors, public meetings with merchants, that sort of thing.” He let his hand fall only to take hold of Hinata’s. “As much as being a consort comes with traditions and expectations in a normal kingdom, we both know this is no normal kingdom and I am no normal king.”</p>
<p>“You can say that again.” Hinata giggled.</p>
<p>“So all I ask is that if I do insist you be present for some noble’s arrival or a discussion between merchants, you just humour me. I may not need your input but your presence calms me.” He averted his gaze as he half-heartedly laughed at himself. “I know I’m not the easiest to placate sometimes.”</p>
<p>“I…would never say such a thing.” Hinata coyly replied, getting a playful scoff from Tobio.</p>
<p>“In any case,” Tobio shook his head as he tried to keep himself from laughing, “do you understand?”</p>
<p>Hinata pretended to think it over for a few moments. “Hm, well, you are <em>so</em> demanding, and y’know I’m a very busy person with all the magic and the protecting you…” He rambled, getting a kick out of Tobio’s amused smile, “I suppose if you <em>really</em> want me to sit there and hold your hand whilst you look all kingly and stuff, I’ll manage it.”</p>
<p>“Oh I’m <em>so glad.</em>” Tobio retorted, stepping a little closer. The fading light of the summer’s eve cast the room in a faint orange hue, light reflected in Hinata’s eyes as Tobio tilted his head slightly. “You honour me with your cooperation.”</p>
<p>Hinata beamed at Tobio. As amusing as the joke was, he really didn’t mind the terms of the agreement. He was pretty sure Tobio was only mentioning it to be sure, but if anything Hinata didn’t mind the idea of sitting in on the more day-to-day business of running a kingdom. He had only seen Tobio’s kingdom in a state of preparing for and recuperation from war. He hadn’t truly seen it at peace and he was eager to see how quickly it would flourish now the threats were all fading memories. They lingered in the throne room for a while, appreciating the calm, quiet feeling before deciding to finally retire for the night.</p>
<p>By the time the sun rose on Hokubujōsai, several messages had been passed through the serving staff from Yamaguchi. A sense of excitement took over the fortress as Yamaguchi sent out one of them to the city with a wax-sealed note for the captain of the guard.</p>
<p>From that morning onward, Hinata was no longer just a mage in Tobio’s service, he was now officially part of the royal household as Tobio’s consort. Asahi stood with Yamaguchi as he watched the serving boy hurry out of the fortress. He was carrying one of the many notes that had been sent to various important members of the city and it wouldn’t be long before the word spread amongst the common folk. An official writ was to be put up on the message boards and a crier was being briefed on the wording and Hinata’s new title before they were to be sent to the main market square.</p>
<p>“It feels weird, doesn’t it?” Yamaguchi remarked as Asahi chuckled.</p>
<p>“In what sense? That they’re going public after so long or something else?”</p>
<p>Yamaguchi smiled, glancing up at Asahi. “I always thought I’d be sending such a decree out when Tobio was both a lot older and courting a lady of noble status.” He shrugged. “But this is good, better even.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, they’re young, but there’s no denying that he truly loves Shoyo.”</p>
<p>“Agreed, he’s really come alive again hasn’t he?” Yamaguchi’s smile grew as he sighted a messenger returning from an earlier job.</p>
<p>It was quickly established that word was already spreading despite the early hour of the day. Yamaguchi wasn’t sure how Tobio and Hinata would react to it but it was safe to say that it was going to be an unusual day for them.</p>
<p>“So, should we get them up now or later?” Asahi remarked as the courier was dismissed.</p>
<p>“Later.” Yamaguchi replied. “I plan to persuade them to take a ride through the city in the afternoon, let the people see them without it being too much of a big deal.”</p>
<p>“I’ll make sure the city guard are aware.”</p>
<p>“Good. I’ll make sure Inuoka and Kenma are aware of all this too.”</p>
<p>Asahi nodded. “Does Kenma actually have an official position or is he just…here?”</p>
<p>“I think Tobio is loosely lumping him in with Inuoka so now we have two court mages…I think.” Yamaguchi shrugged. “One thing at a time.”</p>
<p>With another nod, Asahi took his leave, armour clinking as he strode towards the doors of the fortress. Yamaguchi lingered for a few moments, watching him go. He couldn’t shake this feeling that with this official decree, they were no longer merely friends of the king, nor just the favoured few that Tobio could trust with official business. With a consort now being declared, things would have to be stepped up, it was no longer Tobio they had to care for. Granted, Hinata was one of the furthest things from a typical consort and could definitely take care of himself, but there were still processes that Yamaguchi had been taught must be followed. Tobio could dismiss them all he liked, but Yamaguchi swore an oath and he wasn’t about to forsake it now.</p>
<p>He kept himself busy until he heard a faint call from upstairs. By this point in his time with Tobio, he was used to the other’s slightly sour morning moods. In recent months however, there was a sense of calm about him, like he didn’t dread the mornings so much now he had company in his bed.</p>
<p>“Morning.” Yamaguchi greeted as he closed the chamber door behind him. “Both sleep well?”</p>
<p>Hinata was already sat up and rubbing sleep from his eyes. He sleepily smiled at Yamaguchi whilst Tobio buried his face in his pillow. “Yeah, well enough.” Hinata yawned. “Is there breakfast?”</p>
<p>“There can be.” Yamaguchi stepped up to the bed and peered at Tobio. “Are you hungry?”</p>
<p>“Sort of.” Tobio mumbled.</p>
<p>Hinata nudged him in the side, getting an annoyed grunt in return. Yamaguchi sighed and shook his head. “I’ll get breakfast served downstairs and leave you to summon the motivation to get up.” He said, turning and walking to the door before turning to glance over his shoulder. “Oh Tobio, the missives have been sent. The people will know by noon.”</p>
<p>As Yamaguchi left, Tobio sluggishly sat up and yawned. He looked at Hinata who seemed both amused and curious about Yamaguchi’s remark.</p>
<p>“Told ‘em to send some letters about your new position.” He shrugged. “It’s the least dramatic way.”</p>
<p>“So do we have to do anything else?”</p>
<p>Tobio yawned again. “Well, they’ll probably want to see us in some capacity. Might be able to weasel out of a coronation ceremony.”</p>
<p>Hinata blinked. “A…what?”</p>
<p>“Y’know, being crowned…” Tobio trailed off, shaking his head as he yawned again. “We can talk about it later—”</p>
<p>Hinata hooked his finger under Tobio’s chin and made him meet his gaze. “What do you mean by ‘being crowned’?”</p>
<p>Tobio huffed but nodded as best he could. “Well, you’re my consort, some would say it’s only fitting you are crowned as such.”</p>
<p>“I don’t need a crown, I mean, I have that circlet already.” Hinata relaxed his hand, letting it fall onto the bed. “I know the people will expect something but, I don’t feel like I need a coronation.”</p>
<p>Tobio smiled. “I get it, which is why I’ll do my best to play down any calls for one. At most, I’ll gather the more important people of the city in the throne room and present you as you are to them, in whatever manner you want to be seen. Be it court mage, guardian of the family, my consort or a mix of all three.”</p>
<p>Hinata was quiet for a few seconds, he didn’t want to parade around like a noble with overzealous titles and accolades. That didn’t suit him, and it didn’t really feel like something the kingdom needed.</p>
<p>“What about, just Hinata? Hinata of House Kageyama. No titles, just me.”</p>
<p>Tobio considered it for a moment. “As you wish. Shoyo Hinata of House Kageyama.” He leaned forward and kissed Hinata softly.</p>
<p>As Hinata felt himself relax a little, now no longer daunted by the day’s potential festivities, the idea of breakfast sounded much more appealing. As they ate in the banquet hall, Yamaguchi didn’t make any attempt to hide his intentions from Tobio. The idea of a slow procession through the city to go along with the declaration of Hinata’s position was one of the tamer ideas. It would give the people a chance to see their king and his lover whilst also being fairly mundane in preparation.</p>
<p>Hinata could ride a horse through a city easily enough. Tobio seemed more on board with the idea than a formal banquet or ceremony at least.</p>
<p>A flurry of activity began in the stables as two horses were picked out and quickly made up in the royal regalia. Hinata started feeling a little daunted as he and Tobio got ready in their chamber. He hadn’t worn the jacket of Yukio since the night of the fight with Akiteru. He stood for a few moments simply looking at the bright orange stitching that had been scrubbed clean of soot and ash. To wear it again in a new light was both exciting and strangely sombre in a way. Tobio watched as Hinata slowly slipped the jacket on and adjusted how it sat on his shoulders.</p>
<p>The final piece was the circlet, Tobio couldn’t stop himself smiling at the way Hinata’s face lit up as the circlet sat atop his head with ease.</p>
<p>“You look great.” Tobio told him.</p>
<p>Hinata shrugged, looking over at Tobio. For the first time in a while, he saw Tobio in his kinglier attire, the same style of clothes that he had worn when they first met. The form-fitting shirt and tailored pants complete with his usual silver crown of dragon heads. Though now as Hinata looked at him, Tobio didn’t seem like a lost prince forced to be king, the way he held himself now and commanded everyone’s attention and respect spoke to nothing short of his growth. He was a king, not in title and blood, but in actions and character. The stray thought made Hinata smile.</p>
<p>“Are you ready?” Tobio asked, extending a hand to him.</p>
<p>Hinata took it without hesitation, their fingers linking together. “Yeah, I’m ready.”</p>
<p>Tobio led him through the fortress, a sense of excitement rose within them as the reality of the situation sunk in. After this there would be no hiding in plain sight for Hinata, walking the streets of Tobu Misaki-Mura would come with armed guards and an air of authority. But it was something that they owed their people, clarity and openness. Tobio wasn’t one to hide things from his people and this was no different.</p>
<p>The horses were sporting the banner of House Kageyama, the orange dragon stood out against dark fabric that covered their hind legs. The bridles and reins had been polished and adorned with short orange ribbons that fluttered in the breeze. Several other horses were being mounted by guards who would follow them through the city. Asahi stood by their horses, armour shining in the sun. After quickly mounting and adjusting themselves in the saddles, Tobio nodded to Asahi.</p>
<p>A quick exchange of orders was barked between guards before a group of guards on foot walked out of the gates ahead of them. Hinata ran the reins of his horse through his fingers as they waited for Asahi to deem it time to leave. Already they could hear the excited chatter of the city getting louder, Hinata wasn’t sure how much notice the people had been given but he suspected they knew enough to be anticipating something major.</p>
<p>And something major, it was.</p>
<p>Asahi decided they had kept the people waiting long enough. With a nod to Yamaguchi who was staying behind, Asahi  began to walk through the gates. Tobio took that as a cue to prompt his horse to start walking. No sooner had they made it through the gates, did the cheers of the crowd hit them. Hinata was reminded of their return from the battle, not just by how loud they were but the smiles and their faces and calls of ‘long live the king’.</p>
<p>Tobio took it all in his stride, as he had been taught to do from a young age, nodding and waving to those they passed. Hinata still wasn’t used to the attention but he tried his best to seem calm and composed. He figured he wasn’t doing a fantastic job as Tobio reached across and took hold of his hand. The gesture usually hot a few raised eyebrows on a normal day, that day it prompted a roar of approval from those lining the streets. From somewhere above them, a balcony or raised walkway Hinata wasn’t sure, flower petals were tossed down. Pink and orange in colour, they floated and fluttered down, catching on the horse’s mane, and settling on their shoulders and heads.</p>
<p>“You look tense still.” Tobio remarked, letting go of Hinata’s hand long enough to gently brush some of the petals from Hinata’s shoulder.</p>
<p>“Gee I wonder why that is.” Hinata remarked, trying to ignore the eyes on him.</p>
<p>Tobio laughed, the reaction getting more cheers and remarks as they continued to slowly walk towards the central plaza of the city. Usually market stalls were clustered together and the place was teeming with people looking to trade wares and gold. Today however, the stalls had been carefully moved aside and the guards on foot had cleared a space for them both to halt in. Around the rest of the plaza, crowds had gathered all desperate to catch a glimpse of their young king and his newly declared consort.</p>
<p>“This is as public as we’ll be about it all,” Tobio told him as their horses were encouraged towards the middle of the plaza by Asahi, “yes it’ll be daunting for a few minutes, but it’s better than an over-the-top coronation.”</p>
<p>Hinata tried to laugh away his nerves. He was definitely not cut out for being the centre of attention but this was one of the many aspects of falling in love with a king he had vowed to go along with. He was thankful Tobio wasn’t one for big scenes, or else there might’ve been a week-long celebration or something equally ridiculous in his mind.</p>
<p>As their horses were brought to a stop, there was a beat of relative quiet before the crowds cheered some more. Hinata did his best to mirror Tobio’s actions, nodding and waving to the people with as little awkwardness as possible. He wasn’t sure if he was managing it but Tobio didn’t tell him to stop.</p>
<p>Asahi stood in front of them holding his battle axe. As he brought the haft down on the cobblestone with a loud thud, the crowd began to quieten. Hinata wasn’t sure what exactly was about to happen, but he sensed a wave of anticipation. Tobio flashed him a smile and a reassuring nod as Asahi inhaled sharply.</p>
<p>“People of the kingdom of Kageyama, today I present to you King Tobio of House Kageyama, the Dragon of the East and his consort, Shoyo Hinata of House Kageyama, the Sun of the South.”</p>
<p>The latter half of his new title surprised Hinata. He shot Tobio a glance as the crowds roared once more. Over the din, Tobio leaned over towards him and murmured.</p>
<p>“I know you said you didn’t want a title, but I couldn’t help it.”</p>
<p>Hinata pouted slightly but he couldn’t hold back a smile. “You could’ve told me earlier.”</p>
<p>Tobio coyly smiled. “And where’s the fun in that?”</p>
<p>“I—” Hinata didn’t get a chance to argue as Tobio kissed him, much to the delight of their audience. He didn’t mind having a small title really, he <em>did</em> mind not being told ahead of time. As they parted, Tobio turned his gaze back to the crowds and waved at them. Hinata was a little less suave in his recovery but he felt less nervous now that the declaration had been made. There was nothing to hide anymore from them, no reason to avoid their glances or their questions.</p>
<p>As quickly as he had been thrust into the public limelight, he relaxed into his new role. He followed Tobio’s lead as the king prompted his horse to start walking around the outer edge of the clearing, closer to the crowds and able to talk with his people. Many clamoured to ask how the two met, how such a romance blossomed and what the future held. Tobio was calm in his answers, speaking earnestly about how Hinata had been a breath of fresh air in his life and going forward would continue to help him improve the kingdom. Hinata for the most part let Tobio answer everything, not entirely sure if he should mention his magic or not. He did answer honestly when people asked if he was from a noble family or not, he spoke kindly of his humble beginnings and his friends who were instrumental in helping Tobio win the battle with Tooru. The people listened intently, many seemed surprised at how normal Hinata seemed.</p>
<p>They had no idea just how wild his journey had really been, and he wasn’t prepared to burst their bubble just yet.</p>
<p>They slowly made their way around the clearing and began their slow return to Hokubujōsai. More flower petals and cheers greeted them as they passed under balconies and walkways. It felt like a festival in many ways, and in some aspects it was exactly that, a festival to announce that Tobio was longer the lonely king of the east, that he had a companion sworn to his side in heart, body and soul. Not that everyone else strictly knew that.</p>
<p>Finally away from the crowds and back in Hokubujōsai, Tobio led Hinata to the throne room. At first Hinata wasn’t sure what was so important after everything else, but he was quickly enlightened when they stepped into the throne room. Where there had been one throne the previous night, a second was now sat beside it.</p>
<p>“I know I said you didn’t need to sit with me during all the royal business.” Tobio said, slipping his hand into Hinata’s. “But I still wanted you to have your own seat when you do.”</p>
<p>Hinata nodded. “Thank you.” He squeezed Tobio’s hand. “Today’s just been…weird.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, I understand. Listen, if you want to spend the rest of the day with your family, I don’t mind.”</p>
<p>“You make it sound like being with you is a chore.” Hinata remarked.</p>
<p>Tobio chuckled. “You’ve been away from them for a long time, I just think you should take advantage of the time you can spend with them before they leave.”</p>
<p>When put like that, Hinata could agree. He had the rest of his life to be by Tobio’s side, but his family would need to leave within the next few days to get home before the weather turned. After a quick kiss, Hinata let go of Tobio’s hand and sought out where his family had gotten to. He knew Natsu would be with Kenma and Inuoka, he didn’t quite anticipate his parents also being in the mage quarters as he opened the door. He was still in his rather royal attire, Natsu immediately wanted to know why she didn’t have a circlet like his.</p>
<p>“Aha, well, this was a gift from Tobio.” He told her as he picked her up and spun her around with only mild difficulty. She shrieked and laughed until he put her down again and spoke more plainly to her. “It means I’m…technically a royal now.”</p>
<p>“Are you a king?” She asked, a grin forming on her face.</p>
<p>“Not quite, but sort of.”</p>
<p>“Does that mean I’m a princess?”</p>
<p>Hinata hadn’t really given that much thought. He was saved by Inuoka telling Natsu to show him what she had been ‘working on’ for the last few days. Hinata was mildly concerned at what his friends had been teaching her as she giggled and stepped back a few paces. She clapped her hands together much like he did and scrunched up her face in concentration. Hinata glanced at Inuoka and Kenma, neither or who gave away what was about to happen.</p>
<p>Natsu pulled her hands apart, fire burst forth but in a much more controlled manner than usual. The bright red flames slowly morphed into a ball only for it to sprout wings like a bat. For someone so young, it was impressive. Hinata clapped and nodded in approval as Natsu kept the small elemental creature suspended in mid-air. After a few minutes she clapped her hands together and dispelled the fire entirely.</p>
<p>“Ahhh so cool!” Hinata cried.</p>
<p>Natsu giggled. “One day I’ll be able to do all the magic you can!” She gestured to the room. “All the ice and fire and lightning, everything!”</p>
<p>Hinata wasn’t going to burst her bubble. In some ways he could imagine her being a prolific elemental mage, especially if she spent more time with folks like Inuoka and Nishinoya. He worried for how she’d control such elements, his hand absentmindedly going to the runestone still hung around his neck. Whilst he didn’t need it anymore, it reminded him of the first few daunting days in the Brotherhood and Suga’s kindness to let him stay. It had been a constant comfort in times of strife. He wanted Natsu to have something similar to cling to if she got caught up in trouble.</p>
<p>He walked up to Kenma and gestured for him to lean close. After whispering his intentions, Kenma nodded and smiled. “I’ll find something, give me a few minutes.”</p>
<p>Hinata watched him begin to rifle through some of the chests and boxes that had made their way to Hokubujōsai over the summer season. Turning his attention to his parents, he asked if they had any intention of leaving soon.</p>
<p>“We should leave by the end of the week really.” His mother said, somewhat sombrely. “As lovely as it is here, we have a village to support and a farm to keep.” She gazed fondly at Natsu who was now mid-conversation with Inuoka about how to prompt ice to form in her palm. “And Natsu needs time to hone her skills.”</p>
<p>He saw his father nodding in agreement before adding. “Part of me wants her to stay here with you, but she had friends in the village, other kids who’d be crushed by her leaving so suddenly.”</p>
<p>Hinata was close to saying for Natsu to remain too, but he knew he should ask Tobio about such matters first. Plus, in many ways he wanted Natsu to find her own way in life. To move to Hokubujōsai so soon would mean she’d be forever in his shadow and he wanted her to strike out on her own.</p>
<p>“Well, how about this,” he said with a smile, “if she ends up like me and needs a group of mages to tutor her, I know a fair few across the lands. Just send a raven and I’ll see if one of our many friends could take her under their wing. I know a court mage in Tanishiti and a crazy lightning mage down south, not to mention two empaths up north…” He trailed off. “And of course, she’s more than welcome here.”</p>
<p>His parents shared a smile, his mother speaking first. “Well, actually we were somewhat wondering if your Brotherhood would perhaps let her stay with them in the future sometime?”</p>
<p>Hinata had no doubt in his mind that the likes of Nishinoya and Tanaka would love to have Natsu with them. And he also had no doubt that Natsu would love the Brotherhood as he does. It may not be the most conventional place for a young girl to grow up, but the Brotherhood were a family in their own right.</p>
<p>“I can send Daichi a raven and ask, sure!” Hinata beamed. “At the moment though the Brotherhood are all visiting their kin, so it definitely would be a few months—”</p>
<p>“Oh we weren’t thinking immediately, don’t worry.” His father cut in with a laugh. “Just, in the future sometime, when her powers grow more and she yearns for something to do with them.”</p>
<p>Hinata nodded. “For sure, and the others will certainly find something to do with them.”</p>
<p>Kenma nudged Hinata in the side, interrupting the conversation. “I found one.” He spoke softly, handing Hinata the stone. It was a pale orange stone with vibrant red streaks running through it. The orange was rough to the touch like uncut granite but the red streaks were smooth like marble. Hinata nodded in thanks before approaching Natsu.</p>
<p>“Hey, come here a second.” He closed his fingers around the stone and held it out of sight as his hand came up to the stone around his neck to show it to her. “This is a runestone that one of my friends gave me when I joined the Brotherhood. It was rough around the edges and still is, but this stone had been with me through <em>all</em> the crazy stuff I told ya about.”</p>
<p>“It’s from Suga, right? The archer?”</p>
<p>Hinata nodded. “Suga bought it for me from a simple market, and there wasn’t any real rhyme or reason for him to. But he did and I kept it safe throughout everything. To me, it was more than a stone that could help my powers grow, it became a symbol of the Brotherhood’s love for me, of our unyielding bond throughout the toughest of situations and even when everything seemed to go against us.” He paused, running his thumb over the edge of the stone. “And in the battle, all of my stones exploded, apart from this one. And I think that was the world’s way of telling me that no matter what else happens, that family is always going to be there. That family is always going to love you, even when we’re far apart and facing the unknown.” He let go of his stone and took Natsu’s hand. “And I want you to have something to remember that by, something for you to hold onto if anything bad ever happens.”</p>
<p>He brought his other hand out from behind him and relaxed his fingers, revealing the orange and red stone in his palm. Natsu’s eyes widened as he put it her hand and closed her fingers around it.</p>
<p>“This is a gift from not just me, but everyone here in Hokubujōsai, that whilst we may be apart, you’re always going to be welcome here no matter what.” He smiled.</p>
<p>Natsu nodded slowly, fingers squeezing the stone in her grasp as she looked up at Hinata with glassy eyes. “For me, really?”</p>
<p>“Yes!” Hinata beamed back at her. “I hope you don’t go through half of what I have, but if you do end up in some crazy situations, then just squeeze the stone and remember that anything is possible if you let the magic flow.”</p>
<p>Natsu nodded, squeezing the stone tighter before flinging her arms around Hinata and hugging him tightly. He laughed and ruffled her hair. It felt sombre in a way, but he knew that if she was half the mage he is, she’d be able to conquer anything thrown at her. She just needed to believe in herself, in her magic, just as he had come to do.</p>
<p>As the mood in the room lifted, Hinata felt a surge of pride, not just at Natsu’s progress but in his own. It had been a long, strange day, one of new titles and responsibilities but knowing his little sister was in safe hands and would be likely returning sooner than he imagined, he could almost afford to look ahead to whatever crazy future awaited him. Hopefully it would be a future with a lot less drama and near-death experiences, but he wasn’t going to bet on it.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0093"><h2>93. Castle On The Hill</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>XCIII</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Castle On The Hill</strong>
</p><p>As nice as Kawamura had been, Kiyoko wasn’t going to hide her relief at being back in Kēpu yōsai. The familiar stone walls and tower felt more homely to her than any other place she had been in recent months. The air was fresh with the smell of the ocean, a slight chill clung to it even in the long hot days of the summer season. News of her and Suga’s commitment to one another had been kept surprisingly quiet as more of the Brotherhood returned to fort. That was largely in part to the only others around being Daichi and Moniwa.</p><p>When Suga had asked what exactly the two had been doing all summer, Daichi merely remarked that his father had come to visit and the three of them had done some light maintenance on the walls and fixed a few leaks in the roof of the main tower. Daichi then very quickly turned the question back on Suga and got a kick out of how quickly Suga’s face reddened.</p><p>During the absence of the Brotherhood, many letters had flown back and forth between Daichi and Tobio. Talks of the future were prominent, an idea to turn Kēpu yōsai into a trading post of sorts and construct a port a short distance away was being weighed up. Daichi was actually rather in favour of such a business venture, but he maintained that the Brotherhood made choices together, and so he was waiting until his brothers in arms returned to the fold. Upon hearing this, Tobio quickly told - more or less <em>ordered</em> - Hinata and Kenma to return to Kēpu yōsai to talk with the Brotherhood. He insisted that despite living with him now, they had a duty to uphold to their family and he ‘would be fine without them for a time’. Kenma wasn’t bothered, it meant he got a chance to pick up more things from the tower and catch up with others once more. Hinata was a little more hesitant to leave but Tobio was stubborn, in a good way, and Hinata wasn’t <em>that</em> reluctant to return. And so the two of them, plus Lev, made their way westward and were welcomed with open arms and many, <em>many</em> remarks about Hinata’s new title.</p><p>The last to return were Kuroo and Akaashi. This didn’t surprise Daichi, in fact he was more surprised they returned at all before the harvest season. As the gate was lowered behind them, there was a sense that everyone was home once more. The sun was sinking below the horizon, the ocean glittering and shimmering in the fading light of day. A fire was roaring in the large common room, above it the banner of the Brotherhood; the Silver Owl on a red stripe, fluttered in the gentle moving air.</p><p>Stories of everyone’s travels were exchanged over food and ale, and for the first time in a long time, the Brotherhood weren’t trying to solve a mystery or fix a problem. They were able to sit together in peace and relative quiet and simply enjoy existing with one another. It was a strange feeling for many of them, but one welcomed all the same. As everyone caught up with one another, it wasn’t long before Daichi decided to broach the subject of Kēpu yōsai’s future to them.</p><p>“In short, Tobio wishes to use this place as a hub of trading on the ocean. And obviously, as we’re here he’s looking to employ us to keep the place running and the goods flowing.” Daichi summarised. “Details are still to be decided, we need a port to be built but I for one would be eager to see such a venture succeed.”</p><p>There were nods of agreement. At the core of it, turning Kēpu yōsai into a trading hub meant they could earn coin honestly and without needless bloodshed, something they were all longing for even if they didn’t voice it. It meant there would be strangers amongst them as Tobio needed his merchants and their workers to stay within the walls but Daichi was quick to point out they could always ask to have the fort expanded.</p><p>“I like it.” Tanaka announced. “Easy money, and if anyone gets any bright ideas to try and plunder us, I’m sure we can handle a few bandits.”</p><p>“Agreed.” Yaku nodded. “Given our uh, reputation these days, I think only arrogant fools would think to try it.”</p><p>Kunimi snorted. “And given our history with rooting out traitors, even an inside job would be a dumb move.”</p><p>Daichi smiled as more remarks were bounced around about the confidence the Brotherhood had in themselves. As he glanced around the room he noticed Kiyoko looking pensive, not quite at ease with the conversation.</p><p>“Something on your mind Kiyoko?” He asked, unintentionally drawing attention to her. The others went quiet as they waited to hear what she had to say.</p><p>She looked to Suga who nodded reassuringly. After a few seconds of her thinking something over, she nodded. “Well, I actually had a slightly different thought for Kēpu yōsai, though…it’s not as well thought out as Tobio’s plans.”</p><p>“Still,” Daichi shrugged, “what is it?”</p><p>She sighed slightly before looking around at the others. She hadn’t told anyone other than Suga about Yachi’s proposal, she hadn’t wanted to get anyone’s hopes up before she made her decision. Though now as she glanced at the ring on her finger, she felt she was ready to tell them.</p><p>“Before we left Hinode Yachi asked me a question.” She spoke quietly but with confidence. “She wants to reinstate the Grand Council, but she wants it done properly. She doesn’t want it to become a place for nobles to gain favour and plot against the empire or its neighbours. In short, she wants it to be independent from any crown or kingdom.” She said. “Yachi asked me if I would be interested in being at the head of this new iteration.”</p><p>There was a brief pause as everyone comprehended what that meant. Then there was an explosion of noises of disbelief and congratulations. Suga reached over and took her hand, offering a reassuring squeeze as Daichi tried to wrangle back some form of calm.</p><p>“The thing is,” Kiyoko continued after everyone got their initial reactions out of their systems, “I don’t want to leave Kēpu yōsai. And if I do accept this new position, I was going to suggest in order to remain independent of most political influences, that I remain here. That I only travel to the empire to conduct meetings and business.” She looked to Daichi. “But of course, such a position comes with risk to myself and I wouldn’t want to—”</p><p>“Stay here.” Kuroo cut in. “I think you should take the offer but remain here.” He nodded as he looked around at the others who were remaining quiet for the most part now. “We’re pretty neutral these days, and this fort is the next most fortified place outside of the royal residences.”</p><p>“I agree.” Daichi said. “You’re one of the Brotherhood, Kiyoko, and no title or position will change that. If you want to remain with us whilst heading this new grand council, then I have no qualms with it.”</p><p>“Cheers to that.” Bokuto raised his tankard. “Once a member of the Brotherhood, <em>always</em> a member no matter where you are.” He nodded to Kenma and Hinata. “And that goes for you two as well.”</p><p>Kenma snorted and rolled his eyes but said nothing to refute Bokuto’s comment.</p><p>Kiyoko smiled. “I…thank you for your blessings, I need to actually tell Yachi but that can wait another day or two.” She nodded.</p><p>As the matter seemed to have been put to bed, Kiyoko visibly relaxed. The rest of the evening was spent in the same fashion as it had started; sharing stories and drinks around the fire until sleep began to call to them. Having everyone under one roof once more was refreshing. Old habits died hard, even having gotten used to sleeping in a bed wasn’t going to stop Hinata and Kenma falling asleep in a pile of blankets in the attic of the mage tower.</p><p>Outside on the walls, watching the moon rise higher in the sky, Kiyoko had called Tanaka to discuss something that didn’t need an audience. She had been thinking long and hard about her future, what it would hold as the head of a grand council meant to keep the peace. It was daunting, and whilst she was looking to stay in Kēpu yōsai, she needed more security than that when she was called away.</p><p>“How was visiting home?” She asked him.</p><p>Tanaka shrugged. “Pa and ma didn’t believe half my story, but then the letter from Tooru arrived.” He chuckled. “Then it was the lecture about charging off into danger…but eh, it was good. It was nice to see them and be reminded that everything we’ve done is so that the regular folk can live in peace y’know?”</p><p>She nodded. “Yeah, and to think we’re just a band of lunatics.” She giggled. “And now we’re…heroes?”</p><p>Tanaka laughed. “I guess. I like to think we’re just a band of people who look out for the common folk y’know.” He looked at her. “So what did you wanna talk about?”</p><p>She saw no sense to beat around the bush. “It’s about Yachi’s offer to me.” She said. “I’m going to accept it, but I wanted to ask her for one condition.”</p><p>“Yeah?”</p><p>“That she allows a member of the Brotherhood to be my second, and I wanted to ask if you would do the honour. Just someone to watch my back and for me to confide in about serious matters. As much as Koushi is prepared to do anything and everything, I don’t want our personal bond to become muddied by politics…nor do I want rumours to fly.”</p><p>Tanaka’s eyes widened at the proposal. “You want me to be your second?”</p><p>“Yeah,” she smiled, “I need someone who isn’t afraid to speak his mind on things, to call out bad takes when he sees them and—”</p><p>“I accept!” Tanaka grinned at her. “Man, the empire is gonna <em>hate</em> me meddling but,” he shrugged, “they need some common people like us to ruffle their feathers.”</p><p>“I wasn’t going to say it like <em>that</em>, but I agree.” Kiyoko glanced out at the ocean. “We’ve been caught up in the storm that was largely caused because of ego and politics, we’ve seen what happens to the innocents when that happens and I don’t want it to happen again if I can help it.”</p><p>“Heh, and you wonder why Yachi wants you to lead this council.”</p><p>She playfully punched his arm. He feigned pain but laughed it off. The two of them fell quiet for a few moments, a weight having been lifted from Kiyoko’s shoulders. She would write to Yachi personally with her conditions of accepting the role and hope that things would work out in their favour. </p><p>Tanaka sighed loudly and made a comment about getting some sleep. Kiyoko nodded in agreement, following him back inside. Most of the others were already gone, retired to their own rooms. Only Suga and Bokuto remained, the latter poking the embers in the hearth and finishing a conversation about the next day’s jobs around the fort.</p><p>“Ah, everyone else gone?” Tanaka asked, folding his arms across his chest.</p><p>“Aye.” Bokuto set aside the iron poker. “Busy day tomorrow, need to clean out the wood storage and cut back the wild grass along the trail towards the village.”</p><p>“Never ends, huh.”</p><p>“That’s the reality of having a fort to take care off.” Bokuto chuckled. “Get used to it, it’ll be a never-ending cycle of jobs.”</p><p>Kiyoko appreciated Tanaka not blurting out how he might be destined for less manual labour in the near future. Instead, Tanaka scoffed and declared he was going to find a bed to fall into and would catch up with them all in the morning. Bokuto shook his head before declaring the same. Now alone, Suga asked Kiyoko what Tanaka had said about her proposal.</p><p>“He agreed.” She smiled. “He actually seems excited about it all.”</p><p>Suga laughed. “That doesn’t surprise me whatsoever.”</p><p>“But either way, it brings some comfort. As long as Yachi agrees, I feel like the two of us will be able to keep things in order.”</p><p>“I don’t see why Yachi would turn down your condition, but that’s a conversation for another time.” He took her hand. “Now everyone’s back, I feel like peace and quiet will be hard to find so we should make the most of it whilst we can.”</p><p>She squeezed his hand. “Can’t argue with that.”</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>The sound of smashing pottery startled Akaashi awake. Sunlight streamed into the room, the window was cracked open to allow fresh air in. He threw Kuroo’s arm off him and immediately walked to the window to see what was going on outside. He could see Bokuto and Nishinoya in the courtyard and the remains of some old pots strewn around the courtyard. There was laughter as they both looked up towards an open window in the mage tower. A few seconds passed before a flash of light emanated from inside the tower and a clay pot was launched out of the window only to go crashing to the ground.</p><p>“What are they doing?” Kuroo’s sleepy voice asked.</p><p>“…throwing pottery around?” Akaashi answered. “I’m not sure why.”</p><p>Kuroo chuckled. “So business as usual?”</p><p>Akaashi tore his gaze from the window and looked back at the bed. Kuroo had squished his face against the pillow as he looked up at Akaashi with a sleepy half-smile.</p><p>“I’m curious as to where they got so many pots and how Suga hasn’t killed them yet.”</p><p>Kuroo laughed louder. “Bold of you to assume Suga knows anything about it.”</p><p>“Well if <em>that</em><em>’s</em> the case, maybe I should enlighten him?” Akaashi smirked. “Come on.”</p><p>Kuroo rolled his eyes but complied. They both got dressed and headed down to find out what exactly the purpose of smashing so many pots was. Bokuto waved in greeting as he spotted them. There was a call from up in the mage tower before another flash of light burst forth. A pot flew out of the window and sailed to the ground, smashing on impact.</p><p>“Okay, what is all this achieving?” Akaashi asked Nishinoya. “Other than creating a mess you <em>know</em> Suga is going to be mad at.”</p><p>“We’re testing a theory.” Nishinoya shrugged.</p><p>“What theory?”</p><p>Nishinoya cupped his hands over his mouth before yelling up. “Hey Hinata, I think we have enough now!”</p><p>“Alright!”</p><p>Akaashi gave Nishinoya an unimpressed look as they waited for Hinata to arrive down at the main door to the tower. He beamed at Akaashi as he stepped out into the courtyard and looked around at the shattered pottery. Various different colours of dyed clay littered the ground, some had already been swept up into piles by Bokuto.</p><p>“What’s all this about—” Akaashi began but got a dismissive wave from Hinata.</p><p>“I wanted to test something.” He sunk to his knees beside one of the piles of fragments and clapped his hands together.</p><p>Akaashi watched on with an air of scepticism. Then again this was Hinata so there was no doubt some method to this madness. A bright orange glow encircled Hinata’s hands before he lay them atop the pile of pottery pieces. The glow seeped out like melted iron, covering the hardened clay. Hinata’s brow furrowed in concentration as he pulled his hands up and started to flex his fingers like he was trying to untangle a ball of string. Slowly the pieces moved and shifted independently from one another, floating into the air and clinking together.</p><p>Everyone stood watching the slow dance of smashed pottery swirling in the air. Hinata murmured under his breath as the pieces began to form the base of a much larger pot. The different hues of red and blue fit together like a strange painting, the harsh black cracks seeping together and appearing to disappear entirely. Slowly, a pot formed, slightly smaller than a barrel used to hold produce, but much bigger than the original pots had been.</p><p>Akaashi didn’t want to know how many pots had been sacrificed to make this new one as Hinata continued to pull every fragment he could and add it to the new creation. Even shards that seemed useless were melded to fit in cracks and crevices. In many ways it was remarkable and he was starting to guess what this ‘theory’ had been.</p><p>As the last fragment slotted into place, Hinata’s smile grew. The entire pot now stood fully formed, the cracks long filled in. Reds and blues of varying shades glinted in the sunlight as the orange glow faded and the pot sat still on the ground.</p><p>“Ta-da.” Hinata gestured to the pot. “The theory worked.”</p><p>“Let me guess,” Akaashi smiled, “you wanted to see if you could mend broken things?”</p><p>“Sort of.” Hinata shrugged, peering at the pot a little more closely before Bokuto carefully picked it up to take it inside. “I was wondering to what extend I could manipulate the original…structure. Like, could I force two pieces from two separate pots to come together and stay together without tar or paint?”</p><p>Kuroo snorted. “And the only way to do that was to throw pots from a tower window?”</p><p>“Well of course.” Nishinoya butted in. “Had to make sure they were smashed to several pieces.”</p><p>There was a shared laugh. Smashing pots aside, things had been fairly normal in Kēpu yōsai. Regardless of the hectic past few months, there were still daily chores to do. The stables still needed mucking out, the floors needed sweeping, the candles and torches needed replenishing. One of the louder chores was tending to the crows and ravens in the tower. The late summer breeze ruffled feathers as the birds perched upon the low wall or roosted in the rafters, caws and squawks were plentiful as soon as anyone dared to approach.</p><p>Semi had taken to tending to the birds with Akaashi. He found it was the right balance of an important task without being tiring. Sure he got pecked and squawked at a lot but he preferred it to being corralled into working to fix fences or collect firewood. Akaashi had taught him how to identify which bird came from where, the ones that carried royal seals and those that came from more mundane contacts. Semi would be lying if he said he wasn’t a little disappointed that Tooru’s raven hadn’t been seen in weeks.</p><p>And of course, Akaashi could see it on his face every time they took food up to the greedy birds. Some had questioned why Semi went to Tanishiti during their break when he could’ve remained, but many had shrugged it off. Yet as another day brought no news from Tooru’s palace, Akaashi felt he needed to ask.</p><p>“Are you expecting something?” He asked as he allowed a bird to eat seeds from his hand.</p><p>“Hm?” Semi glanced up from the collection of small notes that had been delivered. Many were coded messages and some were just confirming orders for food or supplies to be delivered. “Not…really.”</p><p>Akaashi tilted his head slightly, raising an eyebrow.</p><p>Semi sighed as he sensed he wasn’t getting off that easily. “Tooru mentioned a ball of sorts, but when I left, nothing had been decided so I’m curious as to when he’ll send for us.”</p><p>Akaashi nodded slowly. “I’m sure we’ll hear something, if not from Tooru, we’ll hear it second-hand from Tobio. No doubt with Hinata being his consort, any formal function would demand them to show up together.”</p><p>“Hmm.” Semi didn’t seem to be listening as his gaze moved around the rafters of the tower.</p><p>“How was Tanishiti?” Akaashi asked. “Kunimi mentioned he hardly saw you.”</p><p>Blush crept over Semi’s cheeks, contrasting with his hair, as he kept himself from meeting Akaashi’s gaze. “Well, I was making sure Shirabu got the rest he needed.”</p><p>Akaashi could read between the lines, he had been on the receiving end of such treatment many times. Going by the blush colouring Semi’s cheeks, his speculation could be spot on. But Akaashi wasn’t a jerk, he wasn’t going to interrogate Semi, merely keep it in mind as they moved forward.</p><p>“Do you know what has become of Akiteru by any chance? Did Tooru seem—”</p><p>“He’s waiting for his family.” Semi replied curtly, shrugging as he finally met Akaashi’s gaze. “Wants his mother and sister to be able to see for themselves the monster who…” he inhaled sharply. “So he’s alive, for now.”</p><p>“Ah. Well, as long as he doesn’t decide to perform a public execution if or whenever this ball takes place, I’m okay with that.” Akaashi shrugged, casting out seed for the other birds to eat.</p><p>A cacophony of caws and squawks halted conversation temporarily, something Semi was silently thankful for. He wasn’t going to bear his soul to anyone just yet, whilst he felt more accepted than several months ago, he wasn’t sure Shirabu would appreciate being outed to everyone. Rumours and speculation could run wild but that meant nothing as long as neither spoke a word on its validity.</p><p>Not for now anyway. He was sure at some point Shirabu would be more candid about it, but for now he just wanted things to remain calm. If that meant several weeks without word, then so be it.</p><p>Akaashi released one of the crows with a note for a village less than a day’s ride from the fort. They both watched as the bird soared into the wind and quickly disappeared from view behind the tall trees.</p><p>“Assuming they’ve got the supplies we need, I’ll have to go get them.” Akaashi said. “Fancy joining me?”</p><p>“Sure.”</p><p>“Should have word from them by the evening so we could go tomorrow at dawn?”</p><p>Semi nodded. He wasn’t sure if this was some sort of attempt at trying to form a bond between them, but he appreciated it. As much as it was largely accepted he only did what he had to do and he never <em>actually</em> intended to follow Kei’s orders to kill Akaashi, he still felt guilty over it all.</p><p>“Alright, well, I’m going to see if Suga needs any help with preparing dinner.”</p><p>Semi raised an eyebrow. “It’s…barely midday?”</p><p>Akaashi chuckled. “Well, yes but he’s planning a larger meal tonight. A sort of celebration of the Brotherhood.”</p><p>That somewhat surprised Semi. They had all returned several days ago by this point, surely a celebration should’ve happened on the first night. He didn’t question it further though, merely shrugging and beginning to tidy away the scraps of parchment that littered the small table.</p><p>Akaashi took a final look around the tower at the birds to make sure there weren’t any notes to read or reply to. When he was satisfied, he left Semi to his thoughts, seeking out Suga to see if he could be remotely useful ahead of that evening.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>Dusk had crept in after a long warm day. After the pot smashing had finished, thick, dry logs had been hauled in from the woodland nearby and stacked in a neat pile by Bokuto and Daichi. Dried leaves and twigs had been packed in to help the fire burn. No flame had been set yet, but they weren’t far off as boxes and stools were brought out from the main common room to surround the pile of logs. Those who hadn’t been dragged into helping Suga prepare the meat for roasting had begun to claim their seats under the darkening sky.</p><p>“Hey hey Hinata!” Bokuto called through the open door of the tower. “Come and light the fire for us.”</p><p>Hinata was quick to answer the call. As he set his eyes on the pile of logs, a faint memory of a pyre came back to him from another time, but this was not that time. This was the fate he had influenced, this was how it should be. With a snap of his fingers, the fire burst into life and caught on the pile of dried leaves in the middle of the stacked logs. It crackled and popped as the flames grew and engulfed the kindling and spread to the larger logs.</p><p>As soon as the fire was fierce enough, a call was sent to the kitchen to bring out the meat and for everyone to crowd around the fire. As the smoke began to rise into the light of dusk, so did the smell of roasting meat. Laughter filled the air as the fire popped and hissed and the night continued to creep in. Lev prowled around begging anyone and everyone he could find for scraps until Suga took pity on him and gave him his own cut of beef. Jokes and overzealous stories were exchanged once more alongside softer musings about their journeys as of late. Soon only the firelight itself illuminated their faces as the moon rose over the trees.</p><p>Daichi stood up on one of the boxes and cleared his throat loudly, attracting their attention. He held a tankard in one hand as he glanced around the fire at the Brotherhood.</p><p>“Alright, so, I’ll keep it short—”</p><p>“You say that every time and never do.” Kuroo remarked, prompting a round of laughter and a mild scoff from Daichi.</p><p>“Shut it, unless you think you can do better.”</p><p>Kuroo smiled smugly. “I think I can actually.” He stepped up onto his stool and made a show of clearing his throat. “So, me and Daichi decided this was long overdue.” He gestured to the fire. “That after everything we’ve been through, all the bullshit that’s been thrown at us, all the nearly dying we’ve done…we needed to sit back and appreciate that we’re all still alive and together.” He beamed at the group. “That’s literally it.”</p><p>Daichi scoffed louder. “<em>Actually</em>, there was a bit more to it.” He smirked.</p><p>Kuroo laughed. “That’s not what you told me.”</p><p>“Well no because you weren’t here all summer season when I thought about it.”</p><p>Kuroo feigned offence as more laughter rippled out. Daichi rolled his eyes and continued with his original speech.</p><p>“Whilst Tetsurou was right in what he said, I wanted to dwell on it a bit more.” He glanced at Moniwa for a moment. “Whilst all of you were gone, Kaname and I were writing up the events of the last few months, the more-or-less non-biased telling of the politics and the events we uncovered in Hinode.” He said. “And as we went through each twist and turn of it, it really dawned on us just how crazy it was. There were so many times where we could’ve been arrested, kidnapped, outright killed even. And yet,” he paused for a moment, the fire popped violently as the flames flickered, “yet even with all of those threats, all the danger in front of our faces, we went along with it.”</p><p>He gestured to Kunimi and Yaku.</p><p>“You two broke into the Imperial dungeons and broke out two mages,” he gestured to Nishinoya, “you summoned a storm in the capital city of an anti-mage empire,” he then nodded to Kiyoko, “and you waltzed into the empress’ study and gave her the hope she needed to see her through everything that came afterwards.” He shook his head. “And that’s just <em>some</em> of what we pulled off in those few weeks. And when I think about what came before that in the battle…” he trailed off. “To put it simply, you’re all lunatics. But there’s no other family I would want to call my own.” He raised his tankard. “So tonight, a toast to the Brotherhood, to the bonds that bind this family together and never falter even when faced with the <em>ridiculous</em> situations we’re dragged into.”</p><p>“Here here!” Kuroo was the first to cheer, raising his tankard. “To the Silver Owl Brotherhood, the misfits and maniacs and whatever else we’re called these days.”</p><p>“And to whatever adventure awaits us!” Bokuto added, standing up as he did so.</p><p>Cheers rang out along with the sound of tankards being clinked against one another. The fire continued to crackle and pop as they drank into the night. Many got a little too merry on the ale and off-key singing filled the air along with laughter.  Hinata smiled to himself as he revelled in the merriment and togetherness of it all. After everything he had done to enable nights like this to happen, actually being present with those he considered family felt all the more special.</p><p>He was starting to get lost in his thoughts when he heard the sound of steel against iron. He glanced over his shoulder to the gate and saw a hooded figure with a horse. At first he wasn't sure what to do or say until he caught a glimpse of the face under the hood. He dragged a more-sober-than-most Kunimi over to the gate to help him raise it up enough for horse and rider to pass through. Once the gate was lowered once more, the hood was tugged down.</p><p>“Aha,” Kunimi laughed, “couldn’t stay away from us lunatics eh?”</p><p>Shirabu scoffed. “Actually, Tooru wanted me to deliver something.”</p><p>Kunimi folded his arms across his chest. “Are you sure he didn’t want a <em>courier</em> to deliver something and you volunteered?”</p><p>“Shut up Akira.” Shirabu rolled his eyes and reached within the folds of his jacket to produce some folded parchment sealed with wax. “Tooru wants the Brotherhood to attend a ball, one held in your honour actually.”</p><p>“Ah that.” Kunimi took the note and nodded. “I’ll get this to Daichi,” he glanced over at the fire where Semi was talking to Yaku, “Eita’s been moping around, you should go talk to him.”</p><p>Shirabu didn’t deign to respond as Kunimi relieved him of the horse’s reins and playfully shoved him towards the fire. Hinata watched as Shirabu walked over and sat down next to Semi, the latter startling at him suddenly being there. Hinata saw Semi genuinely smile for the first time for more than a fleeting second before he wrapped an arm around Shirabu’s shoulders and shoved a tankard into his hand.</p><p>“So, a ball in our honour. Wonderful.” Kunimi remarked, drawing Hinata’s attention back to him. “I’m gonna get so wasted.”</p><p>Hinata laughed, looking at Kunimi. “I guess it’ll be like old times for you?”</p><p>“You bet.” Kunimi smiled at him. “And it’ll be nice to be recognised for all the near-death experiences.”</p><p>“Speak for yourself.” Hinata laughed.</p><p>“Oh I am.” Kunimi remarked, playfully hitting Hinata on the head with the folded parchment. “You’re in a different league to the rest of us, don’t you worry about that.”</p><p>Hinata laughed again, watching Kunimi leave to hand the note to Daichi and then get Shirabu’s horse settled in a stall. He didn’t dwell too long, quickly rejoining the festivities as Suga reminded everyone to eat their fill before the fire died out.</p><p>It was times like these that Hinata cherished, the simple act of getting together around a fire and laughing the night away. Sure, he missed Tobio but he also missed his Brotherhood. It would be a balancing act to spend equal amounts of time with each of his families but like he had been told time and time again, the bonds of Brotherhood didn’t falter, regardless of the distance they stretched.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>God I'm editing the last two chapters and it's such a weird feeling to be...finishing the fic?? The series?? What??</p><p>Real talk, if y'all have any questions about the more behind-the-scenes of writing this <strike> mess </strike>  series, feel free to toss them in the comment sections of this chapter (and #94) as I'll be adding on an extended Author's note to the last chapter and I'm totally down to tell y'all the secrets and trivia of it all 😉</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0094"><h2>94. Long Live</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>XCIV</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Long Live</strong>
</p>
<p>On the day of the ball, Tanishiti’s streets decked themselves in vibrant banners. The bright blue and white banners of House Oikawa were joined by stark orange and cherry red. But it was the two unfamiliar colours that were causing the most commotion amongst the common folk. Regal purple and bright yellow joined the royal banners of both families and the Brotherhood. Many didn’t make the immediate connection to their respective parties, but as House Kageyama’s procession arrived in the city just before sundown, Hinata couldn’t help but smile at the show of unity between the five powers.</p>
<p>When the news of a ball had hit the streets, many feared it was more political drama unfolding but those fears were quashed as Tooru was almost uncharacteristically open with his people about its purpose. He stated, plain and simple, that it was a celebration of victory and a chance to thank their allies for their efforts. As soon as it was declared that House Kageyama was to officially visit for the first time in years, the city went to extreme lengths to made itself presentable.</p>
<p>Lanterns hung from ropes that crisscrossed between the upper floors of buildings. Bunting decorated every window and door of the street-facing buildings. The noise was incredible; between the cheering and celebrating, there were also some people breaking out into drunken singing. Hinata and Tobio exchanged a glance as their horses were escorted by guards through the city towards the Blue Palace. They were both dressed for the occasion; both wearing their respective headpieces and well-fitting clothes. Hinata’s circlet winked in the light of the lanterns as he took in the sights and sounds of the city welcoming them.</p>
<p>It was still weird to Hinata to be in the centre of everything, but he was growing used to it. He knew this day was coming and he knew he couldn’t hide from the attention. But he would be the first to remind everyone that this celebration was for <em>all</em> their allies, not just him and his crazy actions. Soon the Blue Palace came into view as they entered a large plaza. At the gates to the palace grounds stood Yamamoto in his polished armour. He saluted them with a smile before stepping aside to let them in.</p>
<p>The large palace stood before them, doors flung open to allow the guests of honour to arrive. Tooru hadn’t barred the public from attending, but he was keeping them from mingling with the honoured guests directly; mostly by confining them to viewing the ball from the upper balconies and through open windows. Tobio had been loosely involved in organising some of it but hadn’t told Hinata many of the details. As soon as they had dismounted their horses, they were waved through; the entire entourage that was made up of the usual crowd; Asahi, Yamaguchi and Inuoka with a special request for Kei Tsukishima to also be invited for reasons unknown to most. Kenma and Lev had decided to arrive with the Brotherhood a little later, mainly at Tooru’s suggestion.</p>
<p>It was obvious that there was something special planned, but details were scarce. Hinata shrugged it off, there was no danger here. He took Tobio’s hand as they walked down the grand hallway that led to the throne room. There were nobles and other well-known individuals mingling in the hallway, all of them watching the arriving royal party with curiosity. Arriving at the doors to the throne room, another guard acknowledged their arrival and threw the doors open. A court crier cleared his throat before calling out to the guests already present.</p>
<p>“Presenting His Majesty King Tobio of House Kageyama, Dragon of the East, Shoyo Hinata, Sun of the South and their entourage.”</p>
<p>Applause rang out as they properly entered the large throne room. Tall windows let in the fading light of day with ease, and chandeliers adorned with candles illuminated the room further. The red phoenix of House Oikawa was displayed proudly alongside House Kageyama’s banner, four other banners were currently covered with drapes, Hinata assumed they’d be unveiled as the other factions arrived. Tobio led him to the centre of the room, to the base of Tooru’s throne where the king himself was sat looking his best in his pure white tailored clothes. He warmly smiled at them both as he stood up.</p>
<p>“My friend.” He greeted loudly as their audience focused on them entirely. “Welcome to the Blue Palace, again.” He remarked.</p>
<p>Tobio nodded in return. “It’s good to be back, Tooru.”</p>
<p>Tooru gestured to an ornate table with padded chairs surrounding it. “Please, sit and drink. We have much to get through tonight.”</p>
<p>“Of course.” Tobio nodded in thanks before gesturing for Hinata to take the lead.</p>
<p>The table was laid out with tankards and no sooner than they had sat down, a serving boy was offering them all manner of drinks and snacks. The atmosphere in the room was light and calm. Guests came up to the table and asked Tobio questions, told stories and even tried to flirt with him. Tobio took it all in his stride like he had done in Hinode, except this time he made a point to drag Hinata into the conversation and not-so-subtly hold his hand atop the table.</p>
<p>Gentle harp music filled the air along with the murmur of conversation. It was obvious that Tooru was waiting for others to arrive, he remained sat on his throne awaiting the crier to announce another guest arriving. Iwaizumi stood by his side, his armour also polished to perfection and glimmering in the light. Even if he was technically ‘on duty’, Hinata couldn’t help but notice that the royal guard seemed a lot more relaxed than usual. He was smiling more freely at remarks Tooru was making and his posture was less rigid.</p>
<p>As the drinks continued to pour, the doors to the throne room opened again.</p>
<p>“Presenting, for the first time, her Imperial Majesty Hitoka Yachi, Empress of the Summer Vale.”</p>
<p>Hinata’s eyes widened as the drapes fell away to reveal the regal purple banner embroidered with a white eagle. Again, applause greeted the new guests, Yachi wasn’t alone as she approached Tooru’s throne. Flanking her were both Ushijima and Aone but she was also joined by the Miya twins. She smiled at Tooru as he stood up again and greeted her.</p>
<p>“Ah, it is good to see you again.”</p>
<p>She curtsied, her lilac robes moving like a gentle breeze caught them. “It’s good to be visiting somewhere new. Thank-you for inviting us.”</p>
<p>“Oh how could I not? This is to be a reunion and celebration of friends both old and new, so naturally I had to make sure you were present.”</p>
<p>Yachi shook her head slightly, giggling politely. “We appreciate it, and we hope tonight is full of laughter and smiles.”</p>
<p>Tooru nodded again and gestured to the table Tobio and Hinata were sat at. “Please, we’re still waiting on some people to arrive, sit and drink with our friends.”</p>
<p>Yachi didn’t hesitate to approach the table. She smiled in greeting as Tobio pulled out a seat for her. Both Atsumu and Osamu pulled out their own chairs beside Yamaguchi and Inuoka. Soon conversation took hold, catching up on mundane and trivial matters of both sovereign lands. Hinata tuned out quickly and asked Yachi the first question he thought of.</p>
<p>“How are Goshiki and Ukai doing?”</p>
<p>She smiled, accepting a goblet of wine from Ushijima. “Oh, the old district has plans drawn up now. Some of the worse off buildings are being torn down so we can rebuild them. Ukai is leading most of the effort honestly, but Goshiki is looking into restoring the academy to its former glory.” She replied enthusiastically. “And Ennoshita is contacting Lady Nametsu’s region to try and repatriate some of the mages back to the district. It’s heavy going…but I’m confident once we start getting new buildings up and the general feeling is more positive, we’ll make strides forward!”</p>
<p>Hinata was honestly relieved to hear that. He had received an occasional letter from Goshiki but no solid updates. He quickly launched into a series of questions about the plans Ukai had drawn up and how Goshiki was doing in general. Yachi was eager to reply to each question and in turn ask her own about his recent title acquisition and his family. As he told her about Natsu’s magic, she gasped.</p>
<p>“Oh! Well, I know it may not be appropriate right now, but I’d be more than happy to invite her to the academy when it’s in a better state.”</p>
<p>“I was hoping to get her to meet Ukai and Goshiki, definitely!”</p>
<p>“Ah I’m sure they’d like that. Well, Ukai definitely, Goshiki is still a little…Goshiki.”</p>
<p>They shared a laugh. Tobio had gotten into a playful debate with Atsumu about sending a scouting party to some unexplored mountains on the border between the kingdom and the empire and who should pay for such a scheme. It was all in good humour, but that didn’t stop Inuoka and Osamu egging them both on. The debate was cut short as a hush fell over the room. Tooru had stood up and looked around the room with a calm but expectant gaze.</p>
<p>“My friends, noblemen and people of my kingdom,” he said, gesturing around the room, “it is no secret that tonight we are gathered here to celebrate victory on two fronts; one on a political front, new allies gained and old ghosts put to rest. But the other was much closer to home, what we have come to know as the Battle of the Dynasty. And I have made it no secret that without the courageous actions of many others, we would’ve lost that battle.” He paused for a moment. “And so, tonight I want you to join me in welcoming a group of individuals who tipped the scales in our favour that day.” He nodded to the guards at the door, prompting them to open the doors. “My friends, I present to you all, the Silver Owl Brotherhood.”</p>
<p>Applause broke out, louder than before. Hinata couldn’t hold back the smile on his face as the Brotherhood was led into the throne room by Daichi. They weren’t wearing overly fancy clothes, but they had scrubbed up for the occasion. Even Lev was sporting a small red bow around his neck as he strutted alongside Yaku with his tail high in the air. Hinata could tell they were less used to the limelight than he was, but the smiles were genuine as both Tooru and Tobio applauded them. Another drape fell away to reveal the red banner with the silver owl adorning it. As they reached the throne, Tooru smiled at them.</p>
<p>“My friends, I owe you so much.”</p>
<p>Kuroo snorted. “Would it be rude to agree?”</p>
<p>Tooru laughed. “Tonight, no.” He shook his head. “Tonight, you are the guests of honour, drink and eat as much as you like. You have more than earned it.”</p>
<p>“Fuck yeah we did.” Kunimi remarked quietly, getting a slight eye-roll from Suga.</p>
<p>“But,” Tooru raised his voice to command attention again, “we are not done yet, we must recognise the other two factions that came to our aide that stormy day. From unlikely places, they still responded to the call to action and for that, they deserve our thanks.”</p>
<p>The crier took over, clearing his throat briefly. “His Lordship Kentarou Kyoutani and his allies, the Wolves of the Waves.”</p>
<p>Hinata hadn’t been told that Kyoutani and the Wolves of the Waves were now under one banner. But as the fifth drape fell away to reveal a yellow banner with both a white dog and white wolf on it, he found himself cheering along with the rest of the Brotherhood and throne room in general. Kyoutani himself seemed slightly putout at the commotion but the pirates, they were loving the attention and glory. Saeko and Yuji didn’t even attempt to keep quiet as they reunited with the Brotherhood.</p>
<p>Tooru allowed the festivities to continue from there. Ale and wine were poured, food was served to whoever was hungry. Yet there was a sense that there was something <em>more</em> to come. Hinata quickly found Kenma in the commotion and hugged him tightly before getting invested in celebrating with everyone. Drinks were flowing as the Brotherhood basked in the attention they were getting from the nobles of Tooru’s court. The questions and stories being traded back and forth would fuel the nobles desire for knowledge for weeks to come. It was odd to be so carefree at such a formal event but after everything they had been through, it was sorely deserved.</p>
<p>Food was brought out on platters for each table and the festivities continued, music was played and drinks continued to pour. No-one was overly drunk yet, some were a little tipsy though. Daichi and Moniwa were regaling an older nobleman with a story about their trip to Hinode and the architecture there. Bokuto was already challenging Semi and Yaku to arm-wrestling matches, Suga was scolding him for being so brutish at a royal event. Kuroo just laughed at the entire exchange, Akaashi kept encouraging Bokuto with wry remarks and placing bets on how long it would take Yaku to lose his composure. Yaku for his part was trying to <em>ignore</em> the remarks and ask Kunimi if he knew how long this ball was meant to last for. Kindaichi was firmly in charge of making sure Lev didn’t wander off and scare some poor noblewoman with his talking, much to Kenma’s dismay as he really wanted to see how nobles reacted to magic. Nishinoya was behaving rather <em>too</em> well and almost arousing suspicion from Suga. Hinata moved around the table, catching up with everyone before settling between Kenma and Nishinoya.</p>
<p>It was a little later when Tooru commanded everyone’s attention. He was not alone this time, stood beside him were Tobio and Yachi, the three leaders of the united realm. Hinata wasn’t sure what was going on as behind them one final banner had yet to be unveiled.</p>
<p>Tooru was the first to speak. “My esteemed guests, it would be rude of me to let this night of celebration pass without you all being aware of the true effect of the actions of our friends in the Brotherhood. Truthfully, if it weren’t for them, the three of us wouldn’t not be standing here as we are,” he gestured to Tobio and Yachi, “it would be a disservice to not acknowledge that this Brotherhood has defied the odds and death multiple times to ensure that peace remains paramount in our collective lands.”</p>
<p>Tobio nodded in agreement. “They have proven themselves worth allies of king and commoner alike, no amount of gold or riches can sway them from their morals. Even the threat of death is not enough to dissuade them from fighting for what’s right.” He looked over at the Brotherhood’s table. “Truly, I owe them my life and my throne.” He bowed.</p>
<p>“As do I.” Yachi spoke up. “Without them, the empire would be in the hands of a monster right now. I would be dead and this kingdom on the brink of war once more. You really have no idea how much you all owe them.”</p>
<p>Tooru nodded, raising his tankard. “But they were not alone, we must remember to thank the allies they brought to our battle in the north,” he gestured to Kyoutani and his table of pirate associates. “Many of you remember House Kyoutani from Queen Wakana’s reign, her grandson may not want to be known as a royal, but his loyalty and sense of duty shines through.”</p>
<p>Kyoutani rolled his eyes at the fanciful talk but he nodded in acceptance at the appreciation. The Wolves sat with him chuckled at his expense but found themselves being thrust into the limelight as well as Tooru continued.</p>
<p>“And our unlikely friends of the ocean, whom without their intervention at the Battle of the Dynasty, we would’ve been beaten back to our border.” Tooru stepped down and gestured for a servant to approach Yuji sat at the head of the table. “So for that reason, I would like to offer you a pardon covering any and all illicit activities upon my shores. Regardless of what crimes may have been committed, you protected this realm as many royal knights did. For that, I thank you humbly.”</p>
<p>The servant offered Yuji three golden medallions with the engraving of House Oikawa’s Phoenix on them. On the other side bore a simple message; ‘<em>House Oikawa thanks the Wolves for their valour in battle.</em><em>’</em> As he handed the other two medallions to Misaki and Saeko respectfully, a loud cheer rose up from their crews.</p>
<p>“And now,” Tooru returned to his original position, “there are two others we must introduce you all to. For this last year of trials and tribulations has given us a pause for thought. Many of these conflicts were a product of our predecessors making questionable choices and decisions without care for how they affect others.” He said, gesturing to Tobio and Yachi beside him as he continued. “We as leaders, recognise the need for change. We need someone to keep the realm peaceful and balanced, to stop wars before they start, to make the voice of the people heard and so,” he snapped his fingers and gestured to the throne room doors, “Ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of our kingdoms and the empire, may I present to you the first of the new iteration of the Grand Council.”</p>
<p>Behind him, the drape covering the last banner fell away. A silver winged dragon on a deep blue background completed the six banners on show. The attention of the room flickered to the doors as they opened and the crier announced their titles.</p>
<p>“The Warden of the Realm, her Ladyship Kiyoko Shimizu of the Grand Council and her second-in-command Ryuunosuke Tanaka.”</p>
<p>Kiyoko strode forward with the same confidence she always carried herself with. No dress ruffles or silky robes adorned her, instead she wore deep blue fitted pants and a long waistcoat. Silver embellishments took shape in bird feathers across her shoulders and down her long sleeves. Tanaka walked beside her in very similar clothes, both of them wearing a broach depicting the same silver dragon from the banner.</p>
<p>The Brotherhood cheered loudly as they walked the length of the room and halted at the steps up to the throne. Yachi beamed as Kiyoko bowed and smiled in return. Tooru gestured for them both to stand with the royal party, and then further to make some sort of public statement. Kiyoko flashed Tanaka a glance, he nodded in reassurance. She clasped her hands behind her back and addressed the throne room of friends, nobles, and leaders alike.</p>
<p>“Whilst we may share a name with those who walked before us,” she said, “we shall be working in our own way. We are not nobles by birth, we have both grown up from humble beginnings. We stand here to first and foremost make sure the events of the past stay in the past. As long as the Grand Council are around, we will not let these kingdoms fall. The era of treachery is over, let a new era of peace dawn.”</p>
<p>Applause rang out, Kiyoko allowed herself to smile as Tanaka patted her on the shoulder. Tooru was quick to raise his tankard to signal a toast.</p>
<p>“A toast then, to a new era of peace, to friendship between our great lands,” he looked to Tobio and Yachi who raised their own drinks, “and may we be able to meet many more times like this.”</p>
<p>Tankards and goblets clinked together before Tobio cleared his throat. “And a toast to the Brotherhood, who did so much for us all.” He nodded to the Brotherhood’s table. “It’s an honour to fight alongside you and an even greater one to be considered your friend.”</p>
<p>A loud cheer went up as the sentiment was matched around the room. There was a sense that the official speeches were now over as Tooru called for the music to ‘liven up’. The harpist heeded his demand and was quickly joined by other string instruments. The room felt more like Hinode’s ballroom as some began dancing and others indulged in the more potent drinks that were now on offer.</p>
<p>Hinata quickly joined Tobio at his table in time to hear Tooru talking to Kei about the current situation with Akiteru. Kei didn’t seem particularly concerned whether his brother lived or died, but he did accept Tooru’s offer of a royal pardon for his own crimes. It was a short exchange, and one on a much less public scale than the previous speeches, but it was important nonetheless.</p>
<p>The evening continued in a merry fashion. Dancing began, the lines between royals and commoners were blurred. Hinata found himself dancing with Yachi at one point. Something he didn’t intend to happen but found it enjoyable regardless. He got her to laugh and found that she knew how to dance better than he did, which of course would result in a lot of teasing from Tobio until Hinata reminded him they both needed to be taught to dance. Yachi danced with both Tooru and Tobio, a political show, yes, but also a much more simplistic gesture of the new friendship being kindled.</p>
<p> There was no grandeur to the dance, no well-choreographed steps, just twirling and the occasional lift for show. The lively beat of the music prompted a more festival feeling, fuelled by ale and wine, the throne room came alive with dancing more often found in taverns and street parties than royal balls.</p>
<p>Tooru didn’t seek to stop it, he encouraged it. This was the sort of festivities he wanted to throw, ones where people didn’t feel the need to wear masks, they could just relax and have fun. He didn’t <em>quite</em> bank on Tobio tugging him to join the crowd of revellers that were mainly pirates and members of the Brotherhood, but he went along with it. He was glad he did, it reminded him of better times, of the times still to be had.</p>
<p>Suga convinced Kiyoko that her new reputation wouldn’t be tarnished if she let loose a little. She had been hesitant to dance but Suga wasn’t one to give up easily. She let him drag her into the centre of the room and join the others in the formless dancing where the steps were made up as they went along and the tempo of the music was only advisory. There was not one soul there without a smile. The light of the chandeliers reflected in her eyes as he spun her around and held her close.</p>
<p>“So, do I now have to refer to you as ‘her ladyship’?” He joked.</p>
<p>“Pft.” She giggled. “You call me whatever you like.”</p>
<p>“Does you being a lady make me a lord?” He remarked.</p>
<p>She shrugged. “Do you <em>want</em> to be a lord? I don’t think lords are in charge of lunatics.”</p>
<p>He laughed and spun her around again. “Aye, but they’re our lunatics. And without them, we wouldn’t be here.”</p>
<p>She glanced around them at their friends. “That’s true, I owe them my life.”</p>
<p>“And they owe you theirs,” he nodded to Kuroo and Akaashi who were listening to a very animated Bokuto telling them a story of some sort, “don’t think I didn’t find out that stunt you pulled with Suguru in the battle.”</p>
<p>“Pfft,” she giggled again, “fighting dragons and beasts is second nature by now.”</p>
<p>Suga hummed, gently cupping her cheek. “Well, for what’s it’s worth, this has been a much more entertaining life fighting dragons with you compared to the dull village life.”</p>
<p>“It has, but hopefully we can fight less and live more.”</p>
<p>“I’m sure with you and Tanaka at the helm of the council, that’ll be the case.”</p>
<p>She was about to make another remark but got cut off by Nishinoya all but catapulting himself into them and babbling about a ‘big mage show’ he wanted to do. Kiyoko wasn’t sure why <em>she</em> was suddenly the authority figure when it was <em>Tooru</em><em>’s</em> ball. Nishinoya launched into a hurried explanation of wanting to re-enact the ‘Greatest Guild’ show from Hinode. Suga excused himself from the conversation to check in with Daichi about this supposed ‘show’.</p>
<p>“Oh yeah, it’s already being planned.” Daichi laughed, gesturing up to the royal table where Hinata and Inuoka were suspiciously absent. “I think Semi went to find Shirabu so…” he shrugged.</p>
<p>“Even on a night like this, they’re still pulling stunts.” Suga wryly remarked as he took the tankard offered to him by a passing servant.</p>
<p>“Of course, that’s just our Brotherhood’s way.” Daichi mirrored the smile. “You love it really.”</p>
<p>Suga didn’t deign to reply, Daichi would take his silence as agreement anyway as he took a long drink from the tankard.</p>
<p>It was an evening of merriment and good company, and there was still a lot to come.</p>
<p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I'm doing the final edits of chapter 95 tomorrow. I'm also stocking my freezer with ice cream so I can eat my feelings away on update day 😂</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0095"><h2>95. Here's To Us</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Chapter 96 is an extended Author's note because I couldn't fit all my thoughts in &lt;5000 characters :')</p>
<p>This is the final chapter of the series, a series that I've spent 4 years writing. I hope you have enjoyed it as much as I have, it's been a wild ride, so thankyou for sticking with me all this time. ♥</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>XCV</strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>Here</strong>
  <strong>’s To Us</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <em>'Stuck it out this far together</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Put our dreams through the shredder</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Let's toast 'cause things got better</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>And everything could change like that</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>And all these years go by so fast</em>
</p>
<p><em>But nothing lasts forever</em> <em>’</em></p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>No-one asked where Kuroo found a top hat. By that point in the evening many were too tipsy to ask such mundane questions. The floor had been cleared and tables moved aside. As word had spread around that there was to be some ‘magical entertainment’, more of the common folk were allowed inside.</p>
<p>“Ladies and gentlemen,” Kuroo announced, pacing around the cleared floor, “I want to welcome you tonight to witness the wondrous talents of the Brotherhood…and some added extras.”</p>
<p>The audience waited with bated breath as Kuroo held his arms out either side of him. “This has barely been planned, but I can assure you that by the time we’re done, you’ll be in awe at us.”</p>
<p>He bowed and tipped his hat. “Without further ado,” he removed his hat and threw it in the air, “let’s get this show started.”</p>
<p>A bolt of lightning formed with a crackle and hiss. Bright light burst into existence as Nishinoya high-fived Kuroo on his way to the centre of the room. The lightning spread out like several shooting stars before fizzing out. He was quick to extend his hands out and form several balls of light suspended in mid-air. Once eight balls of light were floating around the empty space, he held out a hand to gesture to someone else.</p>
<p>A strong breeze blew through the room, the candles in the chandeliers flickered but only the central one hanging over the empty space completely went out. In the gloom, white specks began to fall from nowhere. Stepping out from the crowd, Inuoka smiled and fist-bumped Nishinoya. Stood back-to-back, they held out their hands. Inuoka snapped his fingers, the swirling snow compacted into ice, shards glinting in the static light of the lightning suspended in the air. Slowly the two elements began to swirl in different directions. Nishinoya stuck out his tongue in concentration as the willed his sparks to begin linking each shard of ice together. Reflections danced along the floor as they remained silent. The hum of static filled the air.</p>
<p>As the elements swirled in the gloom, a sense of anticipation was building. The scraping of stone against stone was heard but no-one saw where it was coming from. From within his robes, Inuoka pulled a piece of parchment and tossed it to the floor a few feet from them. As the parchment fluttered to the floor, Nishinoya directed a bolt of lightning at the inked circle drawn upon it. Still the ice and lightning swirled in the air, now being focused on the parchment.</p>
<p>All gazes were on the parchment as it was encircled by ice and lightning. Inuoka and Nishinoya shared a glance as they stepped away from it and focused their elements. A bright flash of purple exploded and the two elements were extinguished in a cloud of purple smoke. As the smoke cleared, Lev sat down on the inked circle and licked his paw.</p>
<p>The audience went wild. Inuoka snapped several platforms of ice into existence and Lev took his cue. Scaling the icy staircase higher and higher in the room with no hesitation. Nishinoya melted back into the crowd leaving Inuoka to take charge of the show. As Lev scaled new heights, Inuoka took away the platforms until Lev was sat on a single piece of ice above the crowd.</p>
<p>Everyone waited with bated breath. Lev seemed unfazed by the situation.</p>
<p>He leapt from the platform, gasps were heard and even a few screams as he fell from the great height. With the ground fast approaching purple light burst forth from seemingly nowhere. Lev was suspended mere feet from the ground, bathed in purple light.</p>
<p>As Akaashi stepped out of the shadows, his hands aglow with the same purple light, applause rang out. He collected Lev from the air and accepted the cat licking his face. Inuoka silently took his leave as Akaashi set Lev down on the floor and made a show of letting the purple light move around him like the branches of a willow tree. He had no fanciful thing in mind, he was merely setting the stage for another as the tendrils of light wove together like thread. Slowly they formed a veil that grew darker. As quickly as he had appeared, Akaashi was gone, in his place the thick veil swirled around the empty space. A chill descended on the air as footsteps echoed off the stone floor. The veil rippled as someone passed through it.</p>
<p>From within the swirling elements, a red light began to glow. Fire took hold, kept within the boundary formed by the void element. Slowly, the veil dropped away until it was merely the thickness of a rope. Fire raged within the boundary, flames licked the air as they dance upon the chilly breeze. Stood in the centre of the swirling elements, like so many times before, Hinata appeared calm and composed. His fingers aglow with red light as the stunned audience broke out in gasps and applause at the sight. The blue jacket of Yukio bore no signs of scorching as the fire danced.</p>
<p>He brought his hands together, the fire pulsed. He wasn’t sure how this was going to work necessarily, but he wasn’t nervous. Sure he wasn’t the best at dealing with nobles or royalty, but magic was in his blood. He owed his life to the power that thrummed through his veins. He had just been told to ‘put on a show’ with no other instruction. So he intended to.</p>
<p>The fire grew taller as he closed his eyes and focused. The perfect circle of flames began to shift, dividing itself into five sections. Slowly, they began to change colour. One remained the natural colour of fire, though darkened a little and felt more orange in hue. The second took on a light blue colour. The third turned blood red. The fourth brightened into a yellow hue and the final glowed luminescent white. As the colours stabilised, he inhaled slowly and waved a hand in front of him. Each coloured flame morphed into their animal counterparts, a dragon, a phoenix, an owl, a wolf and a hound.</p>
<p>More applause rang out as he allowed the depictions of each faction in the Battle of the Dynasty to remain still. The barrier around the fire began to glow brighter as he brought a hand to his chest and let out a heavy sigh. Each creature faded into the flames once more before the circle completed itself again. Hinata smiled to himself as he settled on his finale.</p>
<p> The colours brightened as yellow and white came together and darkened until they were a bright shade of purple. He held out both hands and recalled the vision the Kirin had shown him of the beasts of the skies all circling one another; the eagle surrounded by her new allies and the crows that flocked together to save her. He closed his eyes as he urged the flames to rise up from the floor and take flight. He heard gasps and loud remarks of awe, some were more panicked than others but no-one sought to stop him nor run away. He opened his eyes and saw his creations circling the air above him, the barrier long gone.</p>
<p>Powdered snow began to fall as Inuoka stepped back into the centre of the room. Hinata shared a smile with him as the snow flurries melted upon contact with any of the creatures. The air seemed to sparkle in the candlelight as elemental wisps and snow swirled around each other.</p>
<p>Sensing this was the end, a much louder rapturous applause rang out. Hinata couldn’t stop the grin on his face as he nodded and bowed in thanks. He clapped his hands together, willing the creatures to dissipate. Snow still fell as Nishinoya returned to Inuoka’s side. The three of them basked in the applause and praise of the common people. Whilst it may not had been quite as eccentric as the guild’s entertainment in Hinode, it exceeded anyone’s expectations and the show was done.</p>
<p>But that didn’t mean the festivities were. The music was quick to begin again and the dancing quick to follow. Now bolstered by the cheers of the audience and a lot drunker than earlier, the Brotherhood let loose a lot more.</p>
<p>Hinata tactfully removed himself from the chaos, finding Tobio instead. His relief was short-lived as a tipsy Tobio demanded they danced again. He wasn’t sure it was a good idea, but Tobio was a giggly drunk and Hinata couldn’t find it in his heart to say no. So he let Tobio drag him to the dancefloor once more. It was a far cry from dancing in Hinode, but the less strict environment made him enjoy it much more. The way Tobio smiled and looked at him like he was the only person in the room. Hinata was on the receiving end of many sloppy kisses, leaving no doubt in any stranger’s minds that Tobio was well and truly taken, and also incredibly drunk.</p>
<p>“You’re meant to be acting more kingly Tobio.” Hinata remarked as Tobio giggled against his cheek.</p>
<p>“Pfft, fuck that.” He laughed. “You be the king for a while.”</p>
<p>“That’s not how this works, dumbass!”</p>
<p>Tobio snorted, reaching up and removing his crown and replacing it with Hinata’s circlet. As he set the crown on Hinata’s head he beamed. “There, you have the crown, you’re the king.”</p>
<p>“That’s not—” Hinata was cut off again by Tobio’s lips against his. He went along with it, if only to not cause a scene. He managed to coax Tobio back to the table and put the crown back on his head, reclaiming his circlet in the process. Yamaguchi didn’t care about whatever tomfoolery was occurring, he was too busy talking to Asahi and Kei with wine in hand.</p>
<p>Hinata was about to prise himself from Tobio’s grasp when he was dragged to sit on Tobio’s lap. He felt himself blushing as Tobio kissed his neck.</p>
<p>“Why are you so clingy?” Hinata remarked.</p>
<p>“‘cause I love you.”</p>
<p>It was just like Tobio to say it so nonchalantly. “I love you too.” Hinata replied. “But you’re drunk.”</p>
<p>“Am not.”</p>
<p>“Are too.” He poked Tobio’s nose. “But it’s okay, you deserve it.”</p>
<p>“Nu-uh, you do.” Tobio reached out and picked up a half-empty tankard before offering it to Hinata. “You should celebrate.”</p>
<p>“Tobio, I am pretty much loaded with every magical element known to mankind.” He put on a sterner tone. “I can’t drink.”</p>
<p>“Then I’ll drink for both of us.” Tobio remarked.</p>
<p>Hinata supposed he couldn’t argue with that. “Go for it.” He pushed the tankard toward Tobio. “But don’t vomit on Tooru’s throne.”</p>
<p>“Now <em>there</em><em>’s</em> an idea.”</p>
<p>Hinata sighed heavily but he couldn’t help but laugh as well.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <em>‘Here's to all that we kissed</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>And to all that we missed</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>To the biggest mistakes</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>That we just wouldn't trade</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>To us breaking up</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Without us breaking down</em>
</p>
<p><em>To whatever's comin' our way</em> <em>’</em></p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>As the evening drew into the night, Tooru requested everyone moved to the gardens for the final piece of entertainment for the evening. Everyone filed out of the palace, one of the raised patios was fenced off for the royal and esteemed guests to mingle whilst the rest of the guests took to the grassy garden.</p>
<p>The night sky was clear of clouds, stars dotted the darkness. Hinata looked around and saw Shirabu for the first time that night with Semi and Kenma. They were looking at a piece of parchment together and getting into a heated debate. As he approached, Shirabu caught sight of him and made an effort to smile.</p>
<p>“Ah, you, I guess you’re the one who came up with this?”</p>
<p>Hinata had no idea what he was talking about but he laughed off Shirabu’s slightly accusatory tone. “Nice to see you too?”</p>
<p>Kenma laughed. “Shoyo had no part in this.” Kenma folded the piece of parchment up. He looked to Hinata. “We may have dragged Shirabu out of bed for this.”</p>
<p>“He just complains too much.” Semi remarked, getting a pout from Shirabu. “Tell me I’m lying.”</p>
<p>“No.”</p>
<p>“Exactly.” Semi coyly smiled. “Now quit panicking, it’ll be fine.”</p>
<p>Hinata was about to ask what they were talking about when there was a loud bang. His gaze snapped to the sky where bright pink lights were fading into the darkness. Shortly afterwards a green light shot up into the sky and exploded a shower of blue and yellow sparks. The sky came alive with bright lights, fizzes, and bangs. Hinata figured Kenma had been up to something during most the evening of drinking and dancing.</p>
<p>He smiled as he looked at Kenma. “Not a mage, but an alchemist.”</p>
<p>Kenma smiled back. “Of course.”</p>
<p>He took Hinata’s hand and dragged him back to the low wall of the patio. They weren’t along for long as both Kunimi and Nishinoya joined them. The fireworks lit up the sky one after another. Some were single colours, others were mixtures. Hinata wondered how they were made but he shoved that thought aside. His thoughts turned to what the night represented, the journey they had been on. He remarked on it to the others as they continued to watch the lightshow.</p>
<p>“Heh,” Kenma chuckled, “journey is one way of putting it.”</p>
<p>Kunimi nodded in agreement. “I don’t even know what to call it.”</p>
<p>“Oy,” Nishinoya nudged Hinata, “didn’t Daichi say he and Moniwa wrote an entire book on it? Like all the events and stuff?”</p>
<p>Hinata nodded. “He…did.”</p>
<p>“They must’ve named it <em>something</em>.”</p>
<p>Kenma shrugged. “Depends what they focused on, knowing Daichi it’s the idea of brotherhood and family, stuff like that.”</p>
<p>Kunimi pulled a face. “Soppy fucker.”</p>
<p>Hinata shook his head. “That’s only part of it though, like…we saw dragons, we fought mages, broke several laws in several kingdoms—”</p>
<p>“Oi shut up about that last part.” Kunimi nudged him playfully.</p>
<p>“Pft, they can’t do anything about it, I’m the king’s consort.”</p>
<p>Kunimi laughed loudly. “And how well did that work out last time you pulled that card?”</p>
<p>“I, uh, well…” Hinata rubbed the back of his head. “Shut up!”</p>
<p>They shared a laugh. Kenma tried to reel the conversation back to the previous topic. “It’s been a saga of magic, secrets…unbreakable bonds.”</p>
<p>“Love.” Nishinoya supplied. “Y’know, for family and for kingdoms.”</p>
<p>Kenma nodded. “A saga of love and legends.”</p>
<p>There was a pause before Hinata nodded in agreement. “If they haven’t named it that, they should.”</p>
<p>“Watch it be something stupidly mundane like ‘The Account of the Realm Part Six” Kunimi chuckled.</p>
<p>“Well we’re gonna change it then.” Hinata stated defiantly.</p>
<p>“Oh please let me watch you convince Daichi to do that.” Nishinoya said, grabbing Hinata by the shoulders and shaking him.</p>
<p>“You’re probably gonna wish I had killed you that day we met.” Kunimi remarked.</p>
<p>Hinata puffed out his cheeks. “And here I thought you had forgotten about that.”</p>
<p>“Oh I’ll never forget, it was such a defining moment of our lives and we didn’t even know it.”</p>
<p>“Gods have mercy on our souls.” Kenma murmured.</p>
<p>“Hey!” Hinata exclaimed. “What do you mean by that!”</p>
<p>As the fireworks continued to light up the sky, they continued to playfully bicker like they had done for so long now through the journey they had shared. For that’s what it had been, a journey across kingdoms involving trials faced head-on despite the fear of death, of magic beyond their wildest dreams and mysteries that unravelled before their eyes, of mythical beasts that ignited their imaginations in awe and wonder.</p>
<p>It had been a story of how love overpowers the treachery of others, how one person can change so much and how light eclipses darkness. One only has to believe and they can change fate itself. It had been an example of the strength of brotherhood, of family always being there regardless of the past. A story of how actions defined a dynasty, ending one era and beginning a new one. A tale of new legacies being forged.</p>
<p>As one chapter ends, another begins in the saga of love and legend. For the Brotherhood and their allies, another adventure was no doubt just around the corner.</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <em>‘Here's to us, here's to love</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>All the times that we fucked up</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Here's to you, fill the glass</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>'Cause the last few days have kicked my ass</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>So let’s give 'em hell</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Wish everybody well</em>
</p>
<p><em>Here's to us, here</em> <em>’s to love.’</em></p>
<p><em>[Here</em> <em>’s to Us - Halestorm]</em></p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>Fin.</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>2016 - 2020</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>A Saga Of Love and Legend.</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0096"><h2>96. A Final Author's Note</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p>
<p>Dear reader,</p>
<p>When I started writing this series, I didn’t imagine it becoming the behemoth it is today. Over one million words, four books, and a lot of hours of my life spent staring at my screen! Sometimes I sit here staring out my window and I still can’t quite comprehend much of it, most of all I still can’t believe that there are so many people like you out there who’ll sit down and actually read this entire series!</p>
<p>I wanted to share with you some more personal musings about this entire series, and if you’re not the sort to care for that, then you don’t have to read past this paragraph. Just know that I appreciate you reading my work and I hope it brought you joy, gave you comfort, distracted you from the current state of the world and maybe instilled some long-lasting memories of sorts in you. I cannot thank you enough for giving my project your time and love!</p>
<p>This series started as a throwaway thought, and I do mean that. I was dealing with creative block and playing a LOT of Elder Scrolls Skyrim at the time and replaying the same quest lines over and over again. And it was during one of my many playthroughs of the Dark Brotherhood questline that inspired this entire series. I was bored of it and remarked to my friend that I could probably write something more interesting to do with assassin’s and mercenaries.</p>
<p>And our conversation took off from there. We threw headcanons back and forth about Haikyuu in “an assassin’s au” - thus the series namesake for so long - and I began to assemble an idea for a plot. But it was one rainy December day on the way to college, a two-hour bus journey, that I was struck with inspiration for a large battle scene.</p>
<p>That scene, two years later, would go on to be the Battle of The Dynasty.</p>
<p>The problem with battle scenes of that size is that they have to mean something. And so I committed to doing just that, and thus the series was conceptualised. Was it a perfect plotline? No. Was it perfectly paced? I don’t believe so. But 2016 me didn’t care. 2016 me had a lot going on in her life and this series quickly became the one thing I could focus on outside of my studies. It got be through a lot of tough times, just having something to keep working on kept me grounded when I needed it the most.</p>
<p>Some of the aspects of the series were based on some real-life experiences, the two that come to mind are Kunimi’s and Akaashi’s personal arcs. I won’t beat around the bush, I used them as a way of dealing with my own struggles. Watching these characters overcome their pasts and find some sense of solace enabled me to confront my own past.</p>
<p>Other aspects of the series were stories I felt needed to be told, stories of found family, of forgiving those who wrong you unintentionally, of learning how to process grief and move forward. Of course, some of this may not have come across as clearly as I wanted, but I chalk it up to my writing skills still need honing.</p>
<p>I could go on for a lot longer but I’ll round this part up with this thought; I poured my soul into this series, much like I pour my soul into the show and its characters. I am forever thankful that I stumbled across Haikyuu shortly after finishing Kuroko no basuke. Both shows have will have a place in my heart for many years to come.</p>
<p>As for the rest of the inspiration for this series, I made it no secret that I shamelessly stole ideas from various places but I feel like I need to reiterate one thing before going further:</p>
<p>I’ve never seen Avatar the Last Airbender. I’ve had several people tell me the magic system (especially in Brotherhood and Family before it got all crazy) reminded them of ATLA and I was always amused by the idea that I unintentionally created a magic system very similar!</p>
<p>(Now I imagine many of you will be shook that I’ve not seen it but that’s a conversation for the comments)</p>
<p>What I have seen and taken inspiration from is a very long list but here’s the short one of my main inspirations;</p>
<ul>
<li>ESV: Skyrim</li>
<li>Dragon Age (Origins, 2 &amp; Inquisition)</li>
<li>Mass Effect</li>
<li>Lord of the Rings &amp; The Hobbit</li>
<li>Game Of Thrones (to be honest I’ve barely watched past season one but watched far too many Youtube edits)</li>
<li>BBC’s Merlin</li>
<li>The Entire Marvel Cinematic Universe</li>
<li>Assassin’s Creed (mainly Black Flag but I love the franchise as a whole)</li>
<li>Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood</li>
</ul>
<p>There are aspects of various other shows, movies and games that inspired scenes, characters and settings but those are the main sources that I often went back to during creative blocks. I’m sure some of those were mroe obvious influences than others (though I came up with the portal idea before Endgame, just saying, I’m definitely not salty about it).</p>
<p>If there are any specific aspects of the series that you want to know more about what inspired them; eg character arcs, overall themes, settings etc, then please don’t hesitate to ask in the comments! I’ll do my best to answer any and all questions about them!</p>
<p>Now with that all said and done, I imagine some of you are wondering what’s next? Is there going to be a follow-up? Am I going to keep writing fanfic?</p>
<p>Well, I’ve not planned any follow up fics for this series, as it’s run its course in my mind, but I do love this world I’ve made and the characters I’ve moulded them into, so to completely rule it out isn’t really something I want to do. But for now at least, this is where our journey ends. If I do decide to write a follow up, I’ll be sure to make some sort of update here (Legacy) so the best bet for now would be to subscribe or bookmark this story and we’ll see what happens.</p>
<p>Fanfic as a whole is a vital outlet for me, I’ve written a lot of smut and I’ll probably continue to do so. There’ll be other fics no doubt, I already have one or two ideas bubbling away but anything on this scale? I doubt it.</p>
<p>
  <em>However</em>
</p>
<p>I am writing my own (original) book. It’s still a little fragmented and the concept is forever changing, but around the halfway mark of Dynasty I decided that, with this series’ end, I would’ve honed my craft enough to challenge myself to go one step further. I love writing fantasy, I love creating worlds full of magic and mythical creatures so this new project has a lot of those aspects in it.</p>
<p> I can’t really say much other than that, but I do know many of you expressed your hope that I would keep writing so I wanted to mention it.</p>
<p>It may be a few years before I can actually publish anything and in that time I’ll probably continue writing fanfic for Haikyuu and whatever else I end up getting obsessed with.</p>
<p>(Speaking of which, I should actually go and watch season 4 now. I put it off as long as possible so that I didn’t get my plot and characterisation uprooted by any developments in canon)</p>
<p>Now this is the part where I’d say ‘follow me on tumblr if you wanna stay in touch’ but I did a dumb thing and got myself locked out of my main account (still waiting on tumblr support or my friend to perform some wizardry to get me back in) so I can offer y’all both of my accounts; <a href="https://the-tiny-tsundere.tumblr.com/">my main one</a> and the <a href="https://thesaltytsundere.tumblr.com/">backup account.</a> Feel free to drop me a DM -the backup account is probably better for that right now- if you want to have a more 1-1 convo outside of ao3's comment boxes. [I do have some other (slightly dead) social media accounts, so if tumblr isn’t your vibe then we might be able to work something out.]</p>
<p>So yeah, this is it, the end of the series. Four long years of planning, writing at ungodly hours of the night and falling asleep on bus journeys home, so many pages of notes and faaaar too much coffee. I won’t lie, this feels unreal and whilst you’re reading this I’ve probably started eating copious amounts of ice cream. I know a lot of you hold this series dear to you and it wouldn’t be fitting if I didn’t acknowledge it.</p>
<p>So thank you.</p>
<p>Thank you for reading, for leaving kudos, for leaving comments, for sharing this series with your friends, your followers, with that person you met at a convention one time. Thank you. As much as writing this series has been a personal journey of discovery for myself, hearing from you all has enriched that experience tenfold.  </p>
<p>And if you’ve found your way here long after this has been published, hello! Don’t feel like it’s ‘too late’ to leave kudos or comments, it’s never too late! I’ll keep checking for comments and endeavour to reply to every single one.</p>
<p>On a closing thought, music has been the backbone of inspiration throughout the series. Several chapters are named after songs that I felt described the scenes and situations facing our characters. Every part has its own public Spotify playlist and I have like four private ones (one of which just named “That battle scene” and was the first playlist made) that I often revisit. The last chapter of Legacy featured one of the songs that I always envisaged as the final credits song if this were a movie or anime in its own right, but there’s also a few others that I want to share, just for specific lyrics that I feel sum up the series' so well;</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <em>‘Long live all the mountains we moved</em>
</p>
<p><em>I had the time of my life fighting dragons with you</em> <em>’</em></p>
<p>
  <em>[Long Live - Taylor Swift]</em>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <em>‘So they picked up their armor</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>And they went to do battle</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>With all of their demons</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>And all their monsters of past lives</em>
</p>
<p><em>And they don</em> <em>’t run from this</em></p>
<p>
  <em>Like they did when they were kids</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Because to not have some Battle Scars</em>
</p>
<p><em>Is to never have lived</em> <em>’</em></p>
<p>
  <em>[Warrior - Paradise Fears]</em>
</p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>'At the heart of it all</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Are the days of adventure</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>With their magic and mystery abound</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>When we all believe our imagination</em>
</p>
<p><em>It</em> <em>’s where all of the answers are found’</em></p>
<p>
  <em>[Days Of High Adventure - Dragony]</em>
</p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Once again, thank-you to each and every one of you for giving this series your time and your love. I will be forever touched by your appreciation, kind words and encouragement. I hope to see you around on other fics or even just paying more visits to this series.</p>
<p>— Bryn</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
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